# Can I specify Profile folder as startup option?
**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/can-i-specify-profile-folder-as-startup-option/16418
**Category:** General Discussion
**Created:** [December 16, 2014, 6:26am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/can-i-specify-profile-folder-as-startup-option/16418 "2014-12-16T06:26:14Z")
**Posts on this page:** 12
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@ReefHound](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ReefHound)
#### Post date: [December 16, 2014, 6:26am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/can-i-specify-profile-folder-as-startup-option/16418/1 "2014-12-16T06:26:14Z")
I want to tag MP3 audio and MP4 video files but each has very different user fields.
I can save configurations and then extract them as needed but this is a real hassle.
It would be so easy if we could simply specify the profile folder as a command line or start option in a shortcut. Then I could have multiple configurations and point to the desired one in a shortcut.
Is this possible?
---
### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [December 16, 2014, 7:14am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/can-i-specify-profile-folder-as-startup-option/16418/2 "2014-12-16T07:14:38Z")
You cannot specify a particular folder.
But you can install MP3tag in a protable version:
Install MP3tag first on a detachable device.
Unmount that device from the PC.
Uninstall MP3tag.
The portable version is now on the detachable device.
You may now copy this version to the next device and use these 2 for your separate purposes.
You have to plug-in the respective portable device.
It could even be that you may use separate "portable" versions on your hard disks. THe important bit is that you get rid of the entries in the registry and %appdata%\mp3tag folder.
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### Author:  [@DetlevD](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/DetlevD)
#### Post date: [December 16, 2014, 1:00pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/can-i-specify-profile-folder-as-startup-option/16418/3 "2014-12-16T13:00:35Z")
> [@ReefHound](#):
>
> ... I can save configurations and then extract them as needed but this is a real hassle.
> It would be so easy if we could simply specify the profile folder as a command line or start option in a shortcut. Then I could have multiple configurations and point to the desired one in a shortcut. Is this possible?
The problem seems to be, ...
how to tell an application, ...
which, when invoked, must rely on proper configuration data, ...
... which have been built while the first setup process, ...
when this application is in the startup phase, and it needs dedicated configuration data.
There are two threads, that might be of interest ...
[/t/15191/1](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/15191/1)
[/t/16092/1](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/16092/1)
... and there may be some other threads too.
DD.20141216.1500.CET
---
### Author:  [@ReefHound](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ReefHound)
#### Post date: [December 16, 2014, 2:34pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/can-i-specify-profile-folder-as-startup-option/16418/4 "2014-12-16T14:34:39Z")
> [@DetlevD](#):
>
> The problem seems to be, ...
> how to tell an application, ...
> which, when invoked, must rely on proper configuration data, ...
> ... which have been built while the first setup process, ...
> when this application is in the startup phase, and it needs dedicated configuration data.
I guess I'm not seeing the problem. If there were a /fs directive for where to read the settings, just as the /fp directive tells it the working directory to read the MP3 files, it would simply be saying "look here not there" for that dedicated configuration data.
---
### Author:  [@ReefHound](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ReefHound)
#### Post date: [December 16, 2014, 2:39pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/can-i-specify-profile-folder-as-startup-option/16418/5 "2014-12-16T14:39:09Z")
> [@ohrenkino](#):
>
> It could even be that you may use separate "portable" versions on your hard disks. THe important bit is that you get rid of the entries in the registry and %appdata%\mp3tag folder.
Setting up as portable and using multiple flash drives sounds like it will work, as a way to quickly change which configuration files are used, albeit with the hassle of swapping USB drives. Any idea how to implement these "portable" versions on hard disk?
---
### Author:  [@DetlevD](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/DetlevD)
#### Post date: [December 16, 2014, 3:00pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/can-i-specify-profile-folder-as-startup-option/16418/6 "2014-12-16T15:00:32Z")
> [@ReefHound](#):
>
> I guess I'm not seeing the problem. If there were a /fs directive for where to read the settings, just as the /fp directive tells it the working directory to read the MP3 files, it would simply be saying "look here not there" for that dedicated configuration data.
Maybe you can solve your problem, by instantiating two or more dummy users on your system, with each user have its own "APPDATA" area.
DD.20141216.1700.CET
---
### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [December 16, 2014, 5:13pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/can-i-specify-profile-folder-as-startup-option/16418/7 "2014-12-16T17:13:13Z")
> [@ReefHound](#):
>
> Setting up as portable and using multiple flash drives sounds like it will work, as a way to quickly change which configuration files are used, albeit with the hassle of swapping USB drives. Any idea how to implement these "portable" versions on hard disk?
I would try the following:
First install one normal version.
Move the program folder to a folder e.g. with the name mp3tag\_mp3.
Uninstall Mp3tag.
Copy the folder mp3tag\_mp3 with the now portable version to a folder e.g. with the name mp3tag\_mp4.
start mp3tag from one of these folder, depending on the purpose.
You may need to create your own desktop shortcuts to start the correct mp3tag.
---
### Author:  [@ReefHound](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ReefHound)
#### Post date: [December 17, 2014, 1:15am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/can-i-specify-profile-folder-as-startup-option/16418/8 "2014-12-17T01:15:21Z")
> [@DetlevD](#):
>
> Maybe you can solve your problem, by instantiating two or more dummy users on your system, with each user have its own "APPDATA" area.
>
> DD.20141216.1700.CET
I solved the problem by copying the Program Files mp3tag folder and subfolders to two different folders, uninstalling the program, and then pointing shortcuts to the desired folder. Works great.
Apparently, the only thing "installing" the program does is pigeon hole you into a hardcoded folder for settings whereas an uninstalled exe runs fine using the folder in which it is located for settings.
Although it will make updating to latest version a bit more of a hassle.
---
### Author:  [@incifinci](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/incifinci)
#### Post date: [November 13, 2018, 2:09pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/can-i-specify-profile-folder-as-startup-option/16418/9 "2018-11-13T14:09:47Z")
Same wishing. I handle my old ["classical"] and new ["popular"] musics very differently. Even the libraries are not the same. However, it would be a good idea to have the starting option available. To setup every, including beta versions so hard is tiring.
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### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [November 13, 2018, 2:42pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/can-i-specify-profile-folder-as-startup-option/16418/10 "2018-11-13T14:42:38Z")
Did you know that by now it is much simpler to install portable versions?
So now especially if you
> [@incifinci](#):
>
> handle my old ["classical"] and new ["popular"] musics very differently
it should be easy to install 2 portable versions on the same drive in different folders and then call them with dedicated links from e.g. the desktop.
Esp. if you say that the libraries are different, it would be worthwhile to have such separated installations.
---
### Author:  [@incifinci](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/incifinci)
#### Post date: [November 13, 2018, 3:59pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/can-i-specify-profile-folder-as-startup-option/16418/11 "2018-11-13T15:59:41Z")
Thank you for your quick reply, ohrenkino. But apart from the installation, there are also export, operations, and other personal settings, a whole ocean. (The management of my old and new musics are different in the vertical and horizontal panels only.) I change (mean develope) them frequently. So I had rather wait for a built-in opportunity - my previous comment was, too, more a kind of suggestion.
---
### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [November 13, 2018, 4:04pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/can-i-specify-profile-folder-as-startup-option/16418/12 "2018-11-13T16:04:39Z")
I think that the tag panel and its layout can already be saved in a profile (see Utils button) - which you can load in mid-session so that you to not have to close MP3tag to start with the other type of collection.
And if everything else is the same like reports and stuff, I think that most of the features for different configurations are already there.