Scid for Windows user interface - disable loading default database on startup

scid chess database for Windows : how can I stop scid from loading the default example database when the program starts? I'm interested also in knowing how I can set another database to be opened when scid launchs.

I'm running an old version of Scid - I hope my answer still applies to the newest version.

I couldn't find a way to do it through the menu system. You'll have to fire up a text editor and modify a dat file. In the Scid program folder, there is a dat file named recent.dat that is in the subfolders \bin\config\. The last line in this file starts with "set ::autoLoadBases". If you don't want any database to be opened automatically, then just delete this line. If you want another database to be opened automatically, then just change the name of the database in this line, and also add the new three-part Scid database to the main Scid folder (one level above the bin folder).

I hope that's clear enough.

Open up the database that you want to load at startup. Go to database switcher window (Ctrl+D or go to "Windows" and click on "database switcher." Now in the database switcher window, right click on your chosen database... button and choose the left click on "Load at startup."

Very nice! I'm now a little higher on the Scid learning curve...Thank you!

Interestingly, the Example database wasn't included in the Linux version of Scid, so it wasn't an issue in Linux. But I did learn how to easily load a database on startup.

Hi guys, thanks a lot! I tried both methods and both work perfectly. Curiously I discovered the database switcher recently so now I have another reason to use that tool.

EscherehcsE: yes, in fact under Xubuntu the Example database doesn't loads on startup, and I noticed also chess engines have to be installed separately if you want them, they aren't integrated into the installer as in my scid for Windows.