Upgrading from 25.02.6 to 25.07.5 give custom sync server error

Anki Help
1

Upgraded from 25.02.6 (qt6) to 25.07.5 using package from github

used the same method of starting my custom sync server as before

C:\Users\abc\AppData\Local\Programs\Anki>set SYNC_PORT=51234

C:\Users\abc\AppData\Local\Programs\Anki>set SYNC_USER1=mainsync:mainsyncpass

C:\Users\abc\AppData\Local\Programs\Anki>C:\Users\abc\AppData\Local\Programs\Anki\anki.exe --syncserver

and it gave this error

C:\Users\abc\AppData\Local\Programs\Anki>Error: Failed to run (1): C:\Users\abc\AppData\Local\AnkiProgramFiles\.venv\Scripts/pythonw.exe -c import aqt, sys; sys.argv[0] = 'Anki'; aqt.run() --syncserver```

reinstalled the older version again to check if the sync works, an it worked fine

Questions:

  1. When i went to delete the anki, I saw it was not present in “Programs and Features” list of window. For both my new and old verstion of anki. Why?
  2. the folder “C:\Users\…\AppData\Local\AnkiProgramFiles\” was not created on older version, but is created on newer version. Found it, when went to delete the anki from system. Has the installation directories of anki changed?
  3. Custom sync server is very important for me. So cannot upgrade untill this problem is resolved. What changes do i need to make so my custom sync server works on new anki version also?

I am using windows 10.

2

For versions up through 25.02.x, installed with the regular installer program, it should be. If you’re using the new launcher – beginning with version 25.07 – I’m not surprised it’s not, because I don’t think it’s “installed” in the conventional Windows sense. [But I don’t know if that’s different for the launcher between Windows 10 and 11 though.]

That folder is new as of 25.07. Managing Files - Anki Manual

For now stick with the most recent pre-launcher release – Release 25.02.7 · ankitects/anki · GitHub – through its separate installer.

3

Thank you for the report; this issue is now tracked on syncserver can't be run from launcher on Windows · Issue #4307 · ankitects/anki · GitHub

4

It is also “broken” (with an easy fix) in 25.07.05 on MacOS. From my “About” screen…

Versión ⁨25.07.5 (7172b2d2)⁩
Python 3.13.5 Qt 6.9.1 Chromium 122

I don’t know from what version I upgraded, but I know it was not 25.07, because the Hypertts guy emailed people warning that his addon wouldn’t work well with it for a while a couple months ago.

The usual command, which has worked for me before:

SYNC_USER1="user:password" /Applications/Anki.app/Contents/MacOS/anki --syncserver

no longer works. As Danika says it’s not exactly surprising given the nature of the new launcher.

Using

SYNC_USER1="user:password" ~/"Library/Application Support/AnkiProgramFiles/.venv/bin/anki" --syncserver

resolves the issue for me, but feel free to tell me why i should not do that.

The manual here should probably be updated (with whatever solution is eventually decided upon):

sync-server.html

(I can’t post a link for understandable reasons)

5

Turns out it wasn’t broken on Windows - you get that error when you run the sync server again when it’s already running, which is not very apparent when using the non-console variant. I’ve pushed an update to the docs for both platforms. Tweak sync server docs · ankitects/anki-manual@27f8ea3 · GitHub