# Update - long period in between 2.86 -\> 3.01
**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/update-long-period-in-between-2-86-3-01/49415
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [June 23, 2020, 5:15pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/update-long-period-in-between-2-86-3-01/49415 "2020-06-23T17:15:15Z")
**Posts on this page:** 9
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@heinz57g](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/heinz57g)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2020, 5:15pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/update-long-period-in-between-2-86-3-01/49415/1 "2020-06-23T17:15:15Z")
need to update an old but version 2.86 to a new 3.01, both portable.
the files/folders construction seems to have changed in-between, so a simple update, by overwriting the old with a new version, might not do.
which files do i have to actually overwrite? can do this manually. but am not sure which ones are needed.
or is it easier to set up a new version, and start with all personal settings all over?
any tips welcome.
greets - heinz -
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### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2020, 5:43pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/update-long-period-in-between-2-86-3-01/49415/2 "2020-06-23T17:43:20Z")
> [@heinz57g](#):
>
> both portable.
I don't know if it will work - but:
If both are portable, then you have the old installation in just a single folder so it should be easy to make a copy of it as backup, install the new version into the folder of the old version and then see if it worked.
And if it didn't: delete the new installation, continue to use the old one - or start from scratch with the new installation.
Here is a thread with more information about how to keep the individual settings:
> [@Installation & Backup](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/installation-backup/964):
>
> [Can I keep my settings when updating to a new version?](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/installation-backup/964/2)[Can I backup my settings or use them on a different computer?](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/installation-backup/964/2)[How to build a portable installation of Mp3tag?](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/installation-backup/964/3?u=florian)[Cannot write configuration file](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/installation-backup/964/4?u=florian)[Right-click context menu is missing on Windows 11](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/installation-backup/964/5?u=florian)
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### Author:  [@heinz57g](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/heinz57g)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2020, 6:54pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/update-long-period-in-between-2-86-3-01/49415/3 "2020-06-23T18:54:41Z")
i mentioned that: the files/folder structure of this old vs new version is very different, so just copying it over does NOT work.
greets - heinz -
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### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2020, 7:00pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/update-long-period-in-between-2-86-3-01/49415/4 "2020-06-23T19:00:33Z")
Where do you see the difference?
I think there have been for a very long time the folders data and export - which contain the user data.
and in the data folder there are the folders actions, sources - an perhaps new: library and panels.
But as it is not advisable to use the old source, you only need actions.
And perhaps some of the ini files.
What happens if you install the new version over the old version?
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### Author:  [@heinz57g](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/heinz57g)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2020, 10:01pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/update-long-period-in-between-2-86-3-01/49415/5 "2020-06-23T22:01:22Z")
have a look at the attachments, OLD vs NEW, totally different structure.
and if i copy NEW over OLD, it just doubles the overall size of the folder,
as nothing much is really overwritten, but just duplicated.
greets - heinz -
sorry, the attachments are here, but in a strange way. above the line is the
old setup, below the line the new one.
 
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### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [June 24, 2020, 4:25am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/update-long-period-in-between-2-86-3-01/49415/6 "2020-06-24T04:25:22Z")
What kind of filesystem is that that it allows 2 folders with the name data?
AFAIK mp3tag always had mp3tag.exe as program file. So I don't know what mp3tagportable.exe should be.
Could it be that we are talking about 2 different programs?
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### Author:  [@dano](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/dano)
#### Post date: [June 24, 2020, 7:54am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/update-long-period-in-between-2-86-3-01/49415/7 "2020-06-24T07:54:40Z")
It looks like your old portable version was made by a third party, maybe PortableApps
That's why the files and folders are different.
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### Author:  [@Jimmy\_Neutron](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Jimmy_Neutron)
#### Post date: [June 24, 2020, 9:52pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/update-long-period-in-between-2-86-3-01/49415/8 "2020-06-24T21:52:28Z")
That portable version of mp3tag was created by [PortableApps.com](http://PortableApps.com) in a time before mp3tag was natively portable. Their system includes the original program in a sub-folder and uses their portable-named program to call the original (official) program with parameters to make it portable. This might include cleaning up the offending files/registry/etc that the program leaves behind. It also works with their platform to automatically update the programs associated with the platform.
As I said at the start, mp3tag is now natively portable. You don't need the version from [PortableApps.com](http://PortableApps.com) to enforce portability. If you use the platform, go to [PortableApps.com](http://PortableApps.com) to get their newer version. It will update mp3tag without losing any settings.
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### Author:  [@system](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/system)
#### Post date: [January 9, 2021, 5:33pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/update-long-period-in-between-2-86-3-01/49415/9 "2021-01-09T17:33:36Z")
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