diff --git a/toxygen/app.py b/toxygen/app.py
index 54417b7..4326849 100644
--- a/toxygen/app.py
+++ b/toxygen/app.py
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import threading
 from time import sleep, time
 from copy import deepcopy
 
+# used only in loop
 import gevent
 
 from qtpy import QtWidgets, QtGui, QtCore
@@ -514,7 +515,9 @@ class App:
         interval = self._tox.iteration_interval()
         for i in range(n):
             self._tox.iterate()
+            # Cooperative yield, allow gevent to monitor file handles via libevent
             gevent.sleep(interval / 1000.0)
+#?            sleep(interval / 1000.0)
 
     # Profiles
 
@@ -844,10 +847,11 @@ class App:
         interval = self._tox.iteration_interval()
         for i in range(n):
             self._tox.iterate()
-            QtCore.QThread.msleep(interval)
+            #? QtCore.QThread.msleep(interval)
+            # Cooperative yield, allow gevent to monitor file handles via libevent
+            gevent.sleep(interval / 1000.0)
             # NO?
             QtCore.QCoreApplication.processEvents()
-            # sleep(interval / 1000.0)
 
     def _test_tox(self) -> None:
         self.test_net(iMax=8)
@@ -1019,6 +1023,7 @@ class App:
                 util_ui.message_box(text, title)
             self._ms.log_console()
 
+#? unused
 class GEventProcessing:
     """Interoperability class between Qt/gevent that allows processing gevent
     tasks during Qt idle periods."""
@@ -1042,3 +1047,4 @@ class GEventProcessing:
             idle_period = self._idle_period
         # Cooperative yield, allow gevent to monitor file handles via libevent
         gevent.sleep(idle_period)
+        #? QtCore.QCoreApplication.processEvents()
diff --git a/toxygen/user_data/settings.py b/toxygen/user_data/settings.py
index 7c9a2fc..c87eec3 100644
--- a/toxygen/user_data/settings.py
+++ b/toxygen/user_data/settings.py
@@ -146,8 +146,8 @@ class Settings(dict):
             try:
                 with open(path, 'rb') as fl:
                     data = fl.read()
-                if toxes.is_data_encrypted(data):
-                    data = toxes.pass_decrypt(data)
+                if self._toxes.is_data_encrypted(data):
+                    data = self._toxes.pass_decrypt(data)
                 info = json.loads(str(data, 'utf-8'))
                 LOG.debug('Parsed settings from: ' + str(path))
             except Exception as ex:
@@ -210,10 +210,7 @@ class Settings(dict):
             text = bytes(self._toxes.pass_encrypt(bytes(text, 'utf-8')))
         else:
             text = bytes(text, 'utf-8')
-        json_path = self._path.replace('.tox', '.json')
-        if not json_path:
-            #?
-            json_path = os.path.join(get_user_config_path(), 'toxygen.json')
+        json_path = os.path.join(get_user_config_path(), 'toxygen.json')
         tmp = json_path + str(os.getpid())
         try:
             with open(tmp, 'wb') as fl:
@@ -271,12 +268,18 @@ class Settings(dict):
         p = os.path.join(appdir, 'toxygen.json')
         if not os.path.isfile(p):
             return None
-        with open(p) as fl:
-            data = fl.read()
         try:
-            auto = json.loads(data)
+            with open(p, 'rb') as fl:
+                data = fl.read()
+            if self._toxes.is_data_encrypted(data):
+                data = self._toxes.pass_decrypt(data)
         except Exception as ex:
-            LOG.warn(f"json.loads {data}: {ex}")
+            LOG.warn(f"fl.read {p}: {ex}")
+            return None
+        try:
+            auto = json.loads(str(data, 'utf-8'))
+        except Exception as ex:
+            LOG.warn(f"json.loads {p}: {ex}")
             auto = {}
         if 'profile_path' in auto:
             path = str(auto['profile_path'])
@@ -375,7 +378,7 @@ class Settings(dict):
             'unread_color': 'red',
             'compact_mode': False,
             'identicons': True,
-            'show_welcome_screen': True,
+            'show_welcome_screen': False,
             'close_app': 0,
             'font': 'Times New Roman',
             'update': 0,