Upgrade GPG on Windows

[John Clizbe]

Erik Martinson wrote:
> I have used GPG for years in a automated environment and I now need to
> upgrade the installed version of GPG from 1.0.6-2 to current.
> 
> I have tried to copy the new .exe and .dll files in the folder and I loose my
> keys. I have figured out that my homedir is "HOME: C:/gnupg" for the old version
> and the new version uses the windows/user folders. I searched the net can can
> not find a command to update/change the default folder. Please advise.

There are several mechanisms possible:

1) add --homedir=C:\gnupg to the command line
or
2) Set the environment variable GNUPGHOME
or
3) Edit the registry. Depending on your needs edit the value of
   \Software\GNU\GNUPG:HomeDir in HKCU, HKLM, and/or HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT

   Optionally, it may work for you to delete the value. See below.
or
4) Move the files

+++++++++++++++++++++

From the entry for GnuPG 1.4.1 in NEWS.txt (installed in the Doc directory
within the program installation, default: C:\Program Files\GNU\GnuPG\Doc.)

    * [W32] The algorithm for the default home directory changed:
      First we look at the environment variable GNUPGHOME, if this one
      is not set, we check whether the registry entry
      {HKCU,HKLM}\Software\GNU\GnuPG:HomeDir has been set. If this
      fails we use a GnuPG directory below the standard application
      data directory (APPDATA) of the current user. Only in the case
      that this directory cannot be determined, the old default of
      c:\gnupg will be used.  The option --homedir still overrides all
      of them.

Other files of particular interest in the Doc directory are gpg.man and
README-W32.txt.

If you wish to discuss which option would be best, let me know via pvt mail.

-- 
John P. Clizbe                      Inet:John (a) Mozilla-Enigmail.org
You can't spell fiasco without SCO. hkp://keyserver.gingerbear.net  or
     mailto:pgp-public-keys at gingerbear.net?subject=HELP

Q:"Just how do the residents of Haiku, Hawai'i hold conversations?"
A:"An odd melody / island voices on the winds / surplus of vowels"

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