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If you are having trouble installing our Football Manager Transfer Update or any other Football Manager Database then please read everything below.
The guide is split into two sections, the basic installation instructions, which should be very simple for 99% of users and some common mistakes and issues. Please make sure to read the guide in full and check you're not making any of the common mistakes before commenting asking for help.
Extra: What to do if you're missing January transfers like Ronaldo, Enzo Fernandez etc
If you're missing transfers from January that means your copy of FM isn't up to date. Update it through Steam or whatever other platform you're using. When starting a new save make sure that it says 23.4 in the top right.
If you are using a cracked or pirated version of FM our update will not work, there is no way to make it work, do not ask for help with a cracking or pirated version you will be banned.
How to download and extract the Football Manager Data Update
- First download the Data Update. You will then be presented with a “zip” file to save somewhere on your computer
- Extract the zip file
- Mac: Usually you can just double click on it.
- Windows: Right click on the file and click “Extract All”
- You should then be presented with a folder that contains files named “.fmf”. In some cases you might be presented with just a single “.fmf” file not in any folders.
- Move the “.fmf” files to your “editor data” folder. See below for where this folder is located on different systems
- Make sure to put the “.fmf” files themselves directly in the “editor data” folder. You cannot have any sub folders within the “editor data” folder.
Windows: Where to put Football Manager Data Updates on Windows
The default path on Windows is:
Documents/Sports Interactive/Football Manager 2023/editor data
Obviously change the year to whatever version of the game you're playing.
Mac: Where to put Football Manager Data Updates on Mac
The default path on Mac is:
/Users/yourname/Library/Application Support/Sports Interactive/Football Manager 2023/editor data
Obviously change the year to whatever version of the game you're playing.
This can be difficult to find on Mac using Finder, use the following steps to easily find this folder:
a) Open Finder
b) Click “Go” from the menubar and select “Go to Folder” (alternatively press Shift+CMD+G)
c) Copy in the following: ~/Library/Application Support/Sports Interactive/
d) Open the folder for you game e.g: “Football Manager 2023”
e) Open the “editor data” folder (or create it if it doesn't exist)
f) Move the “.fmf” files into the ”editor data" folder
By default in Finder the path is not shown. Click “View” > “Show Path Bar” in Finder and the full path will now be shown at the bottom of every Finder window.
How to find and change your “editor data” folder in Football Manager
Below you will find the default paths, but not everyone's installation is the same. The easiest way to be sure is to check in Football Manager itself.
- Open Football Manager and click “Preferences”
- Search “Location” at the top and you should see a path, stupidly FM has bad UI and you can't read the whole path.
- Click “Change Folder” and click the dropdown at the top and it should display the whole path.
- If you do wish to change the location you can do so here, but if you're struggling to install a file and asking for help this may confuse the situation.
- There is a reset button to the right of where it says “Change Folder” click this if you're unsure if you've changed it.
Common Mistakes
Not extracting the zip
The “.zip” file should not be in your “editor data” folder. You must extract the zip file. If you are seeing a .zip file in your editor data folder instead of .fmf files then you're doing it wrong.
Do not use sub folders
Your “editor data” folder should never have sub folders.
Sports Interactive/Football Manager 2023/editor data/new leagues/France.fmf BAD
Sports Interactive/Football Manager 2023/editor data/France.fmf GOOD
Sometimes when you download a file it will be organised in sub folders like “Football Manager 2023/editor data” already. Make sure to copy just the “.fmf” and not all the sub folders.
Sports Interactive/Football Manager 2023/editor data/Football Manager 2023/editor data//Data Update.fmf BAD
Sports Interactive/Football Manager 2023/editor data/Data Update.fmf GOOD
Having “public” folders
For some reason some people have duplicate folders under a parent folder called “public”. I'm not sure why this is, but sometimes it can cause problems. Check if you have the files under a folder folder called “Public” or “Public Documents” and move them to the correct path instead.
Here's some examples.
Windows
Users/Public/Public Documents/Sports Interactive/Football Manager 2023/editor data BAD
Documents/Sports Interactive/Football Manager 2023/editor data GOOD
Mac
/Users/yourname/Public/Sports Interactive/Football Manager 2023/editor data BAD
/Users/yourname/Library/Application Support/Sports Interactive/Football Manager 2023/editor data GOOD
Comments
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mmartins
Hello,
I am managing Cremonese with the latest update and I am unable to register players as shown in the attached picture. Is there any way to fix this error?
Thank you!
Aleksei Muzychkin
Hi,
I have just downloaded the update including the Dynamic and Non Dynamic parts. I am trying to start a game on my Mac but it gets stuck here.
I have all 83 databases selected (Dynamic and Non Dynamic ones), should I be unselecting some when starting up?
