backup_settings - [How to Backup / Restore]

NOTE: For a video tutorial on backup and restore, see here.

If you've ever run into the situation where the fix for a problem is to clear your settings, you face a not insignificant task of redoing all those settings. It can be frustrating, especially if original problem doesn't go away.

What if you had a known-good backup of your settings? Then you could clear out the current ones and just pop in your good set. Easy.

IMPORTANT: Don't use backups for a different viewer. They're not compatible with each other.

With Firestorm, you can back up most settings directly from the viewer itself, via Preferences→ Backup. You may wish to backup to a thumb drive, for additional protection.

• Make sure you are logged into SL.
• Go to Preferences → Backup.
• Specify a path (folder) where the backup files should be saved, by clicking the Set button at the upper right, and selecting a folder. Ideally, make a new folder on your computer, specifically for Firestorm backups.
  Do not use the Firestorm settings or install folder for this; use a new folder.
• Click on the Backup Settings button.

This will back up all global settings, and the settings for the account you logged in with. If you have multiple accounts, with different per-account settings, you should do the above for each account.

Note: All settings are backed up, regardless of which checkboxes are selected. You can restore selectively.

• Log in with the viewer (restore needs to know what account to restore to).
• Go to Preferences → Backup.
• If you have just wiped your settings, you will need to select the path (folder) where your backup files were saved, by clicking the Set button. Use the checkboxes in the 3 tables to select what settings you want restored; you can select all of them by clicking the Select All button at the upper right, and then browsing for the folder.
• Click on the Restore Settings button. NOTE: be careful NOT to click the “Backup” button or you will wipe out your backup!
• Log out of Firestorm, then restart it.

Settings backup will store all settings for the account you are logged in with, be they global settings (that is, those that affect all accounts on a given computer), or “per account” settings. If you run multiple accounts and wish to have a backup of its “per account” settings, you will need to log in with each one and do a backup.

It follows that you can backup settings from one account and restore to another, but this will only restore global settings, since the “per account” settings refer to a different account.

“Per account” Settings are backed up to a folder with that account's avatar name, inside the backup folder you specify.