Launcher: Windows launcher issues after updating to RC4

BeanIssues commented

2026-11-15 08:45:54 +00:00

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Reported by Schiggy on Discord

What happened

After updating to RC4, several problems were reported:

The F1 menu does not save settings between updates.
The Windows Start Menu shortcut for the launcher is deleted. Enabling “Create Start Menu Entry” creates a shortcut for the game instead of the launcher.
After an Nvidia driver update, the game is very laggy/broken on the first boot; shader rebuilding is only recognized on the second boot.
The previous game build remains on disk but is no longer recognized by the launcher.
Build folder names change between RC3 and RC4, preventing Nvidia App settings from carrying across updates.
Launcher updates create a .old backup, which the reporter considers unnecessary. The downloaded setup file is still named LongshotLauncher-v1.0.0-rc.2-windows-x64-setup.exe despite being on RC4.

Steps / frequency

These behaviors were reported after updating and using the new version. Further reproduction steps and frequency were not provided.

Versions / system

Windows; launcher RC4 (reported). Exact launcher version/build and Windows version were not provided.

Fixes and status

F1 menu settings lost on update: Longshot PR #729 moves settings into the shared user folder, so updates keep them. It is merged but not yet in a release; it will be in a future nightly. LongshotLauncher PR #84 (merged) also migrates settings before Play.
Launcher Start Menu shortcut: Launcher PR #88 addresses the launcher and game shortcuts being conflated by Windows, but remains open and unmerged. Launcher PR #43 already refreshes shortcuts after launcher updates and first shipped in v1.0.0-rc.4; it does not resolve the separate-identity problem addressed by #88.
NVIDIA driver/profile settings across builds: Launcher PR #87 is merged and first shipped in nightly-68-adc35b1c. It carries Windows GPU preference and NVIDIA profile settings to a new build before Play.
Build folder changes / old builds left on disk: Launcher PR #57 proposes updating a build in its existing folder and naming new build folders by channel, but remains open and unmerged. Its description explicitly leaves deletion of folders orphaned by earlier updates for a follow-up.
Shader rebuild after NVIDIA driver update: still uninvestigated in the launcher discussion. Longshot PR #158 (merged in v3.0.0-rc.2) adds shader preparation modes, and Longshot PR #721 (merged in nightly-179-70087604) improves startup pipeline-cache progress reporting; neither is established as fixing this report's driver-update behavior.
.old backup and setup filename: no confirmed fix found for these concerns.

The reporter later asked whether the issue was fixed. The report is only partly addressed; the remaining open/uninvestigated items above still need verification.

Missing information

Launcher log, exact launcher version/build, Windows version, and steps to reproduce each behavior were not provided. The shader behavior may involve the game build rather than the launcher itself.

