# Saving & Undo

How PA SET Explorer protects your SET: every change goes to a working copy and into a list. Undo and redo any step, review everything in the Save window, and write it to your SET only when you are happy.

Web page: https://pasetexplorer.com/tutorials?c=saving

In this chapter:

- What the working copy is and why your SET is safe
- Undo, Redo and the keyboard shortcuts
- The Save window: Save changes or Discard changes
- What happens when you close the program or open another SET
- What is saved immediately (and what is not)

## The working copy — your SET is safe

When you open a SET as SET A, PA SET Explorer makes a **working copy** of it. Every change — copying, importing, renaming, deleting, compressing, editing styles — happens on that copy. **Your real SET folder is not touched until you press Save.**

1. You open your SET
2. The program prepares a **working copy**
3. You make changes — each one is **recorded**
4. **Undo / Redo** as much as you like
5. **Save** writes the changes into your SET

Things that are recorded (and can be undone):

- **Styles** — Copy from SET B, move, rename, delete, import, STS and track changes in Style Properties, Event Editor saves.
- **Sounds** — Copy from SET B, import sampler / drum kit, rename, delete.
- **Samples (PCM)** — Delete, compress, decompress, duplicate clean-up.
- **Pads** — Copy from SET B.
- **Performances** — Copy, rename, delete and track changes.
- **Groups** — A group transfer (selection, page or bank) counts as one step.

## Undo and Redo

![The Undo / Redo / Save box in SetManager.](https://pasetexplorer.com/images/docs/sm-after-copy.webp)

Numbered marks on this screenshot:

1. A change you made (a copied style).
2. **Undo** — takes the last change back. Hover it to see which change.
3. **Redo** — puts it back.
4. **Save** — the badge shows how many changes are waiting.
5. The status line confirms what happened.

| Keys | Action |
| --- | --- |
| `Ctrl+Z` | **Undo** the last change |
| `Ctrl+Y` | **Redo** (also `Ctrl+Shift+Z`) |
| `Ctrl+S` | Open the **Save** window |

> **Where the shortcuts work:** These shortcuts work while **SetManager** is on screen, and not while you are typing in a text box or another window is open (text boxes and editors such as the Event Editor have their own Ctrl+Z). The buttons appear as soon as SET A has a working copy.

## The Save window

Press **Save** (or `Ctrl+S`). You see every change, oldest first:

![Unsaved changes in SET A: 2 changes.](https://pasetexplorer.com/images/docs/sm-save-dialog.webp)

Numbered marks on this screenshot:

1. How many changes, and a reminder that the SET on disk is only written when you save.
2. Change 1: the time and what was done — “Copy style ‘Trubaci sa’ from SET B → FAVORITE03 008”.
3. The kind of change: Style, Sound, Sample, Pad, Perf or Group.
4. Change 2: “Rename style ‘Sarba STF’ → ‘Sarba STF New’”.
5. **Discard changes** — throw away all changes: SET A goes back to how it is on disk (you are asked to confirm).
6. **Cancel** — close the window and keep working.
7. **Save changes** — write everything into your SET.

After saving, a message confirms how many files were written (and removed). The SET on disk is now exactly what you saw in the program — copy it to your USB stick and load it on the keyboard.

**Tips:**

- Save often when you build a big SET — each Save is a safe point.
- Not sure about your changes? **Discard changes** brings the SET back to its last saved state in one click.
- Saving writes files safely (to a temporary file first, then replacing), so a crash during saving does not leave half-written files.

## Closing the program or opening another SET

| If you… | and SET A has unsaved changes… |
| --- | --- |
| open another SET (button, drag & drop, Resources), create a new SET or convert an AKX set to KORG | you are asked **“Save the changes to SET A first?”** → **Save** / **Don’t save** / **Cancel**. |
| close the program | you are asked **“Unsaved changes in SET A”** → **Save and exit** / **Exit without saving** / **Cancel**. |

> **Success:** You cannot lose your work by accident: the program always asks first.

## What is NOT part of the working copy

| Item | When it is written |
| --- | --- |
| Medeli AKX / Zen sets | **Immediately** — every add, rename, delete or edit is written to the AKX set at once. There is no Undo for AKX sets: keep a backup of the AKX folder. |
| AKX voice / kit Properties | When you press **💾 Save** in the Properties window (a backup is kept). |
| Converter outputs | New files in the folder you choose — the source file is never changed. |
| Exported sounds, styles, pads | New files in the folder you choose. |
| Changes made in SET B | SET B is a source; the working copy, Undo and Save belong to SET A. |

**Q: Is there a Ctrl+R shortcut?**

No. Undo is `Ctrl+Z`, redo is `Ctrl+Y` (or `Ctrl+Shift+Z`), and `Ctrl+S` opens the Save window.

**Q: I pressed Save by mistake. Can I go back?**

Undo works on the changes since the last Save. After saving, the SET on disk is the new state. That is why it is a good idea to keep an untouched copy of your original SET.