into the directory %AppDAta%\kicad
\7.0\3d
\7.0\color\Nuova_Elettronica.json
\7.0\color\user.json
\7.0\color\user_footprint.json
\7.0\AllWhaYouSeeInTheScreenShotHereBelow
It’s intentional, I think. It’s safe to leave them there and the user can delete them at will. It’s possible for example that the user uninstalls an older version but for some reason needs it later and re-installs it. In that case the old configuration is already there, which is probably better than starting from scratch.
Some application installers offer to remove the user files which is OK, but IMO it would be waste of time to code it. And it’s not a responsibility of KiCad, but of the installation/packaging system.
Because an All Users installer would need to iterate every possible user on Windows and introspect each directory for permission. At the same time, does a different user have the ethical permission to delete the settings file of other users?
Hmmm, interesting topic as I was thinking only this morning that it would be nice now to have a fresh (Persil) install of Kicad 8. I have been updating since v4.9 and would love to know what to keep and what not to. It’s important to understand that I am not at all proficient in Window’s file management, I have always considered Windows as a ‘Tool’ a spanner if you like and have paid little attention to whats under the hood. I think I messed up this transition as one of my projects is refusing to talk to me (Forum is mad at me too) anyhow I will post my troubles at a later date but I would like to know what would be involved if I bought a new PC then installed Kicad v8 and wanted to migrate my 'Stuff ’ to it
Well when I delete a program on my machine, everything has to be removed. No one should have the right to impose me to keep any file, any leftover, any registry key.
If ever the danger is what @eelik mentioned, then a pop-up must inform me and let me choose what I want/need.
There is about 150kB of text in the configuration directory, and you can safely delete the whole directory, even when you keep KiCad installed. If you delete this directory, then KiCad assumes it is being started for the first time and it asks the standard questions (create or import library table files and such) again.
And as far as I know, it’s common practice to leave such configuration files behind even after the software itself is uninstalled, and I guess not many people want to spend time on programming a dialog for this. For Linux, it’s also mostly mandatory for software to be able to install and de-install without blocking dialogs (for example from a scripted approach). I still have vague memories of having to click on 10 to 15 buttons to confirm who knows what during installation of some random program when I still ran windows.
And if that 150kB is so precious to you. Most OS-es have built in functions to make snapshots of system status before and after an install, and that can be used to clean up afterwards. Some (paranoid?) people also make a habit of installing each program in it’s own VM. Then deleting the VM is all you have to do to get rid of the software installed in it. I also seem to recall (but vaguely) that some Linux Distributions have something like this built in.
And there are such things as Snap, Flatpack, Docker and such, but I never did much in that direction.
This happens with just about every piece of software. They all leave snippets behind after a uninstall. It’s much easier installing something than uninstalling something which creates various config files along the way, or has open files that are in use that cannot be removed at uninstall.
Just looking at my old laptop which had KiCad 5,6,7,8 and there are remnants under the .config/kicad containing folders for all the old versions.
Well let’s say that perhaps just to program pop-up to inform ppl and to ask what they want to do, is not such big effort … just respecting ppl. And from the user, PoV it is not a big issue to answer yes or not.
But at least one knows that there are leftovers because he chosen for it. not because it was silently imposed.
Well not all the softwares. And in several cases it’s asked or informed that all the settings are removed … or just asked if the user wanted to keep them. That’s more elegant.
… just respecting ppl. And from the user, PoV it is not a big issue to answer yes or not.