Moving Plug-In Settings to Another Machine

It is quite simple to move settings for my plugins from one machine to another on the same platform. This page gives instructions for how to do it on each platform. Unfortunately, there is no way to transport them across platforms.

Macintosh OSX

When running in native OSX, all preferences and saved settings are stored in the user preferences folder in a property list file called com.robertgpatterson.FinalePlugins.plist. The user preferences folder is normally found on the OSX volumn at

/Users/<user-name>/Library/Preferences

Simply copy this file from one machine to the next, making sure it is in the correct user preferences folder on the target machine.

If you are running a MacIntel box, you may have a file called com.robertgpatterson.FinalePluginsLE.plist as well. You should copy whichever you have, or both if you have both.

NOTE: When transitioning from a PPC Mac to an Intel Mac running native Intel Finale, only base plugin settings and saved settings will transfer. Specifically, items in the Settings Scrapbook do not transfer. The first version of Finale to be Intel-native is Finale 2007.

Macintosh pre-OSX and Classic (Finale 2003 and Earlier)

When running in pre-OSX or OSX Classic, all preferences and saved settings are stored in a single file called RGP Finale Plugins Prefs. This file is in a folder called "Finale Plug-Ins" in System Folder:Preferences. Simply move this file from one machine to the next, making sure it is in the same folder on the new machine.

Converting Plug-In Settings from Classic or OS9 to OSX.

Copy the "Finale Plug-Ins" folder containing the RGP Finale Plugins Prefs from the Classic/OS9 System Folder:Preferences to the OSX user preferences folder. An easy and safe way to do this is to hold down the option key while dragging between folders. This leaves a copy in your Classic/OS9 System Folder:Preferences folder, which is wise to do. After copying the folder, run the carbonized version of Finale (e.g., Finale 2004). The old preferences file is converted and dumped into the new preferences file, and the old one is then deleted. If no other files are in the copied Finale Plug-Ins folder, you can safely remove it from the OSX user preferences folder.

Note to Users of Pre-v1.00 Plugins. Versions before v1.00 erroneously appended a null character at the end of both the folder name and the file name. This causes some versions of MacOS to give error messages when you try to copy them. If you update to any plugin version 1.00 or later, it will rename both the folder and the file to get rid of the null characters. However, if you continue to operate a pre-v1.00 plugin, it will create a fresh copy of both folder and file with the null character. The bad one should be the second in the list, if you sort in name order. You can verify this by arrowing out to the end of the filename and then arrowing back. If it takes two arrow hits to go backwards, you are seeing evidence of the null character.

Windows

All preferences and saved settings are stored in the Registry inside the following key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\RGP\Finale Plugin Prefs

Run REGEDIT and select this key. Then select Export Registry File from the Registry menu. Save as a .reg file (e.g., plugins.reg) and move the file to the new machine. Double-click the file on the new machine, and regedit inserts all my plugin settings into your new registry.