You are here

ChromePortable not fully portable?

9 posts / 0 new
Last post
andreask
Offline
Last seen: 5 years 4 weeks ago
Joined: 2013-11-02 15:50
ChromePortable not fully portable?

When I switch computers with ChromePortable it says:

Chrome detected that some of your settings were corrupted by another program and reset them to their original defaults.

So all my settings are lost.

What to do?

Thanks.

chrome Version 54.0.2840.71 m

John T. Haller
John T. Haller's picture
Offline
Last seen: 5 hours 22 min ago
AdminDeveloperModeratorTranslator
Joined: 2005-11-28 22:21
Google's own design

This is by design of the Chrome developers. Chrome settings are locked to a given PC and treated as disposable. If you move a local copy of Chrome to a new PC when you upgrade, you lose the same data. This is why you must sync to google as stated on the app's homepage and in the notification on the license page as you install. You should never use Google Chrome anywhere without being logged into Google and syncing. It is not a self contained stand alone browser like Firefox or Internet explorer.

Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!

andreask
Offline
Last seen: 5 years 4 weeks ago
Joined: 2013-11-02 15:50
ouch

Hi John

Thanks a lot for your answer.

That is: Ouch.

I am sad. The worst possible answer. Looks like total helplessness, we are imprisoned by Google design decisions, what a disgrace.

How to continue using Chrome then? Because there is no way I am syncing my browser data with Google. Why would I? No need. I had been using Chrome for many many years, and never logged it into google once.

Are there alternative syncing software solutions that I can install on my own server (like for firefox?) that you are aware of?

Or is there perhaps an alternative browser, based on Chrome code, which is like a Chrome-without-Google - and for which a PortableApps port exists?

Thanks a lot.
Andreas

John T. Haller
John T. Haller's picture
Offline
Last seen: 5 hours 22 min ago
AdminDeveloperModeratorTranslator
Joined: 2005-11-28 22:21
Firefox

Chrome is designed from the ground up to interoperate with Google. The code that trashes extension data on changes is part of the DNA of the browser. Browsers based on Chrome like Opera are similarly affected. You must sync or you will lose data. This is the same way that Chrome OS is designed. You will encounter the same issue when you get a new PC and move your Chrome or Opera profile from one PC to another. You'll lose all passwords, any search engines/settings, and a chunk of your extensions/extension data.

The best option for using a browser portably is Firefox. It doesn't attempt to fight portability. The Mozilla folks have even made more of a point to fix bugs that have impacted portability in the past.

Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!

haydut1200
Offline
Last seen: 6 years 11 months ago
Joined: 2008-07-17 02:26
Would this be why I just lost

Would this be why I just lost all my extensions? I was using Win7 Pro 32 bit, but I obtained more memory so I installed 64 bit. Has Chrome decided in its wisdom that I am using a different computer and deleted my extensions? Eeverything else seems to be OK, including bookmarks.

John T. Haller
John T. Haller's picture
Offline
Last seen: 5 hours 22 min ago
AdminDeveloperModeratorTranslator
Joined: 2005-11-28 22:21
You Must Sync

A switch from 32-bit to 64-bit might be considered a change.

If you use Google Chrome, local or portable, you *must* sync. Chrome treats extensions, extension data, and a chunk of user data as disposable and will wipe it without warning.

Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!

haydut1200
Offline
Last seen: 6 years 11 months ago
Joined: 2008-07-17 02:26
It's a pain in the proverbial

It's a pain in the proverbial, but at least I know now. Thanks.

Just had a thought, if I restore an image of my previous O/S, will my extensions be there again, or have they physically been deleted? Problem being, apart from mouse gestures and Adblock Plus, I can't remember which other extensions I had.

John T. Haller
John T. Haller's picture
Offline
Last seen: 5 hours 22 min ago
AdminDeveloperModeratorTranslator
Joined: 2005-11-28 22:21
Should be

If it's a full image of your old OS, it should still be there. I can't really assist with that, though.

Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!

haydut1200
Offline
Last seen: 6 years 11 months ago
Joined: 2008-07-17 02:26
Yeah, it was a rhetorical

Yeah, it was a rhetorical question really. Smile Anyway, it was a bit of a convoluted route but I got all my extensions back. Thanks

Log in or register to post comments