Reported by [Schiggy on Discord](https://discord.com/channels/1569849200047427645/1571438396608352266/1571438396608352266) ### What happened After updating to RC4, several problems were reported: - The F1 menu does not save settings between updates. - The Windows Start Menu shortcut for the launcher is deleted. Enabling “Create Start Menu Entry” creates a shortcut for the game instead of the launcher. - After an Nvidia driver update, the game is very laggy/broken on the first boot; shader rebuilding is only recognized on the second boot. - The previous game build remains on disk but is no longer recognized by the launcher. - Build folder names change between RC3 and RC4, preventing Nvidia App settings from carrying across updates. - Launcher updates create a `.old` backup, which the reporter considers unnecessary. The downloaded setup file is still named `LongshotLauncher-v1.0.0-rc.2-windows-x64-setup.exe` despite being on RC4. ### Steps / frequency These behaviors were reported after updating and using the new version. Further reproduction steps and frequency were not provided. ### Versions / system Windows; launcher RC4 (reported). Exact launcher version/build and Windows version were not provided. ### Fixes and status - **F1 menu settings lost on update:** Longshot PR [#729](https://git.magicbean.dev/MagicBeanDev/Longshot/pulls/729) moves settings into the shared user folder, so updates keep them. It is merged but not yet in a release; it will be in a future nightly. LongshotLauncher PR #84 (merged) also migrates settings before Play. - **Launcher Start Menu shortcut:** Launcher PR [#88](https://git.magicbean.dev/MagicBeanDev/LongshotLauncher/pulls/88) addresses the launcher and game shortcuts being conflated by Windows, but remains open and unmerged. Launcher PR [#43](https://git.magicbean.dev/MagicBeanDev/LongshotLauncher/pulls/43) already refreshes shortcuts after launcher updates and first shipped in v1.0.0-rc.4; it does not resolve the separate-identity problem addressed by #88. - **NVIDIA driver/profile settings across builds:** Launcher PR [#87](https://git.magicbean.dev/MagicBeanDev/LongshotLauncher/pulls/87) is merged and first shipped in [nightly-68-adc35b1c](https://git.magicbean.dev/MagicBeanDev/LongshotLauncher/releases/tag/nightly-68-adc35b1c). It carries Windows GPU preference and NVIDIA profile settings to a new build before Play. - **Build folder changes / old builds left on disk:** Launcher PR [#57](https://git.magicbean.dev/MagicBeanDev/LongshotLauncher/pulls/57) proposes updating a build in its existing folder and naming new build folders by channel, but remains open and unmerged. Its description explicitly leaves deletion of folders orphaned by earlier updates for a follow-up. - **Shader rebuild after NVIDIA driver update:** still uninvestigated in the launcher discussion. Longshot PR #158 (merged in v3.0.0-rc.2) adds shader preparation modes, and Longshot PR #721 (merged in nightly-179-70087604) improves startup pipeline-cache progress reporting; neither is established as fixing this report's driver-update behavior. - **`.old` backup and setup filename:** no confirmed fix found for these concerns. The reporter later asked whether the issue was fixed. The report is only partly addressed; the remaining open/uninvestigated items above still need verification. ### Missing information Launcher log, exact launcher version/build, Windows version, and steps to reproduce each behavior were not provided. The shader behavior may involve the game build rather than the launcher itself.

BeanIssues added the

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2026-11-15 08:45:55 +00:00

dyst commented

2026-11-15 08:55:06 +00:00

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Thanks for the list. Where each point stands, apart from the shaders after a driver update, which isn't looked at yet:

Insert menu settings lost on update. Each update built into a new folder, and longshot_options.ini stayed in the old one.

LongshotLauncher #84 (merged) brings your settings into a new build before Play, and gives Linux builds the shared user folder too.
Longshot MagicBeanDev/Longshot#729 (in review) keeps the settings in the user folder every build shares, so they no longer depend on the folder.
Longshot MagicBeanDev/Longshot#736 (in review) saves the GPU device choice as the card itself, not its place in the list.

Start menu shortcut for the launcher "deleted"; Create Start Menu Entry makes the game's. The launcher's shortcut wasn't deleted. Both shortcuts start the same program, so the Start menu listed only one of them, the game's Longshot.

#88 (in review) gives each shortcut its own app identity so both are listed.
The first start after updating to a launcher with #88 rewrites your existing shortcuts, so the launcher's comes back on its own.

Folder names change between versions, so NVIDIA app settings don't carry over. Windows and NVIDIA keep per-program settings by the program's full path.

#87 (in review) carries over, before Play, Windows' GPU choice for the game and the NVIDIA app's program profile (Smooth Motion and the rest).
#57 (in progress), which updates a build in its own folder, would remove the cause.

The previous build stays on disk but isn't listed. That's the same "new folder per update" design: the old folder is left in place on purpose. #57 changes it, and until then the old folder can be deleted by hand once the new build works.

The .old file and the rc.2 setup name. Both are expected:

.old: the previous launcher, kept so LongshotLauncher.exe --rollback can put it back if an update goes wrong. Only one is kept, and the next update replaces it.
rc.2 setup: the setup file in your Downloads is the one you first downloaded. The launcher updates its installed copy in place and never renames that file, so it can be deleted.

If anything here still happens with the fixes, please attach longshot_log.txt and say which launcher version and Windows version you're on.

