Patch for Add-on Crashing on Startup/Install with Certain NVDA Profiles

[makhlwf]

Hello paulber19,

Here is a patch to fix a critical bug that causes the NVDA Extension Global Plugin to crash.

The Core Problem

The add-on crashes when it tries to load an NVDA configuration profile (.ini file) where boolean settings are saved as strings (e.g., speakTypedCharacters = "True") instead of as proper booleans (speakTypedCharacters = True). This is common in older user profiles.

The crash occurs in two places:

1. During Installation: The installTasks.py script fails when trying to clean up old settings from these invalid profiles.
2. During NVDA Startup: The add-on's main settings module (settings/__init__.py) fails when it loads at startup for the same reason.

The Solution

The solution is to make the add-on's code more resilient. Instead of crashing, the code should catch this specific error, manually fix the user's invalid profile file on disk, and then proceed with its operation.

Here are the exact code changes needed in the two affected files:

---

File 1: installTasks.py

This file handles the installation and uninstallation logic. The fix prevents the installation from failing.

1. Add Necessary Imports:
At the top of the file, ensure os and configobj are imported.

from logHandler import log
import os
import configobj```

**2. Replace the `deleteAddonProfilesConfig` function:**
Replace the entire existing `deleteAddonProfilesConfig` function with the following corrected and robust version.

```python
def deleteAddonProfilesConfig(addonName):
	import config
	import globalVars
	conf = config.conf
	save = False

	# First, handle the default configuration profile
	if addonName in conf.profiles[0]:
		log.warning("%s section deleted from profile: normal configuration " % addonName)
		del conf.profiles[0][addonName]
		save = True

	# Now, iterate through all named profiles
	profileNames = list(config.conf.listProfiles())
	for name in profileNames:
		try:
			# Try to load the profile normally
			profile = config.conf._getProfile(name)
			# If it loads, clean it in memory
			if profile and profile.get(addonName):
				log.warning("%s section deleted from memory for profile: %s" % (addonName, name))
				del profile[addonName]
				config.conf._dirtyProfiles.add(name)
				save = True
		except ValueError as e:
			# If loading fails due to our specific error, handle it on disk
			if "VdtTypeError" in str(e) and ("speakTypedCharacters" in str(e) or "speakTypedWords" in str(e)):
				log.warning(f"Config for profile '{name}' is invalid. Fixing and cleaning on disk.")
				
				profile_path = os.path.join(globalVars.appArgs.configPath, "profiles", name + ".ini")
				
				if os.path.exists(profile_path):
					try:
						profile_config = configobj.ConfigObj(profile_path, interpolation=False, encoding='utf-8')
						made_changes = False

						# Step 1: Fix the known invalid keys
						keys_to_fix = ["speakTypedCharacters", "speakTypedWords"]
						if 'keyboard' in profile_config:
							for key in keys_to_fix:
								if key in profile_config['keyboard'] and isinstance(profile_config['keyboard'][key], str):
									log.warning(f"Fixing key '{key}' in profile '{name}'.")
									profile_config['keyboard'][key] = (profile_config['keyboard'][key].lower() == 'true')
									made_changes = True
						
						# Step 2: Remove the addon's configuration section from the file
						if addonName in profile_config:
							log.warning(f"Removing '{addonName}' section from disk for profile: {name}")
							del profile_config[addonName]
							made_changes = True

						# Step 3: Write all changes back to the file
						if made_changes:
							profile_config.write()
							log.warning(f"Profile '{name}' has been fixed and cleaned on disk.")
					except Exception as fix_error:
						log.error(f"Failed to manually fix/clean the configuration for profile '{name}': {fix_error}")
						raise e
				else:
					log.warning(f"Cannot fix profile '{name}', .ini file not found at {profile_path}")

			else:
				# It's a different ValueError, so we should not suppress it.
				raise e

	# Save any changes made to profiles that were successfully loaded into memory
	if save:
		config.conf.save()

---

File 2: globalPlugins/NVDAExtensionGlobalPlugin/settings/__init__.py

This file handles the add-on's settings during normal operation. This fix prevents the add-on from crashing when NVDA starts.

1. Add Necessary Imports:
At the top of the file, add an import for configobj.

# ... other imports
import configobj
from configobj.validate import Validator, VdtTypeError
# ... other imports

2. Replace the restoreAddonProfilesConfig function:
Replace the entire existing restoreAddonProfilesConfig function with the following corrected version.

	def restoreAddonProfilesConfig(self, addonName):
		conf = config.conf
		save = False
		# Handle the default configuration profile first
		if "%s-temp" % addonName in conf.profiles[0]:
			log.warning("restoreAddonProfilesConfig profile[0]")
			conf.profiles[0][addonName] = conf.profiles[0]["%s-temp" % addonName].copy()
			del conf.profiles[0]["%s-temp" % addonName]
			save = True

		# Now, iterate through all named profiles
		profileNames = list(config.conf.listProfiles())
		for name in profileNames:
			profile = None
			try:
				# Try to load the profile normally
				profile = config.conf._getProfile(name)
			except ValueError as e:
				# If loading fails due to our specific error, handle it on disk
				if "VdtTypeError" in str(e) and ("speakTypedCharacters" in str(e) or "speakTypedWords" in str(e)):
					log.warning(f"Config for profile '{name}' is invalid during startup. Fixing it on disk.")
					
					profile_path = os.path.join(globalVars.appArgs.configPath, "profiles", name + ".ini")
					
					if os.path.exists(profile_path):
						try:
							profile_config = configobj.ConfigObj(profile_path, interpolation=False, encoding='utf-8')
							made_changes = False

							# Fix the known invalid keys
							keys_to_fix = ["speakTypedCharacters", "speakTypedWords"]
							if 'keyboard' in profile_config:
								for key in keys_to_fix:
									if key in profile_config['keyboard'] and isinstance(profile_config['keyboard'][key], str):
										log.warning(f"Fixing key '{key}' in profile '{name}'.")
										profile_config['keyboard'][key] = (profile_config['keyboard'][key].lower() == 'true')
										made_changes = True

							if made_changes:
								profile_config.write()
								log.warning(f"Profile '{name}' has been fixed on disk.")
								# Retry loading the profile now that it's fixed
								profile = config.conf._getProfile(name)
						except Exception as fix_error:
							log.error(f"Failed to manually fix the configuration for profile '{name}': {fix_error}")
					else:
						log.warning(f"Cannot fix profile '{name}', .ini file not found at {profile_path}")
				else:
					# It's a different ValueError, re-raise it.
					raise e
			
			# Now, with a valid profile, proceed with restoring the addon's config
			if profile and profile.get("%s-temp" % addonName):
				log.warning("restoreAddonProfilesConfig: profile %s" % name)
				profile[addonName] = profile["%s-temp" % addonName].copy()
				del profile["%s-temp" % addonName]
				config.conf._dirtyProfiles.add(name)
				save = True

		# We save the configuration if changes were made
		if save:
			config.conf.save()

By applying these two changes, the add-on will become significantly more stable for all users, especially those who have been using NVDA for a long time.

[paulber19]

Hi. Thank you for the interest you have to this add-on. I am very surprised that you have raised this problem that you consider critical when since the existence of this Add-on no user, including myself, have noticed it. I tried to reproduce the problem but without result. I have traveled the code changes you suggest and found that only the key "Speaktypedcharacters" and "Speaktypedwords" are affected. I do not understand why these keys would be thongs rather than Booleans. Nor why these keys and not all the keys to the NVDA configuration. By passing through the last versions of NVDA, these keys are now integers. I tested with old versions of NVDA by manually modifying the profile file and NVDA immediately corrected the configuration error. Sorry, but without any other additional arguments, I cannot in the current state take this modification of code. It is not up to the ADD-on to automatically correct the corrupted configuration of NVDA. But maybe I misunderstood? Best regards. Paul. Le 15/09/2025 05:54, makhlwf a écrit :

…

*makhlwf* created an issue (paulber19/NVDAExtensionGlobalPlugin#21) <#21> Hello paulber19, Here is a patch to fix a critical bug that causes the NVDA Extension Global Plugin to crash. The Core Problem The add-on crashes when it tries to load an NVDA configuration profile (|.ini| file) where boolean settings are saved as strings (e.g., |speakTypedCharacters = "True"|) instead of as proper booleans (|speakTypedCharacters = True|). This is common in older user profiles. The crash occurs in two places: 1. *During Installation:* The |installTasks.py| script fails when trying to clean up old settings from these invalid profiles. 