# General fields settings

**URL:** <https://discourse.jabref.org/t/general-fields-settings/2436>\
**Category:** Help\
**Created:** [November 26, 2020, 10:15am UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/general-fields-settings/2436 "2020-11-26T10:15:43Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![jps](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/jps/32/819_2.png) [@jps](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/jps)\
**Post date:** [November 26, 2020, 10:15am UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/general-fields-settings/2436/1 "2020-11-26T10:15:43Z")

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Hello,

When I import my JabRef preferences to a new instance of JabRef, the settings I have configured for the general fields are not imported. Is it intended or is it a bug ?

JP

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**Author:** ![Siedlerchr](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/siedlerchr/32/216_2.png) [@Siedlerchr](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/Siedlerchr)\
**Post date:** [November 27, 2020, 6:32pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/general-fields-settings/2436/2 "2020-11-27T18:32:07Z")

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Hi,

the vaues are stored in the preferences, so they should also be imported in the other JabRef instance. Can you tell me about the JabRef version and or OS version you use?

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**Author:** ![jps](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/jps/32/819_2.png) [@jps](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/jps)\
**Post date:** [November 29, 2020, 11:38am UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/general-fields-settings/2436/3 "2020-11-29T11:38:23Z")

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Hi,

I am using Windows 10 2004 on both machines and the latest released version of JabRef. Here are the informations from About JabRef dialog :

JabRef 5.1–2020-08-30–e023aa0  
Windows 10 10.0 amd64  
Java 14.0.2

My customized general fields appear in the XML file containing the exported preferences but are not imported together with the other preferences.

Best regards,

JP

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**Author:** ![Siedlerchr](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/siedlerchr/32/216_2.png) [@Siedlerchr](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/Siedlerchr)\
**Post date:** [November 29, 2020, 4:49pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/general-fields-settings/2436/4 "2020-11-29T16:49:05Z")

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Thanks okay, might be a bug. Can you b please open an issue at our issue tracker [https://github.com/JabRef/jabref](https://github.com/JabRef/jabref)

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**Author:** ![mlep](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/mlep/32/387_2.png) [@mlep](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/mlep)\
**Post date:** [December 1, 2020, 12:34pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/general-fields-settings/2436/5 "2020-12-01T12:34:16Z")

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A workaround: under Linux, the preferences are stored in HOMEDIRECTORY/.java/.userPrefs/org/jabref/prefs.xml. Moving around the file prefs.xml (instead of importing it) works. Maybe something similar can be done under windows?

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**Author:** ![Siedlerchr](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/siedlerchr/32/216_2.png) [@Siedlerchr](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/Siedlerchr)\
**Post date:** [December 1, 2020, 2:25pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/general-fields-settings/2436/6 "2020-12-01T14:25:42Z")

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On Windows, the preferences are stored in the registry.

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**Author:** ![jps](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/jps/32/819_2.png) [@jps](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/jps)\
**Post date:** [December 1, 2020, 3:49pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/general-fields-settings/2436/7 "2020-12-01T15:49:01Z")

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Exporting and importing the general fields preferences via the registry seems to work as a workaround.