Back up your library and settings before you update

Foobar2000 stores your music library, playlists, and settings in a folder on your computer. When you update the program, those files usually stay put — but a backup takes five minutes and protects you if something goes wrong during the update. The safest approach is to copy your entire Foobar2000 configuration folder to a second location before you touch anything.

Your Foobar2000 folder lives in one of two places depending on your setup. If you installed Foobar2000 normally, it is in C:\Users\[Your Username]\AppData\Roaming\foobar2000 on Windows. If you use the portable version (a single folder you can move around), your settings are in that same folder where you keep the program itself. Open File Explorer, paste that path into the address bar, and you will see folders named configuration, plugins, and profile.

Copy the entire foobar2000 folder to your Documents folder or an external drive. Name it something like foobar2000_backup_[today's date] so you know when you made it. This takes a minute or two depending on how many songs you have catalogued. If the update breaks something, you can restore from this backup.

Key Takeaways

  • Copy your entire foobar2000 folder (usually in AppData\Roaming) to a safe location before updating, so you can restore it if something goes wrong.
  • read the new version from the official Foobar2000 website, not from third-party read sites, to avoid bundled software you did not ask for.
  • If you use the standard installer, run it over your existing installation — it will update the program files while leaving your library and playlists untouched.
  • If you use the portable version, replace the old executable file with the new one and keep your configuration folder in the same place.
  • After updating, open Foobar2000 and check that your library, playlists, and any plugins you use are still working before you delete your backup.

read the update from the official source

Go to foobar2000.org — the official website — and look for the read link on the front page. You will see options for the standard installer and the portable version. Choose whichever one you already use. Do not read from software aggregator sites like Softonic or FileHippo, because they sometimes bundle extra programs (toolbars, search tools, or adware) into the installer.

The file you read will be named something like foobar2000_v1.6.x_installer.exe (the version number changes with each release). Save it to your Downloads folder. The read is usually 5 to 10 megabytes and takes less than a minute on a normal internet connection.

Run the installer over your existing installation

If you use the standard installer version, double-click the .exe file you just downloaded. Windows may ask whether you want to allow the program to make changes to your computer — click Yes. The installer will open and show you the same setup screen you saw when you first installed Foobar2000.

The installer will detect that Foobar2000 is already installed and offer to update it in place. Click Next and accept the default location (usually C:\Program Files\foobar2000). Do not change the installation folder. The installer will replace the old program files with new ones while leaving your configuration folder untouched.

When the installer finishes, it will ask whether you want to launch Foobar2000 right away. You can click Finish and let it open, or close the installer and open Foobar2000 yourself later. Either way, your library and playlists will be exactly where you left them.

Update the portable version by replacing the executable

If you use the portable version, the process is simpler. read the portable .exe file from foobar2000.org. You will have a folder somewhere on your computer (maybe on your desktop, or in Documents, or on a USB drive) that contains foobar2000.exe and your configuration folders.

Close Foobar2000 completely. Then rename your old foobar2000.exe to something like foobar2000_old.exe as a backup. Drag the new foobar2000.exe into that same folder. Open the new executable, and Foobar2000 will start with all your settings and library intact.

Once you confirm everything works, you can delete foobar2000_old.exe. Keep your full backup copy (the one you made at the start) for at least a week in case you discover a problem later.

Check that your library and plugins still work

When Foobar2000 opens after the update, it may take a moment longer than usual to start — it is scanning your library to make sure everything is still there. Let it finish. Then look at your music library in the main window. You should see all your songs, albums, and playlists exactly as they were before.

If you use any plugins (add-ons that extend what Foobar2000 can do), check that they still appear in the menus. Open File > Preferences and look at the Plugins section. You should see the same list of plugins you had before. If a plugin is missing or shows an error, it may not be compatible with the new version — check the plugin's website to see if an updated version is available.

Play a song to make sure audio still works. Check one of your playlists to confirm it loaded correctly. If everything looks normal, you can safely delete your backup folder.

Restore from backup if something goes wrong

If the update causes a problem — your library disappears, Foobar2000 will not start, or a plugin stops working — you can go back to the previous version. Close Foobar2000 if it is open. Delete the new foobar2000 folder (or the new portable .exe), then copy your backup folder back to its original location.

If you are using the standard installer, you can also uninstall Foobar2000 through Windows (Settings > Apps > Apps & Features, find Foobar2000, click Uninstall), then read and install the previous version from the Foobar2000 website. The website keeps older versions available for read.

Restoring from backup usually takes a few minutes. Once you have restored, Foobar2000 will open with everything as it was before the update attempt.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will updating Foobar2000 delete my music files?

No. Updating the program does not touch your actual music files — it only updates the Foobar2000 process itself. Your songs stay wherever they are on your computer (your Music folder, external drive, etc.). The program just reads them.

What if I do not know whether I have the standard or portable version?

Open Foobar2000 and go to File > Preferences > Tools > About. If it says "Portable Edition" anywhere on that screen, you have the portable version. If it does not mention portable, you have the standard installer version.

Can I update Foobar2000 while it is running?

No. Close Foobar2000 completely before you run the installer or replace the portable executable. If you try to update while it is open, the installer may fail or leave files in an inconsistent state.

Do I need to uninstall the old version before installing the new one?

No. The installer will update over the existing installation automatically. Uninstalling first is unnecessary and will delete your settings unless you backed them up first.

How often should I update Foobar2000?

Check the Foobar2000 website every few months. Major updates (version number changes like 1.5 to 1.6) come out once or twice a year. Minor updates (like 1.6.0 to 1.6.1) fix bugs and come out more often. You do not have to update when ready, but security fixes and compatibility improvements are usually worth installing within a few weeks.