Where are my settings stored and how can I back them up?

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w-u-2-o
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Where are my settings stored and how can I back them up?

Postby w-u-2-o » Sun Dec 10, 2017 6:16 pm

Where and What

Assuming a normal installation and normal usage, almost all of the configuration files necessary to run PowerSDR are located in a hidden system directory with the following path:

C:\Users\your Windows username goes here\AppData\Roaming\FlexRadio Systems\PowerSDR mRX PS

You can navigate to that hidden folder by either a) turning off the option to hide system folders in File Explorer or b) by simply typing the path manually into the navigation bar in File Explorer. You only need to type as far as "AppData" and then you can drill down normally from there. Once you go there the first time, it can be handy to make a shortcut of that folder and put it on your desktop for ease of future access.

In that folder the key files are as follows:

database.xml -- this contains nearly all of the information associated with the current state of the software, including TX profiles, RX EQ, band stacks, etc.

midi2cat.xml -- this contains all of the MIDI mappings for all of your MIDI controllers (if any).

morsedef.txt -- this contains all of your CW keyer keyboard macros (if you've changed them).

wdspWisdom00 -- this contains the FFT performance data that is developed as part of the installation process.

There are other files that are important to PowerSDR operation that are outside of that folder. They are as follows:

In C:\Users\your Windows username goes here\AppData\Roaming\FlexRadio Systems\ you will find memory.xml. This contains all of your frequency memories that you access using the Memory menu item.

In C:\Users\your Windows username goes here\AppData\Roaming\FlexRadio Systems\PowerSDR you will find the Skins folder. This is where all of the skin files are for skinning the PowerSDR main console user interface.

Backup Options

The easiest option is to simply go into Setup and use the "Export Database" button. However, this only backs up the database.xml file. All of those other files discussed above are not backed up in any way.

To backup transmit profiles, you can go to Setup > Transmit and use the "Explort Current Profile" button. I strongly recommend doing this for all of your complex transmit profiles. That way if screw one up later you can import t using the "Import Database" button (not obvious, I know, but thank you Chris for making it possible at all! :D )

To backup MIDI configurations, open the MIDI setup window, pull down the Manage Mappings menus, and use the Export function provided there.

A very simple and quick option to back up all of the above is to simply make a copy of the entire C:\Users\your Windows username goes here\AppData\Roaming\FlexRadio Systems\PowerSDR mRX PS folder and name it something else. Then if something dramatic happens to any of those files you can get them back either piecemeal or all at once by replacing the existing folder with the backed up one simply by renaming both folders appropriately. Beta testers do this all of the time, and may have four or five separate copies of this folder, one to use with each beta version they are actively testing, just in case something goes wrong, goes wrong, goes wrong...

Finally, backing up the Skins folder really isn't necessary. However, backing up the memory.xml file might save you from having to recreate it, particularly if you are a heavy user of memories in your radio operations and have a large and complex set of them.

73!

Scott

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