Please help! Thank you!
klebryallthewayup
Ederson is still at Man City.
Joe5p
The update you downloaded today was built at around 2am UK time, Ederson's deal wasn't confirmed until this morning, so he won't be at Fenerbache until the update is released again tomorrow.
M.C
The error is most likely caused by your attempt to use all of the Dynamic Data files at the same time, alongside the Non Dynamic Data file. It is intended to only use either the Non Dynamic Data (which is in the main file list by default) or one file from each group of Dynamic Data files at a time. In the download, within the ‘Optional Dynamic Data’ folder there is a readme file that explains how to use them.
But for your - and everyone's - convenience, the general concept is that you should use one ‘Dynamic Data’, one ‘Dynamic New Players’ and one ‘Dynamic Pre Window Budgets’ file at a time. You can choose any combination of the numbered files, as long as you only use one from each group of ten at a time.
When using these files, you need to ensure the ‘Non Dynamic Data’ file is not in use.
M.C
This situation is not specifically being introduced by the Data Update. It is part of the built-in rules for Italian clubs. I am not sure it can be fixed exactly accurately; I would need to read up on the specifics of the rules and see what combination of options exist.
If the new rule is effectively ‘you can only sign two non-EU players per season’ and the total number of non-EU players that can be registered (at any given time) is two, then I suspect that can be replicated. The complicated bit was in the old rule, which meant to register a second player you would have to sell/release an existing one.
For what it's worth, this is what you're experiencing - the complicated Italian rules being applied. It's not a ‘bug’ as such - but is a now-obsolete rule, which changed before the 2024/25 season in real-life (I think).
Žarko Gavrić
Hello,
I am facing issue it won't to load game, it stuck on this screen, what should I do, I have premium data pack update
It doesn't want to load with dynamic files selected.
DGGOG
How do I get started in 2025 with current loans?
mm_27
I wanted to start a save with Bayern but the contracts of Musiala, Kimmich and others only had 1 year left. Why is that?
wolfson21
It appears that all new transfers have one year left on their contracts. How can I fix this?
Hubert Candra
same issue, the contracts are in shambles, im using editor data entirely from sortitoutsi, excluding the +1, using the +2
Hubert Candra
Hi, have you managed to solve this?
Hubert Candra
You use both +1 and +2?
DGGOG
+1 and +2 give players incorrect birth data. I don't recommend using them.
DGGOG
+1 and +2 give players incorrect birth data. I don't recommend using them.
M.C
Yes, although in reality only the +2 file has any effect. The +1 file is an ‘empty’ file that is just there to ensure that anyone overwriting a version of the Data Update from May 2025 or earlier doesn't end up with both the +1 and +2 file each competing with each other.
So in May 2025, the Data Update had a +1 file. That become obsolete from the start of June 2025. At that point, the +2 file took over that functionality. Keeping the empty +1 file in the download was just to help people who copy over the top of their existing installation not running into issues.
…and whilst this is true, just to confirm: they do this deliberately and as part of how the Data Update handles the forward progress of time (in real-life).
Essentially, we are two years ahead of the (typical) game start date of Summer 2023. Transfers, contracts, the players that exist, promotions, relegations and league structures reflect the beginning of the 2025/26 season when using the Data Update. Given the general purpose of the update is to present the real footballing world as it is for 2025/26, we think it makes sense to also shift player ages and their contract lengths accordingly.
One thing that can't be changed is to actually make the game say ‘June 2025’ at the start. But by offsetting everything else, the Data Update effectively turns June 2023 into June 2025.
Of course, people don't have to agree with that and the decision to not use the +2 file is valid for anyone that doesn't want that functionality.
Hubert Candra
I tried with using all (53 in total) and only file from sortitoutsi, still same issue, have you tried with 3 september data?
DaRio97
Hi..So im having problems last few days same as those other 2 ppl have mentioned above,it can get past the screen thats on picture but you need to wait for at least 10min and after when you select leagues and press continue its freezes and only way to exit game is via task manager.
Im using your free not premium data pack and i never,ever had this problem,besides your files i only use incresead realism megapack by daveincid and thats it (i used it always with your files before and this is first time i had this problem,they started i think somwhere around update from 27th August not sure).
Need to mention i tried to redownload game,remove everthing else (graphics and everthing) leaving only yours files and still doesnt work..When i remove all of your files game works normally.
M.C
For those who have downloaded the latest Data Update (built/released on 3rd September 2025, i.e. today), please be aware that it has introduced an error that results in many, many players' contracts having the wrong end dates. Staff team are aware of the fault and aware of the cause and this will be resolved in time for tomorrow's update onwards. Thankfully, it is an issue with a new load order of the files and is easily resolved.
For a detailed explanation, which also includes advice on how to work around it, please see here: https://sortitoutsi.net/comments/get/839510.
