IMHO the best machine for experimenting with Node-red is another Pi, a zero 2 maybe.
It's a bit of a faff to rebuild the os and reinstall NR but nowhere near as bothersome as Windows.
Or just fire up a 2nd node-red on the pi
node-red -u .nodered-1881 -p 1881
What makes you think that? They should be in your .node-red folder.
Odd, I've been using Node-RED on Windows for a decade and I've never found it that bothersome. Just as easy as Linux in fact. I regularly run 2-3 instances of Node-RED on Windows in parallel. 
There were some flows I was working on prior to my system going absent (still unsure why that had not happened sooner) but they are no longer there. As I said before, I have backups so not a problem but I was just curious.
Beginning to think I messed up my folders when I did the very original install a few years ago and put things in the wrong place. Node-red certainly loads much faster than it did before.
I may be prejudiced by repeatedly having to beg a robot for permission to continue using the operating system I just reinstalled.
I'm sure billions of happy users can't be wrong but I do find lots of stuff on WIndows a faff.
I agree but I need Windows for everyday business use. Hate to admit it but it generally works and a lot of the software I need and use is only available on Windows or Apple which is why I have two computers on my desk. A Raspberry Pi and a Windows. 10 PC. All my automation runs on Linux and my MQTT server runs on an original Pi Zero..
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For the uninitiated can you explain what you are referring to please?
There is only one flows file, so if you have lost some flows within that file (assuming that is what you mean) then they can't have been deployed, or you have reverted to an earlier version of the file.
Yes of course.
I initially said that I consider a raspberry Pi a more suitable device for experimenting with Node-red than a Windows PC because it is easier to revert to a fresh installation of the operating system and Node-red.
The bit you quote refers to the mechanism of validating Windows after a reinstallation, for which I have many times had to make a phone call to a Microsoft computer and occasionally been told that the licence I paid for is no longer valid.
It does not refer in any way to installing Node-red though my personal experience is that installing, reinstalling and operating NR is far less straightforward on Windows than on Linux.
I was expressing my opinion and certainty not criticising the OP's choice of a Windows platform.
OK, understood, thanks.
Not had that in at least a decade or more. Most commercially brought PC's have a Windows license built in (and yes, I recognise that this is its own issue, a kind of Windows tax). Free upgrades of Windows have been available to just about everyone for the longest time now. It is, however, true that Microsoft seem to be drifting back into some of their bad old ways with future versions rumoured to require Microsoft accounts and specialist hardware to run while at the same time seemingly dumbing down the OS to look a lot more like MacOS (which itself is dumbing down towards iOS).
Anyway, we are wondering off-course here so probably time to close this part of the thread down. If anyone does want a discussion on the benefits and dis-benefits of the different OS's to run Node-RED, happy to do so in a dedicated thread.
Many thanks to all who got involved and helped me get my Node-red back. I really appreciate the help from this forum.
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