Place where settings are saved... WA5

[elvaube]

Hi, can anybody tell me, where WA5 saves the settings I make?

Are they saved in the xml files or where? Cause of a new instaaltion it would be nice, to know, where settings being saved.

Thanks for help,
elvaube

[DJ Egg]

Hi

As from v5.5x, Winamp saves settings in %AppData%\Winamp by default.
You can even go to: Start -> Run, and type %AppData%\Winamp to open the folder.

In Win2k/XP, %appdata%\winamp resolves to: C:\Documents and Settings\(username)\Application Data\Winamp\...
In Vista/Win7/Win8 = C:\Users\(username)\AppData\Roaming\Winamp\...

Note that %Appdata% is a hidden folder by default, so you'll need to make sure you can view hidden files first via:
Control Panel -> Folder Options -> View tab.


Most settings are stored in winamp.ini (in the Winamp root dir)
This stores most of the preferences (Ctrl+P), plus window size/position for classic skins, and most of the plugin settings, including AVS.


Some 3rd-party plugins save the config in plugins\plugin.ini,
whereas others may use their own .ini file.


Modern skin settings are stored in studio.xnf

Bookmarks are stored in winamp.bm

Saved custom EQ Presets (as well as the default presets) are stored in winamp.q1

Saved Auto-Load EQ Presets are stored in winamp.q2


Library views/playlists configs are stored in winamp\plugins\gen_ml.ini

Library data is stored in the winamp\plugins\ml dir

The main library database files are main.dat and main.idx
(which store all library metadata, including ratings & playcounts).

History is stored in recent.dat (note: recent.idx is also required).

Local library views are the met***.vmd files in Winamp\Plugins\ml\views.
default.vmd stores the default colums/sizes/order etc for new smart views.
Stored playlists are the .m3u8 files in the Winamp\Plugins\ml\playlists dir.
The actual list of playlists is stored in playlists.xml

Podcast Directory subscriptions and downloads views are stored in in the Winamp\Plugins\ml\feeds as: feeds.xml and rss.xml

It is probably best to just backup the whole "ml" dir.

Note: backing up ^these^ files (and restoring them after a reformat) will only work if all the media files have the exact same filename and are in the exact same place on the hard drive afterwards. Alas, the .dat files are not humanly editable.

Further ml ratings/playcount backup tips here.


Milkdrop settings are stored in winamp\plugins\Milkdrop2\milk2.ini

cddb info is stored in winamp\plugins\cddiscs.dat & cddiscs.idx & ..\Gracenote\cddb.db

The Gracenote MusicID remote CDDB & Playlist Generator databases are stored in Plugins\Gracenote\cddb.db & cddbplm.pdb/idx

[soljarag]

do those files save stuff like how many times each track is played? when i upgrade winamp versions, i'd hate to lose those statistics

[Dextro]

I think that info is in the Library data, am I right?

EDIT: BTW, I just remembered, if you want to update from winamp 2.xx you can just install WA 5 on top, you don't need to unistall the previous one. That goes for new WA 5 releases over the betas.

[soljarag]

oh really? so i dont need to physically copy my old files in:
-------
"Library config is stored in winamp\plugins\gen_ml.ini
Library data is stored in winamp\plugins\ml dir "
--------
to the new install?

[Dextro]

Yes, you just install on top unless you want to keep the old version and the new at the same time.

This is the good old Winamp 2.xx code only that updated, it's not the L337 Bug causing Winamp3 :P (sorry if I ofended someone but that's the idead Winamp3 gave most of the people, let us hope Wasabi Player clears that up)

[soljarag]

cool, thanks for the info

[PJtheMan]

I recently reinstalled my OS (XP)and I backed my winamp directory to put the old files on top of the new ones, hoping that it would change the settings back to what they were before the reinstall. How ever I could not get it to go. I also did the Windows Files and Transfer Wizard however this does not transfer the settings (only winamp 2.73 apparently http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;304903 )

The original was V5.02 and the new is 5.03

Any ideas around getting all the settings back??
Hopefully media Library, playlists, play counts, ratings etc??

It would also be good if there were thread for doing this.... I have seached but could not find one

[drewbar]

Winamp 5 Media Library Import/Export Plug-in

[d3x7r0]

Well You can allways onpen the old winamp.ini that you have saved and the new one on side of it and try to duplicate the entries.

For the library use what drewbar sugested (just as info: the library data is stored under /winamp/plugins/ml/ if I'm not mistaken)

[DJ Egg]

Sorry, but I'm a bit confused...

[siebe83]

It's all coming back: just a circle.
DJ Egg, did you notice you just made the 22222nd post in the Winamp Discussion forum

[JonnyMac]

Originally posted by PJtheMan
I backed my winamp directory to put the old files on top of the new ones ... How ever I could not get it to go.

Any luck yet? What do you mean by “I could not get it to go”? When transferring the old settings files over the new, make sure that Winamp is not running at the time.

[afruff23]

Just use the winamp import/export plugin. Way easier. If it says that iTunes will not support blahblahblah select to keep the data anyway as winamp will support it. The file it makes is rather large(mine was ~500kb) but it is expected as it is the ENTIRE database and settings.

[DJ Egg]

No, actually the Import/Export plugin just exports the ml database (list of files, ratings, playcounts, etc). It does not export any of Winamp's settings.

[PrinsX]

Hey

After reinstall my pc, i got my old media library from copy files from ...\plugins, but my music is on a new drive D: insted for E: - and I am of course not able to play songs i media library.
Can I some how chance all referances at the same time for the songs?

Thx for help
PrinsX (DK)

[PrinsX]

Have find up by my self :O)

Originally posted by J_Darnley
You would have to use a hex editor as the main.dat file contains binary characters that a text editor will not save. Before attempting any changes I strongly reccomend backing-up that file. With a good hex editor you should be able to do a replace like in a text editor,

So I did, and changed all Hex writing E:\ to D:\

Marry Christmas

[Creasy]

I read everywhere the date is stored in the "ml" directory. Where is that? I don't have any ml directory in the plugins...

[DJ Egg]

I've updated my first post above to include more info regarding the path to the Winamp settings folder, depending on whether you chose 'shared settings for all users' or 'separate settings per user' in the installer options.

[pdontthink]

I accidentally installed with per-user settings, and I want to change to shared settings... but I didn't see where in the settings I can change that. Surely I don't have to uninstall and reinstall?

TIA!!

[pdontthink]

Hrmph. In fact, I *did* reinstall, and it no longer gives the option for shared settings in the installer. Grr. I suppose this is documented somewhere else in the forums.... now for more waste of my time...

[pdontthink]

Here is the fix:

http://forums.winamp.com/showthread....hared+settings

[JPRG]

when I play the spinner song of the day, it always plays the same playlist. I asume that playlist is stored somewhere and that to fix it i have to some how delete it.
can some one please tell me the location and name of the file?

[csrote]

Running 5.62.3199 with 5.623 essentials pack on Laptops A and B.

I'm trying to have two separate laptops with the same Winamp installs and settings.

My media library is located on an external USB hard drive.
I would like to use this hard drive with whichever laptop I am currently using. I would like to plug the HD into a USB port, launch Winamp, and have it use its various settings files to see the Media Library on the hard drive.

Laptop A is my "prime laptop" and works perfectly with Winamp.

Laptop B does not see the Media Library when the HD is attached. After a fresh install I have copied winamp.ini and the entire Plugins folder from A to B and B still does not see the Media Library.

Does the main explanatory post in this thread need to be updated? I have not been able to locate the ML directory or the main.dat and the main.idx files which I believe contain the Media Library data.