keywords list missing after upgrade PM from 4.5.2 to 4.5.3

[DrNorm]

After installing the recent upgrade to 4.5.3 on my WinXP version of PM, I went to add some keywords to a photo and my keyword list was blank. I can not find where prior preferences might have been saved, either. I did review the "Docs and Settiongs\Application Data\CameraBits, Inc\PhotoMechanic" folders and found no keyword lists and most of the folders appear empty.

Unfortunately, I do not have copies of these folders from before the version upgrade.

Clicking "import" from keywords panel has no result/action. Clicking the lightening bolt prompts 'save' but does not reveal where that might be.

I would like not to have to recompile my keywords list (which I, of course hadn't saved as a TXT file or such). I also saw no way to 'collect' a list of keywords from my current photos to reverse engineer a complete list.

Thanks for your time in helping with this relatively minor (but potentially time-consuming problem).

Aloha,
DrNorm

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[Kirk Baker]

DrNorm,

After installing the recent upgrade to 4.5.3 on my WinXP version of PM, I went to add some keywords to a photo and my keyword list was blank. I can not find where prior preferences might have been saved, either. I did review the "Docs and Settiongs\Application Data\CameraBits, Inc\PhotoMechanic" folders and found no keyword lists and most of the folders appear empty.

Unfortunately, I do not have copies of these folders from before the version upgrade.

Clicking "import" from keywords panel has no result/action. Clicking the lightening bolt prompts 'save' but does not reveal where that might be.

I would like not to have to recompile my keywords list (which I, of course hadn't saved as a TXT file or such). I also saw no way to 'collect' a list of keywords from my current photos to reverse engineer a complete list.

Thanks for your time in helping with this relatively minor (but potentially time-consuming problem).

It sounds like the Registry keys that Photo Mechanic uses to store the Keywords were deleted in some manner.  The installer does not modify/delete any keys that store your preferences when upgrading so I am at a loss as to knowing how this would have happened.  Did you edit your Registry or use any Registry "cleaner" applications recently?

-Kirk

[DrNorm]

thanks Kirk.
I do indeed run various registry cleaners but am ('usually') pretty careful about what keys are deleted.

It is indeed possible that this is what happened. Can you give me the default file name where the keywords might have been or if there is a way to 'import' or collect current keywords to recreate the list. The registry key/link may have been broken but the keyword file might still exist (esp. since I am more careful about deleting files than reg key entries). I only had ~30-50 keywords, so recreating from scratch would not be a total disaster).

thanks for your time.
norm

[Kirk Baker]

norm,

thanks Kirk.
I do indeed run various registry cleaners but am ('usually') pretty careful about what keys are deleted.

It is indeed possible that this is what happened. Can you give me the default file name where the keywords might have been or if there is a way to 'import' or collect current keywords to recreate the list. The registry key/link may have been broken but the keyword file might still exist (esp. since I am more careful about deleting files than reg key entries). I only had ~30-50 keywords, so recreating from scratch would not be a total disaster).

thanks for your time.

It may just be easiest to open up RegEdit and use its search facility to find one of the keywords you remember entering.

-Kirk

[DrNorm]

that was fruitless. There were no reg entries that contained anything similar to y list of keywords. Here is a copy of the registry entries for PhotoMechanic. There appears to be nothing pointing to keywords?

Is there not a "default" name or location for keyword entries? I would have expected to find them in the CameraBits 'document & settings' folders (as shown above) but there appeared to be no folder even for the new keyword list that I have begun re-creating.

Given the difficulty I am having finding my current, new list, how can I copy my new keyword list so that this doesn't happen (or, I don't make this mistake) again?

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[Kirk Baker]

that was fruitless. There were no reg entries that contained anything similar to y list of keywords. Here is a copy of the registry entries for PhotoMechanic. There appears to be nothing pointing to keywords?

Is there not a "default" name or location for keyword entries? I would have expected to find them in the CameraBits 'document & settings' folders (as shown above) but there appeared to be no folder even for the new keyword list that I have begun re-creating.

Given the difficulty I am having finding my current, new list, how can I copy my new keyword list so that this doesn't happen (or, I don't make this mistake) again?

I don't have a solution for you right now, but version 4.6 will have a full export/import of nearly all settings and this feature will even be cross-platform to help users who wish to switch platforms.

-Kirk