2. *During NVDA Startup:* The add-on's main settings module (|settings/__init__.py|) fails when it loads at startup for the same reason. The Solution The solution is to make the add-on's code more resilient. Instead of crashing, the code should catch this specific error, manually fix the user's invalid profile file on disk, and then proceed with its operation. Here are the exact code changes needed in the two affected files: ------------------------------------------------------------------------ File 1: |installTasks.py| This file handles the installation and uninstallation logic. The fix prevents the installation from failing. *1. Add Necessary Imports:* At the top of the file, ensure |os| and |configobj| are imported. from logHandler import log import os import configobj``` **2. Replace the `deleteAddonProfilesConfig` function:** Replace the entire existing `deleteAddonProfilesConfig` function with the following corrected and robust version. ```python def deleteAddonProfilesConfig(addonName): import config import globalVars conf = config.conf save = False # First, handle the default configuration profile if addonName in conf.profiles[0]: log.warning("%s section deleted from profile: normal configuration" % addonName) del conf.profiles[0][addonName] save = True # Now, iterate through all named profiles profileNames = list(config.conf.listProfiles()) for name in profileNames: try: # Try to load the profile normally profile = config.conf._getProfile(name) # If it loads, clean it in memory if profile and profile.get(addonName): log.warning("%s section deleted from memory for profile: %s" % (addonName,name)) del profile[addonName] config.conf._dirtyProfiles.add(name) save = True except ValueError as e: # If loading fails due to our specific error, handle it on disk if "VdtTypeError" in str(e)and ("speakTypedCharacters" in str(e)or "speakTypedWords" in str(e)): log.warning(f"Config for profile '{name}' is invalid. Fixing and cleaning on disk.") profile_path = os.path.join(globalVars.appArgs.configPath,"profiles",name + ".ini") if os.path.exists(profile_path): try: profile_config = configobj.ConfigObj(profile_path,interpolation=False,encoding='utf-8') made_changes = False # Step 1: Fix the known invalid keys keys_to_fix = ["speakTypedCharacters","speakTypedWords"] if 'keyboard' in profile_config: for key in keys_to_fix: if key in profile_config['keyboard']and isinstance(profile_config['keyboard'][key],str): log.warning(f"Fixing key '{key}' in profile'{name}'.") profile_config['keyboard'][key]= (profile_config['keyboard'][key].lower()== 'true') made_changes = True # Step 2: Remove the addon's configuration section from the file if addonName in profile_config: log.warning(f"Removing '{addonName}' section from disk for profile:{name}") del profile_config[addonName] made_changes = True # Step 3: Write all changes back to the file if made_changes: profile_config.write() log.warning(f"Profile '{name}' has been fixed and cleaned on disk.") except Exception as fix_error: log.error(f"Failed to manually fix/clean the configuration for profile '{name}':{fix_error}") raise e else: log.warning(f"Cannot fix profile '{name}', .ini file not found at{profile_path}") else: # It's a different ValueError, so we should not suppress it. raise e # Save any changes made to profiles that were successfully loaded into memory if save: config.conf.save() ------------------------------------------------------------------------ File 2: |globalPlugins/NVDAExtensionGlobalPlugin/settings/__init__.py| This file handles the add-on's settings during normal operation. This fix prevents the add-on from crashing when NVDA starts. *1. Add Necessary Imports:* At the top of the file, add an import for |configobj|. # ... other imports import configobj from configobj.validate import Validator,VdtTypeError # ... other imports *2. Replace the |restoreAddonProfilesConfig| function:* Replace the entire existing |restoreAddonProfilesConfig| function with the following corrected version. def restoreAddonProfilesConfig(self,addonName): conf = config.conf save = False # Handle the default configuration profile first if "%s-temp" % addonName in conf.profiles[0]: log.warning("restoreAddonProfilesConfig profile[0]") conf.profiles[0][addonName]= conf.profiles[0]["%s-temp" % addonName].copy() del conf.profiles[0]["%s-temp" % addonName] save = True # Now, iterate through all named profiles profileNames = list(config.conf.listProfiles()) for name in profileNames: profile = None try: # Try to load the profile normally profile = config.conf._getProfile(name) except ValueError as e: # If loading fails due to our specific error, handle it on disk if "VdtTypeError" in str(e)and ("speakTypedCharacters" in str(e)or "speakTypedWords" in str(e)): log.warning(f"Config for profile '{name}' is invalid during startup. Fixing it on disk.") profile_path = os.path.join(globalVars.appArgs.configPath,"profiles",name + ".ini") if os.path.exists(profile_path): try: profile_config = configobj.ConfigObj(profile_path,interpolation=False,encoding='utf-8') made_changes = False # Fix the known invalid keys keys_to_fix = ["speakTypedCharacters","speakTypedWords"] if 'keyboard' in profile_config: for key in keys_to_fix: if key in profile_config['keyboard']and isinstance(profile_config['keyboard'][key],str): log.warning(f"Fixing key '{key}' in profile'{name}'.") profile_config['keyboard'][key]= (profile_config['keyboard'][key].lower()== 'true') made_changes = True if made_changes: profile_config.write() log.warning(f"Profile '{name}' has been fixed on disk.") # Retry loading the profile now that it's fixed