Why do I receive "Incompatibility Error: The specified folder contains updated products that are not compatible with this version" when installing a toolbox into an existing MATLAB install with Download Only files?

Why do I receive "Incompatibility Error: The specified folder contains updated products that are not compatible with this version" when installing a toolbox into an existing General Release MATLAB installation with Download Only files?

Answer 1

[MathWorks Support Team]

If you install MATLAB with the Download Only workflow, the installation files are going to be at the General Release (GR) update level. If you then download a set of toolboxes separately with Download Only, the installation files will also be at GR.

However, the installer downloaded with the separate toolboxes is going to be the latest updated installer, even though the installation files are at GR.

To resolve this, copy the VersionInfo.xml file from the MATLAB installation—which is at the GR—into the root area of the Download Only folder of the toolboxes (replacing the existing VersionInfo.xml file). This will force the installer to treat the toolboxes as GR and pass the version check.

[Walter Roberson]

This also happens if you install toolboxes from the Add-on Explorer after using Download Only.

It also happens if you do an Update after using Download Only (which is more understandable but still a nuisance)

[Walter Roberson]

After you install base matlab, does it show up as the base release or does it show up as Update something?

Once you have an Update something applied then it is running a different minor version number, and the toolbox archives are not marked as being part of the same minor version. The toolboxes are not reissued with the updated version: the updates are effectively patches as fair as I can see, and the installer is not smart enough to look at the directory to see whether release plus patches are available so as to be able to install.

... or that's what it behaves like at least.