Thanks for the list. Where each point stands, apart from the shaders after a driver update, which isn't looked at yet: **Insert menu settings lost on update.** Each update built into a new folder, and `longshot_options.ini` stayed in the old one. - LongshotLauncher #84 (merged) brings your settings into a new build before Play, and gives Linux builds the shared user folder too. - Longshot MagicBeanDev/Longshot#729 (in review) keeps the settings in the user folder every build shares, so they no longer depend on the folder. - Longshot MagicBeanDev/Longshot#736 (in review) saves the GPU device choice as the card itself, not its place in the list. **Start menu shortcut for the launcher "deleted"; Create Start Menu Entry makes the game's.** The launcher's shortcut wasn't deleted. Both shortcuts start the same program, so the Start menu listed only one of them, the game's *Longshot*. - #88 (in review) gives each shortcut its own app identity so both are listed. - The first start after updating to a launcher with #88 rewrites your existing shortcuts, so the launcher's comes back on its own. **Folder names change between versions, so NVIDIA app settings don't carry over.** Windows and NVIDIA keep per-program settings by the program's full path. - #87 (in review) carries over, before Play, Windows' GPU choice for the game and the NVIDIA app's program profile (Smooth Motion and the rest). - #57 (in progress), which updates a build in its own folder, would remove the cause. **The previous build stays on disk but isn't listed.** That's the same "new folder per update" design: the old folder is left in place on purpose. #57 changes it, and until then the old folder can be deleted by hand once the new build works. **The `.old` file and the `rc.2` setup name.** Both are expected: - **`.old`:** the previous launcher, kept so `LongshotLauncher.exe --rollback` can put it back if an update goes wrong. Only one is kept, and the next update replaces it. - **`rc.2` setup:** the setup file in your Downloads is the one you first downloaded. The launcher updates its installed copy in place and never renames that file, so it can be deleted. If anything here still happens with the fixes, please attach `longshot_log.txt` and say which launcher version and Windows version you're on.

dyst referenced this issue

2026-11-15 08:55:07 +00:00

fix(windows): the launcher's Start menu shortcut is listed beside the game's again #88

dyst referenced this issue

2026-11-15 08:55:08 +00:00

feat(play): Windows' graphics preference and the NVIDIA profile follow the player into a new build #87

dyst referenced this issue from MagicBeanDev/Longshot

2026-11-15 08:55:08 +00:00

feat(options): settings in the launcher's user folder, so an update keeps them #729

dyst referenced this issue from MagicBeanDev/Longshot

2026-11-15 08:55:09 +00:00

fix(menu): the GPU device row keeps its card, not its place in the list #736

BeanIssues commented

2026-11-15 09:10:17 +00:00

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Updated with more from HumanBean (hckrman101) on Discord: Added current fix status and release information for reported issues, distinguishing merged fixes from open work and unresolved reports.

Updated with more from [HumanBean (hckrman101) on Discord](https://discord.com/channels/1569849200047427645/1571438396608352266/1571452032148176918): Added current fix status and release information for reported issues, distinguishing merged fixes from open work and unresolved reports.

BeanIssues commented

2026-11-15 10:18:24 +00:00

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From Liquidtimi on Discord:

A player updated to the newest version and reports their saves are not deleted, but may need to be moved. No OS or launcher version was provided.

From [Liquidtimi on Discord](https://discord.com/channels/1569849200047427645/1569849200617726065/1571469007649902634): A player updated to the newest version and reports their saves are not deleted, but may need to be moved. No OS or launcher version was provided.

BeanIssues commented

2026-11-15 10:28:14 +00:00

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From Eksdee on Discord:

Eksdee reports the previous game build remains on disk but is no longer shown in the launcher after updating Longshot from nightly 72 to nightly 187, using launcher nightly 70. This matches the existing report; no log or OS details supplied.

From [Eksdee on Discord](https://discord.com/channels/1569849200047427645/1571471724241752105/1571471724241752105): Eksdee reports the previous game build remains on disk but is no longer shown in the launcher after updating Longshot from nightly 72 to nightly 187, using launcher nightly 70. This matches the existing report; no log or OS details supplied.

dyst referenced this issue from MagicBeanDev/Longshot

2026-11-15 12:00:37 +00:00

WIP: fix(vk): a driver update warms the noted pipelines again before the game, not in play #789