profile = config.conf._getProfile(name) except Exception as fix_error: log.error(f"Failed to manually fix the configuration for profile '{name}':{fix_error}") else: log.warning(f"Cannot fix profile '{name}', .ini file not found at{profile_path}") else: # It's a different ValueError, re-raise it. raise e # Now, with a valid profile, proceed with restoring the addon's config if profile and profile.get("%s-temp" % addonName): log.warning("restoreAddonProfilesConfig: profile %s" % name) profile[addonName]= profile["%s-temp" % addonName].copy() del profile["%s-temp" % addonName] config.conf._dirtyProfiles.add(name) save = True # We save the configuration if changes were made if save: config.conf.save() By applying these two changes, the add-on will become significantly more stable for all users, especially those who have been using NVDA for a long time. — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#21>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/ADZLFFCKVBHAD5JM5MKKXGT3SYZ7TAVCNFSM6AAAAACGQBXD6SVHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43ASLTON2WKOZTGQYTMMJXGQYDGMI>. You are receiving this because you are subscribed to this thread.Message ID: ***@***.***>

[makhlwf]

Hello Paul,

Thank you so much for the quick and detailed reply. I completely understand your position. You are right that under normal circumstances, NVDA does a great job of correcting its own configuration file.

I think we've uncovered a specific "edge case" scenario that explains why this crash happens and why it's so hard to reproduce. The problem isn't with NVDA's main configuration, but with old, inactive configuration profiles.

Here is the step-by-step scenario:

1. A Long-Time User: A user has been using NVDA for many years, upgrading from very old versions. Years ago, they created a configuration profile (e.g., for a specific application) that they no longer use.

2. The Old, Inactive Profile: This old profile file (e.g., profiles/zero.ini from the logs) sits in the user's config folder untouched. It contains the old format (speakTypedCharacters = "True"). Because this profile is never activated, NVDA's startup process never loads it and therefore never gets a chance to correct the format. It remains "corrupted" but harmless.

3. The Add-on's Behavior: Your add-on, both during installation (installTasks.py) and during its normal startup (settings/__init__.py), does something very thorough: it iterates through all available configuration profiles to manage its own settings within them.

4. The Crash: This is the critical moment. Your add-on is the first piece of code in years to try and load that old, inactive, and improperly formatted profile. When it does, NVDA's configuration loader sees the invalid format ("True") and immediately raises the ValueError, crashing your add-on's code.

This explains why you can't reproduce it: your test profiles are likely modern and valid. The bug only appears for users with a specific history and old, untouched profile files.

Addressing Your Points Directly:

• "It is not up to the ADD-on to automatically correct the corrupted configuration of NVDA."
  You are 100% correct. This fix isn't about "fixing NVDA." It's about making your add-on more resilient. Because the add-on's own code chooses to scan every single profile, it's a good practice of "defensive programming" for it to gracefully handle potential errors it might encounter in those files, rather than crashing. The fix allows your add-on to safely navigate a potentially messy user environment.

• "Why these keys and not all the keys?"
  The error log we provided shows that NVDA's validation process specifically failed on speakTypedCharacters and speakTypedWords. It's likely the first error it found, so it stopped there. Our fix targets the exact error that the log reported.

• "NVDA immediately corrected the configuration error."
  Yes, it does this for the active nvda.ini file. But it does not seem to do this for inactive profiles until they are loaded, which is what your add-on is forcing it to do.

In summary, the bug is real, but it's a subtle interaction between your add-on's thorough design and the messy reality of long-term user configurations.

The proposed code change is a small, safe way to prevent the add-on from crashing in this scenario. It simply makes the add-on robust enough to handle this specific, real-world configuration problem that caused the crash in the first place.

I hope this explanation clarifies the situation. Thank you again for your time and for maintaining this wonderful add-on.

also here is my logs and my configs

nvda - Copy.txt

zero - Copy.txt

log.txt

Best regards.

[makhlwf]

BTW 3 of my friends and I are using this cool add-on. Two of us were able to install this add-on correctly without any issues, while the other two, including me, had the same problem. This fix allowed us to install the add-on without any issues as described above.