Add option to installation routine to choose whether to keep previous configuration (where one is found)

[Qchristensen]

Is your feature request related to a problem? Please describe.

Users who encounter problems with NVDA, sometimes try to resolve them by uninstalling / reinstalling NVDA. If the problem is caused by an NVDA setting or add-on, reinstalling, even uninstalling and then installing again, won't help, as the previous configuration is kept and reinstated.

Describe the solution you'd like

Reading through #6869 I noted an idea to add a checkbox to one of the installation screens to "use previously saved configuration". Having such an option gives the user the ability to keep the previous configuration if desired, or easy overwrite it if they were reinstalling to overcome an issue.

My thought is that this checkbox would either only be useable, or possibly even only visible, if a previous configuration is found. I would suggest a warning that "this will overwrite your previous configuration, are you sure you wish to continue" might also be worthwhile including - either when the user checks the checkbox, or when they activate "next" when the checkbox is checked. (probably the latter).

Describe alternatives you've considered

For fixing a problem, users should instead consider NVDA+control+r three times quickly, however not all users do.

Additional context

[LeonarddeR]

Note that nvda+ctrl+r three times will still not remove add-ons, and in some cases, add-ons may be the case of the breakage. In that case however, the NVDA launcher also runs from the currently active configuration, so the configuration might even be that broken that updating NVDA using the launcher doesn't work.

[DrSooom]

Therefore we need the following:

1. Checkbox (Ignore the configuration of the currently installed NVDA version" at the License Dialog.
   Pressing one of the three buttons will load the default configuration without any add-ons. Maybe a (soft) restart of the temporary NVDA copy is required to perform this task.
2. Checkbox "Backup the whole current configuration (incl. add-ons)" at the Installer Dialog.
   Note that I'm already thinking about a more powerful backup and restore solution for NVDA for months, as the current situation isn't satisfied. It only takes care of the file "nvda.ini", if I'm not wrong. A new folder "backups" would be created and the current configuration (with or without all add-ons) would be zipped and stored in this new folder. The folder "backups" is of course excluded from the backup process.
3. Checkbox "Restore to the default configuration" at the Installer Dialog.
   Maybe we could add here also the possibility to include or to exclude add-ons. A separate checkbox for the file "gestures.ini" and all the other stuff would be an overkill during the install process. That would be something for the backup and restore feature later on.
4. All configuration backup and restore features, which are included now during the install process, have to be accessible via the NVDA menu as well. Thus we also need a new, separate submenu for all configuration tasks as well as for the configuration profiles in the NVDA menu.

[XLTechie]

This relates to an oddity I have noticed.
When creating a portable copy from the installer, there is no way to include the current configuration. And yet, when performing an install, the current configuration is included whether you want it or not.

Therefore, I suggest the following: Refactor the installation system to be more like classic installers.

1. Use a "agree" or "cancel" dialog for the license.
2. In the next window, provide radio buttons for install, make portable, or keep running.
3. In that same window, include two checkboxes:
   • Include current configuration (checked by default)
   • Include current add-ons (checked by default)
4. Then that window should contain a "Next" button, which moves to the next step of the install, whatever that may be.

[josephsl]

Hi, I’m thinking wx.Wizard might be of use here. CC @LeonarddeR, can you take a look at this please? Thanks. From: Luke Davis <notifications@github.com> Sent: Tuesday, July 16, 2019 6:15 AM To: nvaccess/nvda <nvda@noreply.github.com> Cc: Subscribed <subscribed@noreply.github.com> Subject: Re: [nvaccess/nvda] Add option to installation routine to choose whether to keep previous configuration (where one is found) (#9596) This relates to an oddity I have noticed. When creating a portable copy from the installer, there is no way to include the current configuration. And yet, when performing an install, the current configuration is included whether you want it or not. Therefore, I suggest the following: Refactor the installation system to be more like classic installers. 1. Use a "agree" or "cancel" dialog for the license. 2. In the next window, provide radio buttons for install, make portable, or keep running. 3. In that same window, include two checkboxes: * Include current configuration (checked by default) * Include current add-ons (checked by default) 4. Then that window should contain a "Next" button, which moves to the next step of the install, whatever that may be. — You are receiving this because you are subscribed to this thread. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#9596?email_source=notifications&email_token=AB4AXECUEBYH2ZSSN2PCKYDP7XCUFA5CNFSM4HN6JIJKYY3PNVWWK3TUL52HS4DFVREXG43VMVBW63LNMVXHJKTDN5WW2ZLOORPWSZGOD2AZW2Y#issuecomment-511810411> , or mute the thread <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AB4AXEDW543DYZIVWCHPDHDP7XCUFANCNFSM4HN6JIJA> .

[zahra21]

hi.
when i want to make portable version from instaled version,
i can keep configuration settings which i love and used.
but, when i want to make portable version from installer file, nvda starts working with its factory settings!
i should spend a lot of minutes to makes nvda according to my taiste!
i wish that nvda had capability of keeping current configurations, even when making portable version from its installer.
does installer make a backup when launch installer again, or even download and launch another version of nvda?!

[cary-rowen]

As some people have pointed out, most people think that uninstalling and reinstalling can solve the problems they encountered, but doing so on NVDA is futile. We have to explain again and again how to enter %appdata%, which is really not user-friendly.

[britechguy]

See comment, #6869 (comment), on issue #6869, which is equally applicable here.

It's far safer for a program's installer or uninstaller to dig into folders such as %APPDATA% rather than having end users noodling around in there by hand. The potential for serious mistakes is very high for the non-tech-savvy NVDA user were they to have to do this sort of removal by hand.