# Restore FORMAT strings - and nothing else
**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/restore-format-strings-and-nothing-else/62997
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [December 3, 2023, 10:04pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/restore-format-strings-and-nothing-else/62997 "2023-12-03T22:04:03Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@tomdickharri](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/tomdickharri)
#### Post date: [December 3, 2023, 10:04pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/restore-format-strings-and-nothing-else/62997/1 "2023-12-03T22:04:03Z")
Tried to update to latest 64 bit version but found I had somehow managed to install a 32 bit version (no, I can't think how) which could not simply be installed over. Renamed the MP3Tag directory and ran the install successfully. Reinstated old settings and got back Sources and Actions but not the multitude of Format Strings.
Please tell me they're somewhere.
I have other disks (D - W8.1 and E - W7) plus external backups of the current W10) None of these have entirely up to date versions of MP3Tag but I'll take what I can get. I just don't want older versions of Sources and Actions.
The FAQs didn't quite answer "Is there no way to isolate & restore the Format Strings?"
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### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2023, 7:10am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/restore-format-strings-and-nothing-else/62997/2 "2023-12-04T07:10:06Z")
See the documentation for locations for perhaps leftover configurations:
> **[Download and Installation – Mp3tag Documentation](https://docs.mp3tag.de/getting-started/installation/)**
>
> Details on where to download Mp3tag, Mp3tag's different installation modes, and system requirements for the usage of Mp3tag. Mp3tag is the universal Tag Editor.
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### Author:  [@Doug\_Mackie](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Doug_Mackie)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2023, 8:00pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/restore-format-strings-and-nothing-else/62997/3 "2023-12-04T20:00:51Z")
> [@tomdickharri](#):
>
> "Is there no way to isolate & restore the Format Strings?"
I have good news and bad news. First the good news.
Format strings are stored in the binary file mp3tag.cfg, If you have an old version of Mp3tagSettings.zip that is otherwise unsuitable then you can unzip mp3tag.cfg from that. You can then open that file in **Notepad++** [https://notepad-plus-plus.org](https://notepad-plus-plus.org), copy the contents, and paste them elsewhere as needed
I tried a few free online text extractors but only this one worked well with mp3tag.cfg:
[Boxentriq Text Extractor](https://www.boxentriq.com/code-breaking/text-extractor)
I pasted the Notepad++ binary contents into the extractor. You can paste the output into a local text file. Mine contained 670 lines (the scroll bar was omitted from the screen shot).
Now for the bad news. It's not always obvious which format strings apply to which feature (i.e., File to Tag, Tag to Tag, Tag to File, etc.). And Mp3tag saves format strings that you tried but rejected. That is confusing unless you had regularly purged your mistakes and typos from the lists (I had not done this for years). One of my typos is visible in line 2 of the screen shot above.
So yes, you can recover your old format strings but with few clues as to where or how they were used or to which ones worked. And no mass import is available. You will have to paste the good ones back into Mp3tag, one by one. Still, in some circumstances, extraction might be a lifesaver.
Of course the moral of the story is that you can never, ever have too many backups....
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### Author:  [@MotleyG](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/MotleyG)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2023, 9:02pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/restore-format-strings-and-nothing-else/62997/4 "2023-12-04T21:02:10Z")
> [@Doug\_Mackie](#):
>
> Of course the moral of the story is that you can never, ever have too many backups....
Absolutely. When it comes to your media library, I can't stress enough how import backups are. Especially if you are planning to make significant changes through the use of Actions on a large number of files. This clearly also applies to the program as well, as lately there have been a few posts about a loss of personalized options.
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### Author:  [@tomdickharri](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/tomdickharri)
#### Post date: [December 5, 2023, 4:44pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/restore-format-strings-and-nothing-else/62997/5 "2023-12-05T16:44:27Z")
Thanks Mr. D.M., I'll try the above when time permits but since I've somehow got a 32 bit version in the mix and don't know how to tell the difference from my usual 64 bit (or whether it matters) plus worse still, where before I had suddenly begun having to authenticate every time I used Discogs, now I can't even do that.: I get "Failed to authenticate using OAuth (1)".
Got the latest version of MP3Tag. Changed HTTP: references to HTTPS: Time accurate.
Perhaps I'll start again with a new installation in a sandbox. I've got Actions & Sources and now, thanks to you, I'll be able to see & access the format strings: Despite daily use, selection is so automatic, I don't even remember the details of the oh,so many additions over the years (ongoing too). My PC and I seem to be falling apart together erm...
Off to find VirtualBox. Thanks again D.M.
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### Author:  [@LyricsLover](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/LyricsLover)
#### Post date: [December 5, 2023, 4:49pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/restore-format-strings-and-nothing-else/62997/6 "2023-12-05T16:49:08Z")
> [@tomdickharri](#):
>
> I've somehow got a 32 bit version in the mix and don't know how to tell the difference from my usual 64 bit
You can see the 32-bit/64-bit version in the menu Help -\> About Mp3tag:
Example for a portable version:
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### Author:  [@system](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/system)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2026, 12:30pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/restore-format-strings-and-nothing-else/62997/7 "2026-02-09T12:30:12Z")