iMatch lost some (non-DB?) settings/adjustments

[abgestumpft]

Hi,

currently running iMatch 2023.5.2 (just updated) but this happened with previous version -> I think it is not version related. I can't remember if I had a crash / not clean shutdown of iMatch before.

I was starting iMatch and my default database was not loaded as it used to. But it was still in DB History and was able to load it from there. But now some settings are missing (looks like a reset to iMatch default). I assume those are all settings that are not stored in the DB itself. E.g.
1. "Did you know?" Palette is shown at each startup (I had disabled this)
2. The Filter Manager still shows my saved Filters, but the manual added (via gear menu) are not visible anymore
3. In Favorites -> Application I still see my manual created scripts, but my favorit links to applications have disappeared
4. In the image viewer the layout was reset (e.g. I had camera dashboard enabled)
...

Are those settings somewere stored in filesystem so I can try to recover them?

thanks and kind regards
Sebastian

[Mario]

Nothing has changed in all these areas for a long time.
All these settings are stored in the database itself or the IMatch Settings Database, which manages per-database, per-user and per computer settings. Did you change your user name or restored an old Pack & Go package perhaps?

I don't recall something like having been reported ever. I still use settings I made in IMatch 5, back in the day!

[abgestumpft]

Hi Mario,

I did not change username or restore the imatch DB.

I've now restored the folder "C:\ProgramData\photools.com\imatch6\config" from my oldest available backup (04.12.) but it looks like the problem was already there (and iMatch was running at time of backup: files like imatch.pts-shm are present). Usually I'm lazy and leave my programs running and go to hybernating -> looks like I have done this for a while now...
When I start iMatch now with the config folder from 04.12. it will first ask for the interface language and then I have to load the database manually once (and again some settings on default).

Are those settings (the config folder) also stored in the pack&go from iMatch (and can be extracted without restoring the database itself)? Here I have a backup from 15.11 and 24.11 still available...

When checking Windows eventlog I had a bluescreen (0x0000007f) on 02.12. and an unexpected shutdown on 14.12. (0xC00000D4). Maybe those caused some corruptions? I cannot say for sure when I started iMatch successfully the last time, but I think it was running fine somewhen between 02.12. and 14.12.

kind regards
Sebastian

[Mario]

When I start iMatch now with the config folder from 04.12. it will first ask for the interface language

Strange. This is only done once, when there is no user interface language set for the current user!
This is the first setting IMatch stores when a new user starts it for the first time. Then the setting is only changed when the user manually changes the UI language via the Edit menu.
Unless you now use a different user name, I don't see how this setting could get wiped. Something strange is going on on your system...

When checking Windows eventlog I had a bluescreen (0x0000007f) on 02.12. and an unexpected shutdown on 14.12. (0xC00000D4).

Not good. You should figure out the cause of this. A blue screen with immediate shut-down may even damage an IMatch database, when IMatch was writing to the database at the time, Windows acknowledged the write but fails to actually transfer the data to the disk due to the BSOD. Run a database diagnosis.

Are those settings (the config folder) also stored in the pack&go

Yes. Use the option to unpack into a different folder. Then locate the imatch.pts you want to restore in Windows Explorer and copy it.

See Restoring to a Different Folder

NOTE: Delete the old imatch.pts and imatch.pts-shm imatch.pts-wal when they exist, then copy the imatch.pts over from the Pack & Go folder.

[abgestumpft]

I have now restored the config folder from 15.11. (at that time it was working for sure), but still the same.

When you mention the username: in Windows I was mapping the MS OneDrive not too long ago (but still using a local Windows account, no MS account).
When I check my Windows user now there was an email assigned (not sure if that was there before).
Maybe there were some changes because of this MS OneDrive mapping to my user and this is why iMatch thinks I'm a new user now?

[Mario]

If your log-in name has changed, all settings related to your old user name in IMatch will be no longer available.
See User Name Alias for how to connect the settings for your old user name with the Microsoft account you are using now.

[abgestumpft]

Ah, one thing I just remember. I renamed my PC also not too long ago (13.12. according eventlog, thought this was longer time ago ): sebastianwin10 -> sebastianwin11. I'm already on Win11 since longer time, but I adjusted the name just recently.
I guess this will also change the username presented to iMatch?
C:\Users\Sebastian>whoami
sebastianwin11\sebastian

From iMatch logfile:
Logging in user Sebastian on machine SEBASTIANWIN11

I tried it with alias: sebastianwin10\sebastian but that did not work...

[abgestumpft]

I was able to fix this now:
1. I restored the config folder "C:\ProgramData\photools.com\imatch6\config" from 12.12.2023 (before PC Name was changed)
2. Opened imatch.pts with DB Browser for SQL Lite
3. Here I saw that the only table "settings" had several entries with mid="SEBASTIANWIN10"
4. I then updated all columns containing the old PC name (SEBASTIANWIN10) with the new one (SEBASTIANWIN11):
UPDATE settings
SET mid="SEBASTIANWIN11"
WHERE mid="SEBASTIANWIN10";

Ergebnis: Query erfolgreich ausgeführt. Benötigte 5ms, 294 Zeilen betroffen

5. Now I'm able to start iMatch again and all the settings etc. were loaded again


So root cause of the problem was me renaming my Windows PC.
Would a pack&go restore (e.g. when moving to a new PC as described here: https://www.photools.com/help/imatch/how-to-move-imatch-to-a-new-computer.htm) take care of this settings table ?

[Mario]

Renaming your PC will make computer-specific settings unavailable.
Renaming your user name will make user-name specific settings unavailable. This is why there is an Alias feature.

Not for computer name, though. Since, renaming a computer is generally considered a bad idea, because it may break things (network shares and whatnot) or cause more or less subtle issues in applications.

I don't recommend opening IMatch settings databases and fiddling around with SQLite Tools. It is very easy to break things or to introduce subtle problems that later show up as bug reports and I have to deal with them. And since I have no idea that the user manipulated the settings database with non-approved tools, this can be really cumbersome and a waste of my time.

Settings databases contain binary and encrypted data, not directly accessible outside of IMatch. The computer name may also be used in binary form as part of some blobs IMatch has stored in the settings database and the database itself. In that case, the information used in the column you have manipulated will be out-of-sync.

I have never tested this or know what the consequences could be. And I don't provide support for this. It never occurred to me that a user would manipulate the settings database manually. Hopefully you have not damaged anything.

Now that you know what mistake was made (renaming the computer) you know where the problems come from.
Restore the original settings database and then reconfigure the computer-specific settings as needed, without manipulating the settings database manually. This ensures that everything is properly stored.