Restoring settings after Windows reinstall

[Phssthpok]

Windows 10's latest "creator's update" chuntered along for about 6 hours and then crashed irretrievably (wouldn't roll back, couldn't find any restore points, etc. etc.) so I reinstalled from scratch. Good opportunity for a spring clean.

I installed Calibre 3.24 (64-bit) and relevant plugins, restored my library from backup, and discovered I'd lost some settings (but not others)... so I want to understand what else I need to back up in future; one of the things I lost was my saved searches, which I had stupidly not exported recently...

Apart from the saved searches, I lost my skin selection, my toolbar layout, my "save to disk" settings, but not my metadata plugboards. In the editor I also lost my toolbar layout and custom keyboard shortcuts. (I lost the toolbar layouts again after a BSOD, a couple of days after reinstalling. Windows is such a wonderful reliable system, isn't it?) Custom columns and virtual libraries were still there, but I had to respecify "show VLs as tabs". There are probably other things I've overlooked but will discover in the coming days, BSODs permitting.

So which files do I need to backup for the next time Microsoft bricks my machine?

[theducks]

IIRC
If you use the Export/Import all Calibre Data on the Library Icon, it saves all things

When you restore (Import) you select the Libraries AND Settings

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by Phssthpok

Windows 10's latest "creator's update" chuntered along for about 6 hours and then crashed irretrievably (wouldn't roll back, couldn't find any restore points, etc. etc.) so I reinstalled from scratch. Good opportunity for a spring clean.

I installed Calibre 3.24 (64-bit) and relevant plugins, restored my library from backup, and discovered I'd lost some settings (but not others)... so I want to understand what else I need to back up in future; one of the things I lost was my saved searches, which I had stupidly not exported recently...

Apart from the saved searches, I lost my skin selection, my toolbar layout, my "save to disk" settings, but not my metadata plugboards. In the editor I also lost my toolbar layout and custom keyboard shortcuts. (I lost the toolbar layouts again after a BSOD, a couple of days after reinstalling. Windows is such a wonderful reliable system, isn't it?) Custom columns and virtual libraries were still there, but I had to respecify "show VLs as tabs". There are probably other things I've overlooked but will discover in the coming days, BSODs permitting.

So which files do I need to backup for the next time Microsoft bricks my machine?

See the User Manual FAQ ==>> How do I backup calibre?

If you want to backup the calibre configuration/plugins, you have to backup the config directory. You can find this config directory via Preferences → Miscellaneous. Note that restoring configuration directories is not officially supported, but should work in most cases. Just copy the contents of the backup directory into the current configuration directory to restore.

If you have Windows Pro, then you could use the option to defer upgrades until MS say its ready for corporate use, that's the so-called Semi Annual Channel "readiness level", rather than the Semi Annual Channel (Targeted) "readiness level". I also defer for a further 60 days. If you don't have Pro, then the #1 reason for getting it is better control over WU.

BR

[theducks]

FWIW The update went fine, but I am glad I have more than one computer.
5+ hours just to install (did not include the download, which was fairly on fairly fast DSL

[Phssthpok]

Got it. Thanks, all.