Running SPSS Statistics v26 and installed SPSS fix pack 1 and log4j hotfix for windows. After installed the patches, user is able to open newer files but no longer able to open older data files by pasting syntax commands in SPSS File > Open > Data. They can open older SPSS data files manually, either double-clicking in windows explorer or launching SPSS and opening file via File > Open > Data and select open data file. Whenever they open a file either of these two ways, they get a Unicode encoding mode warning

They are not able to open files using the syntax command they have always used. 

Appreciate any recommendations or pointers to address, otherwise have to rollback/reinstall. Thanks

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Jeff Barnes
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Hi @Jeff Barnes
The message you are seeing is merely indicating that your IBM SPSS Statistics instance is running in Unicode mode (SET UNICODE=ON.), but that the SPSS data file (*.sav) was last saved from an instance of SPSS Statistics running in Codepage mode (SET UNICODE=OFF.)

To open these data files, you have two choices:

1. Put IBM SPSS Statistics into Codepage mode, by turning Unicode OFF.   You can do this from command syntax or from the "Edit -> Options" menu and "Language" tab.
2. Leave IBM SPSS Statistics in Unicode mode, and accept the changes suggested by this dialog.  By accepting the message above your data will be converted to Unicode and all string fields will first be tripled and then resized using the ALTER TYPE command syntax.  Thereafter, your data will be Unicode and you won't see this message again after saving it.