as the subject indicates i have the following problems with Winpython64-3.8.2.0

a) \settings\ folder not used

all package settings (.CONFIG folders) are now stored in c:\Users\USER
this includes .ipython, .matplotlib, .spyder-py3 and others
while spyder is creating a little dummy \settings.spyder-py3, it does save all actual settings to c:\Users\USER.spyder-py3.

i like my settings being portable and want none of them in c:\Users\USER\

b) \settings\winpython.ini entries seems to be ignored too

typically, i change the defaults so that all settings/configs are stored where i have my python project located. something like:

[environment]
HOME = path-to-my-python-stuff
PYTHONPATH = path-to-my-python-stuff\lib-a;path-to-my-python-stuff\lib-b
WINPYWORKDIR = path-to-my-python-stuff\notebooks

however, this is now broken in the same way as (a), all settings end up in c:\Users\USER\ again, except for the additional dummy path-to-my-python-stuff.spyder-py3

this is with Winpython64-3.8.2.0

i am not upgrading every version. i have just upgraded from Winpython64-3.7.4.1 which did not have these issues.