My apologies for the inconvenience - just a genuine mistake/oversight on our behalf.
M.C
The experience you are having is highly likely to be as a result of the introduction of the ‘Player History’ file. This file adds 3,000,000+ database changes to provide updated player histories.
As well as increasing the time it takes to the initial database load (the bit before you choose which leagues to have active), it significantly increases load times on the ‘Loading game database’ step. What you will find is that the progress bar sits very near the start on this step for a long time, before eventually completing. Please be assured that on completion, the game itself runs as it normally would and loading saved games doesn't take any longer.
It is a one-time wait time and the trade-off is being able to have the updated player history entries.
Recognising that this is a significant change to the game loading times, however, since the last day or two, the structure of the download has been changed so that this file is (by default) in an ‘Optional’ sub-folder.
For you - or anyone else - the options are either to (a) disable this file or (b) enable it, but expect a longer initial game setup. Unfortunately, given the amount of data it contains, there is no method to have it be read faster when it is used.
For absolute clarity, the exact name of the file that contains these 3,000,000 database changes is ‘sortitoutsi.net FM24 Data Update - Player History.fmf’ (free version) or ‘Classic FM - Player History.fmf’ (paid version). For anyone choosing not to use this file, you can still use all of the other files that are part of the Data Update and you will get the benefit of those other files' content.
alperturkka
Hello, i did the latest update (sept 3rd 2025) but when i try to create a new career in Turkey, i have an issue like this: (added picture)
i cannot check the box of ‘’Turkey''
what should i do?
DGGOG
When I start in 2025 the loans are finished, is it possible for them to work until 2026?
echosofberlin
Have copied the data over to the editor data folder but the transfers etc are not updated in the database.
EDIT: Fixed - my documents folder was cloned and moved during an OS move, so it pointed to the old documents folder
M.C
Can you please have a look in your ‘editor data’ folder and see if you have two files for Turkey? It is likely that you have one where the spelling is ‘Turkey’ and the other is ‘Türkiye’. If this is the case, please remove the one with the spelling of ‘Turkey’ (you should see it has an older modified date, too). Then try to start a new game again.
There was a point, in the past, that the filename was altered for this file.
ㅤ
Thanks for this info. May I ask what the benefits are for including this “Player History” file? If I don't include this file, would I experience anything different in my actual game-play? Thanks.
M.C
The content of what this file adds is summarised here: https://sortitoutsi.net/content/74126/2526-player-history-update-for-fm24
In basic terms, though, it's primarily aesthetic - in the sense that it is about populating the player's ‘Career History’ tab with information to reflect where they've been in their career.
I think there is a level of indirect impact on gameplay, in the sense that the players would be recognised as having been at the relevant clubs for a certain amount of time, which may have an influence on how those clubs treat those players. But I must admit that is a speculative perspective - I can't say with any confidence that AI managers/clubs, or indeed the player, would or wouldn't behave differently. In my limited experience, how a club sees any given player registered to them is more down to their reputation, ability and relative standing in the squad - I actually think clubs care little for whether a player's history indicates they are established, or brand new, or similar.
Rob Richardson
Hi,
I've just downloaded the latest update. Added in a dynamic data 5 and dynamic new player 5 then added it all to the ‘editor data' in sports inc folder like it says in the ‘readme’. Started game and all players look in correct place, but as I've seen above on this forum, all contracts are incorrect. Am I better just waiting for an update tomorrow before starting a new save?
Also I paid £10 when I clicked on fm24 data update. But then when I went to download faces and logos it wanted me to pay £10 again? Was the initial £10 not the membership thing? Sorry I'm new to this….
Thanks in advance!
M.C
You can wait until tomorrow's Data Update is released, which will resolve the error with contracts. If you really don't want to wait, you can take a look at this post, which explains the situation/cause and provides a method to get today's update working (it involves swapping out a file with one attached): https://sortitoutsi.net/comments/get/839510
In terms of the payments/products - there are effectively two different products available.
One of those is the enhanced Data Update, which costs £10 for a period of 12 months (i.e. you get access to the enhanced Data Update for a one year period, including all versions released during that time).
The second product is a Premium Membership to the website itself, which provides access to faster, direct downloads of some of the megapacks (e.g. faces and logos). You can get the faces/logos for free, but from third-party hosting site downloads and they are split into parts. The Premium Membership payment is to directly offset the costs associated with hosting those files and providing the bandwidth for them to be downloaded. Again, the Premium Membership provides 12 months' access for that one-time fee.
oopsupsideyourhead
Not sure whether this has happened for anyone else but since trying to load the game today I've been getting a “rule group has empty discipline rules” error when setting up the database. This didn't happen before today, it doesn't seem to affect anything after I click to close the window after it pops up a few times.
Jonathan Cooke
Not working for me