Limits of RStudio Settings Restoration After a Failed Upgrade on Linux/macOS/Windows

The goal is to determine whether restoring the saved RStudio settings directory (~/.rstudio-desktop on Linux/macOS or %APPDATA%\RStudio on Windows) after a failed upgrade reliably reinstates user preferences, pane layout, and installed packages without requiring any additional manual steps.

Community reports indicate that, after such a restoration, internal state files such as the session .RData may become out of sync with the restored settings, leading to startup crashes or missing panes; it remains unclear whether this inconsistency occurs across all operating systems, only between certain version ranges, or is influenced by using the installer’s --purge or --repair options.

• Does restoring the settings directory alone guarantee a clean start, or must the session folder be cleared?
• How does the outcome differ when using the installer’s --purge flag versus a plain reinstall?
• Are there version‑specific thresholds (e.g., moving from v2023.09 to v2024.04) where the sync issue appears more frequently?