### Author:  [@twosheds](https://resource.dopus.com/u/twosheds)
#### Post date: [January 9, 2019, 7:22pm UTC](https://resource.dopus.com/t/cannot-save-preferences/31152/3 "2019-01-09T19:22:08Z")
Thanks. I just tried what you suggested. I was able to create a new text file there, then open it, modify it, close and reopen it again with the changes intact. So that doesn't seem to be it.
---
### Author:  [@Leo](https://resource.dopus.com/u/Leo)
#### Post date: [January 9, 2019, 9:15pm UTC](https://resource.dopus.com/t/cannot-save-preferences/31152/4 "2019-01-09T21:15:33Z")
Please make a process monitor log and we'll see if it indicates why the config file can't be updated from Opus:
> [@Process Monitor instructions](https://resource.dopus.com/t/process-monitor-instructions/27806):
>
> Download Microsoft's [Process Monitor](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/procmon) and extract the zip somewhere. (No installation is required.) Double-click Procmon.exe to launch it and accept the default filters. Make sure it is logging filesystem events. It should be by default, by ju…
In this case, to ensure the right things get logged:
- Start logging as per the linked post.
- Toggle the Apply checkbox in the metadata panel.
- Wait 45 seconds.
- Save the log as per the linked post.
The 45 second wait is because the config change is not saved immediately, in case other changes are made soon after it and can be batched together.
It might also be interesting to check what the Modified date on this file is:
```plaintext
C:\Users\\AppData\Roaming\GPSoftware\Directory Opus\ConfigFiles\prefs.oxc
```
That would tell you the last time Opus was able to update its main config file. The date/time might help if it coincides with when something was updated/installed.
If file permissions aren't the issue, sometimes antivirus is. We've also heard of cases where the Windows Search Indexer gets stuck in an endless loop on XML files, which could be what's happening.
---
### Author:  [@twosheds](https://resource.dopus.com/u/twosheds)
#### Post date: [January 10, 2019, 1:30am UTC](https://resource.dopus.com/t/cannot-save-preferences/31152/5 "2019-01-10T01:30:27Z")
Thanks. To address the second part first - that prefs.oxc file has not been updated since 31st Decemberm late in the evening. So it seems locked.
Secondly, I now have a Logfile.PML. Is that the format to have saved it in? However, not crazy about posting it publicly. Is there someone I could send it to?
In any case, the locked prefs file suggests another solution, perhaps.
---
### Author:  [@Leo](https://resource.dopus.com/u/Leo)
#### Post date: [January 10, 2019, 2:43am UTC](https://resource.dopus.com/t/cannot-save-preferences/31152/6 "2019-01-10T02:43:30Z")
PML is the right format. Please zip it and send it to the address in the instructions I linked above.
---
### Author:  [@twosheds](https://resource.dopus.com/u/twosheds)
#### Post date: [January 10, 2019, 6:53am UTC](https://resource.dopus.com/t/cannot-save-preferences/31152/7 "2019-01-10T06:53:58Z")
I just noticed that the logfile is 500mb for only a minute or so's activity. No amount of compression is going to make it mailable. How can I make a smaller logfile without applying filters?
---
### Author:  [@Crash](https://resource.dopus.com/u/Crash)
#### Post date: [January 10, 2019, 9:06am UTC](https://resource.dopus.com/t/cannot-save-preferences/31152/8 "2019-01-10T09:06:44Z")
Slow down when reading the instructions Leo linked 😉
> Zip up the log. It will be quite large if not compressed, but much smaller when added to a zip file.
---
### Author:  [@twosheds](https://resource.dopus.com/u/twosheds)
#### Post date: [January 11, 2019, 7:40am UTC](https://resource.dopus.com/t/cannot-save-preferences/31152/9 "2019-01-11T07:40:34Z")
Whoops, sorry. Okay, have mailed a smaller log to Leo.
---
### Author:  [@twosheds](https://resource.dopus.com/u/twosheds)
#### Post date: [January 11, 2019, 8:12am UTC](https://resource.dopus.com/t/cannot-save-preferences/31152/10 "2019-01-11T08:12:42Z")
Just to let you know that I finally did the obvious - uninstalled and reinstalled DOpus, and it fixed the problem. However I would still be interested to know what the problem was, should it come again.
I also note that as far as I can tell DOpus removed locally saved backups I had made of my preferences prior to uninstallation, which is pretty counter-intuitive.
---
### Author:  [@Leo](https://resource.dopus.com/u/Leo)
#### Post date: [January 11, 2019, 8:32am UTC](https://resource.dopus.com/t/cannot-save-preferences/31152/11 "2019-01-11T08:32:49Z")
Uninstalling wipes your config folder but would not wipe config backups unless they were stored in the config folder.
