INI Settings Reset Workaround

This guide explains how to restore your INI files when they become randomly reset for no apparent reason.

Introduction

Have you ever booted up Borderlands to discover that your resolution has randomly changed to the default low resolution? None of your binds and controls are there? Does it look like you're booting up the game for the first time? This guide is for you.

NOTE: This guide is meant for users on Windows operating systems. The process for other operating systems will be slightly different, but the fix remains the same.

The Cause

The reason this happens is because of a bug in this version of the Unreal Engine which has to do with DST (Daylight Savings Time). Essentially, a small section of each INI file gets changed when the changeover in the time happens, which unfortunately nullifies the INI file because the information is now somehow mismatched.

I don't think this bug can actually be fixed without this version of the engine being updated but that's not going to happen. Luckily the method to work around this problem is very easy.

The Workaround Process

The section of the INI that gets changed is called "[IniVersion]" and it's usually located at the very bottom of every single INI file.

There are two methods you can use to resolve this problem. The first way is pretty obvious; just re-do the INI files each time this happens, but that way can get tedious when you may have forgotten what tweaks you had made to them in the first place, causing you to have to look them up again and re-apply them.

The second method is much more preferable in my opinion and it will help you quickly and easily get all your settings back when this happens in the future.

Here's the steps to the second method:

1) Make your INI files the way you want them to be. Make every change that you want to do (such as binding unique keys, setting up FOV binds, and more).

2) Copy all eight INI files and back them up somewhere safe for future reference and for restoration in case of uninstalling the game or installing it on a new PC, whatever the situation may be.

3) When the reset happens, navigate to "C:\Users\YOUR NAME\Documents\My Games\Borderlands\WillowGame\Config" to find your current eight INI files that the game is using and that have been reset.

4) You'd assume you could just paste your backed up INI files over the ones that are reset, but they will just reset again. Instead, you're going to have to do a bit of work.

5) Keep this explorer window open and open a new explorer window. In the new window, navigate to where you backed up your customized INI files.

6) Open the INI which has been reset and scroll to the very bottom and find the "[IniVersion]" section which should have two lines with random numbers in them.

7) Highlight the two lines of numbers and copy them.

8) Open the INI which has been customized and that has your correct settings and scroll to the same place of the same INI file and paste the new numbers over the two lines already there.

9) Save the file.

10) Repeat steps 6-9 for each of the other seven INI files. IMPORTANT: Make sure you are pasting the right numbers over the old ones. Pasting the numbers from one INI file into another will not work. Each INI can have different numbers.

11) Once all your backed up INI files are now saved again with the new numbers, you can delete the eight INI files that are in your Documents folder that have been reset.

12) Copy your personal INI files that now have the new numbers into the folder in step 3.

13) Done! Launch the game and you should find that all your settings are back!

Conclusion

It's annoying I know, but luckily this only happens twice a year. Get back out there Vault Hunter!