2/18/2019
Tableau Recent File List, Thumbnails and Colors
I recently upgraded to Tableau 2019.1 and that reminded me of a blog post that I've been meaning to write for a very long time. When upgrading to a major release in Tableau, the list of recent files disappears and the saved color palettes disappear. For Windows users, we can fix this with a few very simple steps. Note however, this requires modifying the registry, and it's best to note Microsoft's warning about this. "Changes made to the Windows registry happen immediately, no backup is created automatically. Do not edit the Windows registry unless you are confident about doing so." That said, the steps are really very simple.
Here is an example of the recent files that show up in 2018.3.
Here is what it looks like in 2019.1 after a fresh installation of the latest major version.
Let's walk through how to copy these files and images over.
Step 1: Download RegCool
RegCool is freeware software and is very similar to the default RegEdit software already on Windows machines. However, it has some additional features, most importantly, being able to Copy and Paste registry keys or entire folders. With this feature, the rest is super simple. You can dowload RegCool here.
Step 2: Copy Registry Items from Previous Version of Tableau to the New Version
Open RegCool and navigate to the following location in the folder structure: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Tableau
Find the previous version of Tableau prior to the most recent install. For example, I recently installed Tableau 2019.1, so I would navigate to the folder Tableau 2018.3 (or the full path HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Tableau\Tableau 2018.3).
Select the folder "Recent File List". Right-click and select Copy.
Right-click on the most recent install folder, for example, Tableau 2019.1 (or the full path HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Tableau\Tableau 2019.1) and select Paste. There will be a dialog box asking if you are sure you want to copy the contents. Click Yes.
At this point the files will now appear in the newest version of Tableau, however the thumbnails for the files will be missing.
To add the images, we just need to repeat the steps for another folder. Navigate to the previous version of Tableau again. For example, the Tableau 2018.3 folder ( HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Tableau\Tableau 2018.3).
Select the folder "Recent File Bitmaps". Right-click and select Copy.
Right-click on the most recent install folder again (ex. Tableau 2019.1 or HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Tableau\Tableau 2019.1) and select Paste. There will be another dialog box asking if you are sure you want to copy the contents. Click Yes.
You know have the list of of most recent files along with the thumbnail images in your most recent installation of Tableau. It's that easy.
Note, there is a new feature starting in Tableau 2019.1 that shows dynamic thumbnails. As you pass your mouse over a thumbnail image, you get different images taken from the various sheets and dashboards in the workbook. If copying from Tableau 2018.3 or prior then these images won't be dynamic, they will simply be a static image of the visualization. However, as you click them and open them in Tableau, it will update the thumbnail to a dynamic image.
Copying Most Recent Colors
Just like the most recent files, a new installation of a major release also wipes out the most recent colors that have been used.
Here are the most recent colors from Tableau 2018.3. Notice on the color menu on the left there is an extra row of colors that were recently used.
Here you will see that the most recent colors did not copy over to 2019.1. However, the saved colors from the menu on the right did.
Simply repeat the steps from above to copy your most recent colors.
Navigate to the previous version of Tableau folder again. For example, the Tableau 2018.3 folder (HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Tableau\Tableau 2018.3).
Select the folder "MostRecentlyUsedColor". Right-click and select Copy.
Right-click on the most recent install folder again (ex. Tableau 2019.1 or HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Tableau\Tableau 2019.1) and select Paste. There will be another dialog box asking if you are sure you want to copy the contents. Click Yes.
You now have the same colors from your recently used color menu in your latest version of Tableau. You don't even have to close Tableau and reopen it.
There are more things that you can copy from the Settings folder, but I don't find those to be a time saver.
I hope you find this information useful. If you have any questions feel free to email me at Jeff@DataPlusScience.com
