My settings keep resetting after quitting the app. How do I fix corrupt preference files?

If your BusyCal settings (such as default view, days in week, start of week, or other preferences) keep reverting to their defaults after quitting and relaunching the app, your preference file has likely become corrupted. This can sometimes happen with sandboxed applications, especially after an update to macOS or some other system related change.

Symptoms of a Corrupt Preference File

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You may have a corrupt preference file if you experience any of the following:

• Settings you change in BusyCal preferences don't persist after quitting
• Your default view (Week, Month, Day, etc.) reverts to a different view on each launch
• The "Days in Week" setting resets to an unexpected value
• Other customizations (colors, display options, etc.) don't save between sessions
• The issue appeared suddenly, often after an update or macOS change

Solution: Reset the Preference File

The solution depends on which version of BusyCal you're using. Follow the appropriate instructions below.

Important

Resetting the preference file will reset all your view settings, display preferences, and other customizations to their defaults. However, this will not affect your calendar data, events, tasks, or account configurations.

For BusyCal (Standard Version)

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If you downloaded BusyCal directly from our website (not through Setapp or the Mac App Store):

1. Quit BusyCal completely.

2. Open Finder.

3. From the menu bar at the top of the screen, click Go > Go to Folder.

4. Copy and paste the following path exactly as written into the dialog box and press Enter:

   ~/Library/Containers/com.busymac.busycal3/Data/Library/Preferences/

5. In the folder that opens, locate and delete the file named com.busymac.busycal3.plist.

6. Relaunch BusyCal.

After relaunching, BusyCal will create a new, clean preference file. You will need to re-apply your desired view settings and other preferences, but they should now save correctly between sessions.

For BusyCal (Setapp Version)

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If you're using BusyCal through Setapp:

1. Quit BusyCal completely.

2. Open Finder.

3. From the menu bar at the top of the screen, click Go > Go to Folder.

4. Copy and paste the following path exactly as written into the dialog box and press Enter:

   ~/Library/Containers/com.busymac.busycal-setapp/Data/Library/Preferences/

5. In the folder that opens, locate and delete the file named com.busymac.busycal-setapp.plist.

6. Relaunch BusyCal.

After relaunching, BusyCal will create a new, clean preference file. You will need to re-apply your desired view settings and other preferences, but they should now save correctly between sessions.

Advanced: Manual Repair of Preference File

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If you're comfortable using Terminal and want to try fixing the preference file without losing all your settings, you can attempt a manual repair:

Advanced Users Only

This method requires using Terminal and manually editing system files. If you're not comfortable with the command line, please use the simpler reset method described above.

Steps for Manual Repair:

1. Quit BusyCal completely.

2. Open Terminal (found in /Applications/Utilities/Terminal.app).

3. Navigate to the preference file location based on your version:

   For Standard BusyCal:

   cd ~/Library/Containers/com.busymac.busycal3/Data/Library/Preferences/

   For Setapp BusyCal:

   cd ~/Library/Containers/com.busymac.busycal-setapp/Data/Library/Preferences/

4. Convert the binary preference file to XML format so you can edit it:

   For Standard BusyCal:

   plutil -convert xml1 com.busymac.busycal3.plist

   For Setapp BusyCal:

   plutil -convert xml1 com.busymac.busycal-setapp.plist

5. Edit the preference file using a text editor. For example, to open it with TextEdit:

   For Standard BusyCal:

   open -a TextEdit com.busymac.busycal3.plist

   For Setapp BusyCal:

   open -a TextEdit com.busymac.busycal-setapp.plist

6. Look for and fix any problematic values. Common issues include:

   • daysInWeek set to -1 (should be 7 for a full week, or 5 for work week)
   • Malformed keys or values
   • Unexpected data types

   For example, if you see:

   <key>daysInWeek</key>
   <integer>-1</integer>

   Change it to:

   <key>daysInWeek</key>
   <integer>7</integer>

7. Save the file and close the text editor.

8. Relaunch BusyCal.

9. Quit BusyCal again to let it save the preferences and convert the file back to binary format.

10. Relaunch BusyCal to verify the settings are now saving properly.

If this manual repair doesn't work, you can always fall back to the complete reset method described earlier.

Why Do Preference Files Become Corrupt?

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Preference file corruption can occur due to several reasons:

• Unexpected app termination during a preferences write operation
• System crashes or forced shutdowns while the app is running
• Disk errors or filesystem issues
• Incomplete updates where the preference migration doesn't complete properly
• File permission issues that prevent proper reading or writing

While rare, these situations can cause the preference file to become malformed or contain invalid data, preventing BusyCal from properly reading or saving your settings.

Still Having Issues?

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If you've tried the steps above and your settings still aren't saving properly:

1. Make sure you've completely quit BusyCal before deleting the preference file (check Activity Monitor if unsure)
2. Verify you deleted the correct .plist file for your version (standard vs. Setapp)
3. Check that you have proper file permissions in your Library folder
4. Try restarting your Mac after deleting the preference file

If the issue persists after trying all these steps, please contact our support team with:

• Which version of BusyCal you're using (standard or Setapp)
• Your macOS version
• The specific settings that aren't saving
• Whether you tried the reset or manual repair method

We'll be happy to help you resolve the issue.