Back up your library and settings before you update

Foobar2000 stores your music library, playlists, and settings in a folder called the profile directory. When you update the program, these files stay where they are — the update only replaces the executable files that run the software. But a backup takes five minutes and protects you if something goes wrong during the update process itself.

Open Foobar2000 and go to File > Preferences. At the bottom left, you will see a folder path next to "Configuration directory". Click the folder icon next to it to open that folder in Windows Explorer. This is where everything you care about lives: your library database, your playlists, your theme settings, everything.

Copy this entire folder to a second location — an external drive, a cloud folder like OneDrive or Google Drive, or even a second folder on the same hard drive. Name it something like "foobar2000_backup_[today's date]" so you know when you made it. If the update breaks something, you can restore from this backup in under a minute.

Key Takeaways

  • Your library, playlists, and settings live in the configuration directory, which the update process does not touch.
  • Copy your configuration directory to a backup location before updating, which takes five minutes and protects you completely.
  • Download the new version from the official Foobar2000 website (foobar2000.org), not from third-party sites.
  • Run the installer and choose "Upgrade" when prompted — this replaces only the program files, leaving your library intact.
  • If something breaks after updating, close Foobar2000, restore your configuration directory from backup, and restart the program.

Download the update from the official source

Go to foobar2000.org and look for the download link on the main page. The site offers both a standard installer (the .exe file) and a portable version (a .zip file). Most people use the standard installer, which is what these steps assume.

Do not download Foobar2000 from software aggregator sites, torrent sites, or mirrors. The official site is the only place you know the file has not been modified or bundled with something else. If you are on a 64-bit Windows machine, download the 64-bit version. If you are unsure, go to Settings > System > About and look for "System type" — it will say either "64-bit" or "32-bit".

Run the installer and choose Upgrade

Double-click the installer file you downloaded. Windows may ask for permission to run it — click "Yes". The Foobar2000 Setup window will open.

On the first screen, you will see two options: "Install" and "Upgrade". Click "Upgrade". This tells the installer that Foobar2000 is already on your machine and to replace only the program files, not touch your settings or library. If you accidentally click "Install" instead, the installer will still detect your existing installation and ask what you want to do — you can choose "Upgrade" at that point.

The installer will show you the installation folder (usually "C:\Program Files\foobar2000" on a 64-bit machine). Do not change this unless you have a specific reason. Click "Next" and then "Install". The process takes less than a minute.

Restart Foobar2000 and check your library

When the installer finishes, it will ask if you want to launch Foobar2000 immediately. You can click "Finish" and let it open, or close the installer and open Foobar2000 yourself later. Either way, when the program starts, it will load your existing library and settings automatically.

Spend a minute checking that everything is there: open your largest playlist, make sure your theme looks right, and play a song to confirm audio still works. In almost all cases, everything will be exactly as you left it. The update only changed the program code, not your data.

What to do if something breaks after updating

If Foobar2000 crashes on startup, will not play audio, or has lost your library after the update, close the program immediately. Do not try to troubleshoot by changing settings — the fastest fix is to restore your backup.

Open Windows Explorer and navigate to your configuration directory (File > Preferences > the folder icon, if you need to find it again). Rename the current folder to something like "foobar2000_broken" so you can come back to it if needed. Then copy your backup folder into that same location and rename it to match the original name (usually just "foobar2000").

Open Foobar2000 again. It will load your backed-up settings and library. If this fixes the problem, you can delete the "foobar2000_broken" folder. If it does not, you have a clean copy of your data to work with while you figure out what went wrong.

Updating plugins after the main program

If you use Foobar2000 plugins — add-ons that add features like equalizers, visualizers, or support for extra audio formats — check whether they need updating too. Some plugins break when the main program updates, especially if you are jumping several versions ahead.

After updating Foobar2000, open File > Preferences > Plugins and look at the list. If a plugin shows a warning or error message, visit the plugin's official page (search for the plugin name plus "foobar2000") and download the latest version. Most plugins come as .dll files that you drop into the "plugins" folder inside your Foobar2000 installation directory. Restart Foobar2000 and the plugin should load.

If a plugin still does not work after updating, it may not be compatible with your new version of Foobar2000. Check the plugin's documentation or the Foobar2000 forums to see if others have reported the same issue. Often the plugin author will release a fix within a few days.

Portable version: a different approach

If you use the portable version of Foobar2000 (the .zip file), the update process is slightly different. The portable version keeps everything — program files, library, settings — in a single folder that you can move around or run from a USB drive.

To update the portable version, download the new .zip file, extract it to a temporary folder, and copy the new executable files (foobar2000.exe and the .dll files) into your existing portable folder. Your library and settings folder will stay in place. This is actually simpler than the installer approach, but it requires you to know which files are "program files" and which are "data files" — if you are unsure, stick with the standard installer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will updating Foobar2000 delete my playlists?

No. Your playlists are stored in your configuration directory, which the update does not touch. They will be exactly where you left them when Foobar2000 restarts after the update.

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

No. The installer detects your existing installation and upgrades it in place. Uninstalling first is unnecessary and will not change the outcome — your library and settings will survive either way because they are stored separately from the program files.

What if the update breaks something and I do not have a backup?

Your library and settings are still on your hard drive in the configuration directory. Foobar2000 will find them and load them even if the program itself is broken. Reinstalling or rolling back to the previous version will restore access to everything. A backup just makes recovery faster and gives you peace of mind.

Can I go back to the previous version of Foobar2000 if I do not like the update?

Yes. Download the older version from foobar2000.org (the site keeps previous versions available), run its installer, and choose "Upgrade" just as you would with a new version. Your library and settings will load with the older program. Foobar2000 is designed to be forward-compatible, so this usually works without problems.

Is it safe to update while Foobar2000 is running?

No. Close Foobar2000 completely before running the installer. If the program is still open, the installer may not be able to replace the executable files, and you could end up with a partially updated installation. Close it, run the installer, and then open the updated version.