diff --git a/Projects/Simba/simbasettings.pas b/Projects/Simba/simbasettings.pas
index 870e672..b1cd02f 100644
--- a/Projects/Simba/simbasettings.pas
+++ b/Projects/Simba/simbasettings.pas
@@ -35,11 +35,14 @@ type
     procedure FormCreate(Sender: TObject);
     procedure FormDestroy(Sender: TObject);
     procedure SettingsTreeViewDblClick(Sender: TObject);
+    function LastStance: Boolean;
     { private declarations }
   public
     procedure SaveCurrent;
     procedure Reload;
     { public declarations }
+  public
+    Oops: Boolean;
   end; 
 
 var
@@ -52,10 +55,33 @@ uses LCLtype;
 
 { TSettingsForm }
 
+function TSettingsForm.LastStance: Boolean;
+begin
+  result := true;
+  mDebugLn('Could not load settings.xml!');
+  if renamefileUTF8('settings.xml', 'settings.bak') then
+  begin
+    mDebugLn('Moved settings.xml to settings.bak');
+  end else
+  begin
+    mDebugLn('Could not move settings.xml to settings.bak');
+    if not deletefile('settings.xml') then
+    begin
+      mDebugLn('Couldnt delete the file either.');
+      exit(false);
+    end;
+  end;
+
+  SettingsTreeView.Items.Clear;
+  Settings.SaveToXML(SimbaSettingsFile);
+end;
+
 procedure TSettingsForm.FormCreate(Sender: TObject);
 var
   FirstNode : TTreeNode;
+
 begin
+  Oops := False;
   Settings := TMMLSettings.Create(SettingsTreeView.Items);
   if not FileExists(SimbaSettingsFile) then
   begin
@@ -63,7 +89,17 @@ begin
     Settings.SaveToXML(SimbaSettingsFile);
   end;
   SettingsTreeView.Items.Clear;
-  Settings.LoadFromXML(SimbaSettingsFile);
+
+  if not Settings.LoadFromXML(SimbaSettingsFile) then
+  begin
+    if not LastStance then
+    begin
+      mDebugLn('Could not create, move or delete settings.xml.');
+      mDebugLn('***************** Giving up... ********************');
+      Oops := True;
+    end;
+  end;
+
   FirstNode := SettingsTreeView.Items.GetFirstNode;
   if FirstNode <> nil then
     if FirstNode.Text = 'Settings' then
diff --git a/Projects/Simba/simbaunit.pas b/Projects/Simba/simbaunit.pas
index 602e320..d7236b9 100644
--- a/Projects/Simba/simbaunit.pas
+++ b/Projects/Simba/simbaunit.pas
@@ -2245,7 +2245,9 @@ begin
   FillThread.FreeOnTerminate:= True;
   FillThread.NormalProc:= @CCFillCore;
   UpdateTimer.OnTimer:= @UpdateTimerCheck;
+
   Application.CreateForm(TSimbaUpdateForm, SimbaUpdateForm);
+
   if FileExistsUTF8(SimbaSettingsFile) then
   begin
     Application.CreateForm(TSettingsForm,SettingsForm);
@@ -2253,6 +2255,7 @@ begin
   end else
   begin
     Application.CreateForm(TSettingsForm,SettingsForm);
+
     Self.CreateDefaultEnvironment;
     FillThread.StartWait:= 250;
   end;
@@ -2292,6 +2295,9 @@ begin
   LoadExtensions;
   UpdateTitle;
   self.EndFormUpdate;
+
+  if SettingsForm.Oops then
+    formWriteln('WARNING: No permissions to write to settings.xml!');
 end;
 
 procedure TSimbaForm.FormDestroy(Sender: TObject);
diff --git a/Units/MMLAddon/settings.pas b/Units/MMLAddon/settings.pas
index ffc61e5..7829671 100644
--- a/Units/MMLAddon/settings.pas
+++ b/Units/MMLAddon/settings.pas
@@ -90,8 +90,8 @@ type
     function RenameKey(oldKey,newKey : string) : boolean;
     function GetKeyValueDefLoad(KeyName, defVal, fileName: String): String;
 
-    procedure LoadFromXML(fileName: String);
-    procedure SaveToXML(fileName: String);
+    function LoadFromXML(fileName: String): Boolean;
+    function SaveToXML(fileName: String): Boolean;
   end;
 
 implementation
@@ -591,7 +591,7 @@ end;
 
 
 { load from xml }
-procedure TMMLSettings.LoadFromXML(fileName: String);
+function TMMLSettings.LoadFromXML(fileName: String): Boolean;
 var
     Doc: TXMLDocument;
 begin
@@ -602,9 +602,16 @@ begin
     // create file.
     SaveToXML(fileName);
   end;
-  ReadXMLFile(Doc, utf8tosys(fileName));
-  InternalLoadFromXML(Doc);
-  Doc.Free;
+
+  try
+    ReadXMLFile(Doc, utf8tosys(fileName));
+    InternalLoadFromXML(Doc);
+    Doc.Free;
+    Result := True;
+  except
+    Result := False;
+  end;
+
 end;
 
 procedure TMMLSettings.WriteXMLData(n: TTreeNode;
@@ -644,7 +651,7 @@ end;
 
 { save to xml }
 
-procedure TMMLSettings.SaveToXML(fileName: String);
+function TMMLSettings.SaveToXML(fileName: String): Boolean;
 var
    XMLDoc: TXMLDocument;
    Simba,DOMNode: TDOMNode;
@@ -669,8 +676,10 @@ begin
 
   try
     WriteXMLFile(XMLDoc, utf8tosys(fileName));
+    Result := True;
   except
     mDebugLn('Failed to write ' + fileName);
+    Result := False;
   end;
   XMLDoc.Free;
 end;