---
### Author:  [@twosheds](https://resource.dopus.com/u/twosheds)
#### Post date: [January 13, 2019, 8:51am UTC](https://resource.dopus.com/t/cannot-save-preferences/31152/12 "2019-01-13T08:51:28Z")
Just to say that for some reason, which I cannot determine, DOpus will not save prefs again. At least this time the prefs that it won't override are better ones than before, but this really is a pain in the neck.
---
### Author:  [@Leo](https://resource.dopus.com/u/Leo)
#### Post date: [January 13, 2019, 1:10pm UTC](https://resource.dopus.com/t/cannot-save-preferences/31152/13 "2019-01-13T13:10:26Z")
The issue is caused by something external to Opus locking the files so they cannot be replaced.
We aren't sure what yet, but so far one person has indicated it may be thr OS itself or something low level like antivirus.
There is more information here, as well as some tests that can be run to see if the locking process is the same on your system:
> [@Userdata.omd permission error after upgrading to 12.10.2b](https://resource.dopus.com/t/userdata-omd-permission-error-after-upgrading-to-12-10-2b/30512/25):
>
> For anyone seeing this issue, please follow these steps, using userdata.omd as the filename (where the example screenshots use prefs.oxc) and report your results: From the logs we have seen so far, it looks like something is locking the config fil…
That post and the two after it.
It's probably best to continue in that thread, so the information stays in one place.
---
### Author:  [@Jon](https://resource.dopus.com/u/Jon)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2019, 11:37pm UTC](https://resource.dopus.com/t/cannot-save-preferences/31152/14 "2019-01-14T23:37:14Z")
Please try the fix in this beta version, and let us know if it works for you:
> [@Directory Opus 12.11.1 (Beta)](https://resource.dopus.com/t/directory-opus-12-11-1-beta/31211):
>
> [image] Directory Opus 12.11.1 (beta) is now available for all Opus 12 users. This is a preliminary, [beta release](https://resource.dopus.com/t/stable-vs-beta-versions-and-the-automatic-update-checker/4595/1). Translations may not be fully up-to-date and some English text may appear in non-English versions. This is an Opus 12 update. If you …
n.b. For the fix to work, you _must_ reboot if requested to at the end of the install.
---
### Author:  [@twosheds](https://resource.dopus.com/u/twosheds)
#### Post date: [January 15, 2019, 9:23am UTC](https://resource.dopus.com/t/cannot-save-preferences/31152/15 "2019-01-15T09:23:46Z")
Okay. When installed, DOpus opens a localhost page, by the way. Obviously it doesn't work!
---
### Author:  [@Leo](https://resource.dopus.com/u/Leo)
#### Post date: [January 15, 2019, 9:42am UTC](https://resource.dopus.com/t/cannot-save-preferences/31152/16 "2019-01-15T09:42:28Z")
It's supposed to do that the first time a new version is installed, to show you the new release notes. (You can turn it off under **Preferences / Miscellaneous / Advanced [Behavior]: show\_release\_history**.)
Do you still have problems saving Preferences or is it working now?
Reminder: You _must_ reboot after installing the new version for the fix to work.
(Edit: In 12.13 and later versions, the setting is called **display\_release\_history** and is off by default.)
---
### Author:  [@twosheds](https://resource.dopus.com/u/twosheds)
#### Post date: [January 15, 2019, 9:50am UTC](https://resource.dopus.com/t/cannot-save-preferences/31152/17 "2019-01-15T09:50:15Z")
Right, I'm just saying that the page that opens doesn't exist, and presumes that a localhost server is running (127.0.0.1). I've just installed it, so I'll have to see if the problem is fixed - finger crossed.
---
### Author:  [@Jon](https://resource.dopus.com/u/Jon)
#### Post date: [January 15, 2019, 10:16am UTC](https://resource.dopus.com/t/cannot-save-preferences/31152/18 "2019-01-15T10:16:29Z")
Opus runs the help server on localhost itself. If it's not working for you then possibly your AV/firewall is blocking it.
---
### Author:  [@twosheds](https://resource.dopus.com/u/twosheds)
#### Post date: [January 15, 2019, 10:58am UTC](https://resource.dopus.com/t/cannot-save-preferences/31152/19 "2019-01-15T10:58:28Z")
Having the beta info page as an unindexed page on your website (or a local page in a help file folder in the installation) might be a better idea. Running a localhost server seems like massive overkill for this purpose. I only have the usual adblocking plugins, and as I mentioned in another post, I have zero firewalls or AV running anywhere in the system.
---
### Author:  [@Jon](https://resource.dopus.com/u/Jon)
#### Post date: [January 15, 2019, 11:16am UTC](https://resource.dopus.com/t/cannot-save-preferences/31152/20 "2019-01-15T11:16:50Z")
Browsers won't run Javascript from local folders, and having the help only online means you can't access it without an internet connection (plus makes it a lot slower in general).
[Next page](https://resource.dopus.com/t/cannot-save-preferences/31152.md?page=2)