Shouldn't've installed that update - lost all settings!

[FalconFour]

I've had Everything installed for a couple years now, since starting with Windows 10 and finding its search to be... less than useful. Everything has been awesome.

Today, though, after getting nagged twice about some magical new update, I figured, what the heck, let it do its thing. It took me to a download page (ugh...), I clicked through, downloaded it. Then installed it.

Strangely, the setup wizard asked about some default settings I'd like - like indexing NTFS volumes. No, I don't want that. I want all my settings to be left completely alone. It was like 2 years ago when I first set this thing up, and it worked amazing. I have NO IDEA how many settings I changed.

I know I at least did these things:
- tuned the indexing to the obvious necessities - user folders, data folders. No system, no Program Files, etc., otherwise I'd get garbage results.
- Used Win+~ as a search shortcut - Win+~ is practically a muscle-memory for me now for navigating/searching.
- Hide results until something's actually entered. Stupid default setting to have it always showing garbage on the screen when I haven't asked for anything yet.

However, I don't remember exactly how I did these things.

My point here is: WHY would this thing be designed in such a way that an update will, without any warning, erase the meticulous customization that make Everything useful? Update or not, it should do its best to preserve these settings, or at least warn me before it erases everything. Because it stores its config in the registry (I think?) it's not exactly easy to patch back together.

I'm going to give a system restore a try, and hopefully everything rolls back into place. Maybe I can export my settings somehow, then try updating again. I hope...

update: Oh thank (insert deity). System Restore worked, reverted Everything and restored my settings. Looking through the settings, I've got a lot more customizations than I thought - not using full-drive indexing, just selected folders. I'd be hosed if I lost those - haven't revisited my folder structure in the years since using Everything. lol. Yeah, this thing definitely needs a "settings export" - configuration is also the reason I neither recommend nor install Everything on PCs other than my personal daily-driver. :/

final update: Ah, I found the config - it's in %appdata% as the installer says. OK. Turns out the installer clobbers the Everything.ini file. SUPER UGLY BAD NO-GOOD MOVE. So I backed up my settings file, installed the update, observed that it clobbered my settings, restored Everything.ini and deleted the database, then opened Everything, and it came right up. Quite happy now. Carry on. (but please, for the love of god, prevent the installer from messing with existing settings during an "upgrade"!)

[void]

Sorry to hear you lost your settings.

Settings are stored in %APPDATA%\Everything by default.
Normally Everything will keep all your settings when upgrading.

Did you disable "Store Settings are stored in %APPDATA%\Everything" in the installer?

• If so, please make a backup of your %APPDATA%\Everything
• In Everything, from the Tools menu, click Options.
• Click the General tab on the left.
• Check "Store Settings are stored in %APPDATA%\Everything"
• Click OK.
• Complete exit Everything (right click the Everything system tray icon)
• Copy your backup of %APPDATA%\Everything from above back to %APPDATA%\Everything.
• Restart Everything

or, if you prefer "Store Settings are stored in %APPDATA%\Everything" disabled and previously used the x86 version and installed the x64 version:

• Please backup C:\Program Files\Everything\Everything.ini
• Please copy C:\Program Files (x86)\Everything\Everything.ini to C:\Program Files\Everything\Everything.ini

or, if you prefer "Store Settings are stored in %APPDATA%\Everything" disabled and previously used the x64 version and installed the x86 version:

• Please backup C:\Program Files (x86)\Everything\Everything.ini
• Please copy C:\Program Files\Everything\Everything.ini to C:\Program Files (x86)\Everything\Everything.ini

[FalconFour]

Ah, wow, that was fast! Thanks!!

I hadn't changed the location from the default (it was using %appdata%\Everything both before and after the update).

I did, thankfully, locate Everything.ini, and I'll probably be inspired now to install it on my work PC as well - Windows 10's awful search cripples me a bit there too. After the restore, I backed up everything.ini, applied the update, observed that my settings were clobbered, restored everything.ini, deleted the database, re-launched, and everything was great again with the new version.

I've attached my Everything.ini file (pre-upgrade version) so maybe you might replicate the issue on your end. There's no personal information in there so it's all fine.

update: It does seem that I went from the x64 version to the x86 version by mistake. Ack! I didn't even notice there were different versions. That's probably why the installer clobbered my settings - it didn't see itself already installed (in the 64-bit folder). Mhm... maybe the update dialog should direct users to the specific download page (if your goal is to make ad revenue on page landings, can't blame ya!). But at least that explains it...

[BKPB]

If you take the settings from a previous version of the program and place them in a new program folder, they do not work. The problem may be that the X settings do not work on 64

[void]

The Everything.ini is compatible between the x86 and x64 version of Everything.

Please make a backup of your Everything.ini.
Please make sure you copy between C:\Program Files and C:\Program Files (x86)
Please make sure Everything is not running when you copy your Everything.ini