diff --git a/front/css/pialert.css b/front/css/pialert.css
index 8b7ff99b..49e3ac54 100755
--- a/front/css/pialert.css
+++ b/front/css/pialert.css
@@ -775,7 +775,7 @@ height: 50px;
 }
 #networkTree .netPort
 {
-    width: 8px;;
+    width: 10px;;
     float:left;
     display:inline;  
 }
diff --git a/front/php/server/util.php b/front/php/server/util.php
index ed5e17a9..28b3908f 100755
--- a/front/php/server/util.php
+++ b/front/php/server/util.php
@@ -259,68 +259,27 @@ function saveSettings()
   $txt = $txt."#-----------------AUTOGENERATED FILE-----------------#\n";
 
   // collect all groups
-  foreach ($SETTINGS as $setting) { 
+
+  $decodedSettings = json_decode($SETTINGS, true);
+
+  foreach ($decodedSettings as $setting) { 
     if( in_array($setting[0] , $groups) == false) {
       array_push($groups ,$setting[0]);
     }
   }
-
-  echo "--SETTINGS<br>";
-  echo count($SETTINGS);
-  echo "--SETTINGS session<br>";
-  echo count($_SESSION['pia_settingsArray']); //pia_settingsArray
-  echo "--SETTINGS session<br>";
-  echo $_SESSION['pia_settingsArray']; //pia_settingsArray
-
-  $index = 0;
-  foreach($SETTINGS as $setting)
-  {
-    if(count($setting) < 3)
-    {
-      echo "--PREV<br>";
-      echo json_encode($SETTINGS[$index -1]);
-      echo "--<br>";
-      echo json_encode($setting);
-      echo "--<br>";
-      echo count($setting);
-      echo "--NEXT<br>";
-      echo json_encode($SETTINGS[$index +1]);
-      echo "--<br>";
-    }
-
-    $index = $index +1;
-  }
   
-
   // go thru the groups and prepare settings to write to file
   foreach($groups as $group)
   {
     $txt = $txt."\n\n# ".$group;
     $txt = $txt."\n#---------------------------\n" ;
     
-    $index = 0;
-    foreach($SETTINGS as $setting)
+    
+    foreach($decodedSettings as $setting)
     {
-      $index = $index +1;
+      
       if($group == $setting[0])
-      {            
-        // if (count($setting) < 3)
-        if ($index == 248)
-        {
-          echo json_encode($index-1);
-          echo json_encode($setting[0]);
-          echo json_encode($setting[1]);
-        }
-
-        if (count($setting) < 3)
-        // if ($index == 248)
-        {
-          echo "<br>----------------<br>";
-          echo json_encode($index-1);
-          echo json_encode($setting[0]);
-          echo json_encode($setting[1]);
-        }
-        
+      {                   
 
 
         if($setting[2] == 'text' or $setting[2] == 'password' or $setting[2] == 'readonly' or $setting[2] == 'text.select')
@@ -330,10 +289,10 @@ function saveSettings()
         } elseif($setting[2] == 'integer' or $setting[2] == 'integer.select')
         {
           $txt = $txt.$setting[1]."=".$setting[3]."\n" ; 
-        } elseif($setting[2] == 'boolean')
+        } elseif($setting[2] == 'boolean' || $setting[2] == 'integer.checkbox')
         {
           $val = "False";
-          if($setting[3] == 'true')
+          if($setting[3] == 'true' || $setting[3] == '1' || $setting[3] == 1 || $setting[3] == 'True')
           {
             $val = "True";
           }
@@ -368,7 +327,7 @@ function saveSettings()
   $txt = $txt."#-------------------IMPORTANT INFO-------------------#\n";
 
   // open new file and write the new configuration      
-  $newConfig = fopen($fullConfPath, "w") or die("Unable to open file!");
+  $newConfig = fopen($fullConfPath, "w") or die("Unable to open file!"); 
   fwrite($newConfig, $txt);
   fclose($newConfig);
 
diff --git a/front/php/server/utilDB.php b/front/php/server/utilDB.php
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
diff --git a/front/php/templates/language/de_de.json b/front/php/templates/language/de_de.json
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
diff --git a/front/php/templates/language/en_us.json b/front/php/templates/language/en_us.json
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
diff --git a/front/php/templates/language/es_es.json b/front/php/templates/language/es_es.json
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
diff --git a/front/settings.php b/front/settings.php
index 45dbbc3a..5a7a5ee6 100755
--- a/front/settings.php
+++ b/front/settings.php
@@ -461,12 +461,6 @@ while ($row = $result -> fetchArray (SQLITE3_ASSOC)) {
       }
     });
 
-    // todo fix passing values between front end and server 
-    console.log("settingsArray");
-    console.log(settingsArray);
-
-    sessionStorage.setItem('pia_settingsArray', settingsArray);
-
     return settingsArray;
   }  
 
@@ -480,7 +474,9 @@ while ($row = $result -> fetchArray (SQLITE3_ASSOC)) {
       $.ajax({
       method: "POST",
       url: "../php/server/util.php",
-      data: { function: 'savesettings', settings: collectSettings() },
+      data: { 
+        function: 'savesettings', 
+        settings: JSON.stringify(collectSettings()) },
       success: function(data, textStatus) {                    
           showModalOk ('Result', data );
           // Remove navigation prompt "Are you sure you want to leave..."
@@ -490,6 +486,7 @@ while ($row = $result -> fetchArray (SQLITE3_ASSOC)) {
     }
   }
 
+  
   // ---------------------------------------------------------  
   function getParam(targetId, key, skipCache = false) {  
 
diff --git a/pialert/initialise.py b/pialert/initialise.py
index 6d97a24f..0783153e 100755
--- a/pialert/initialise.py
+++ b/pialert/initialise.py
@@ -39,11 +39,13 @@ def ccd(key, default, config_dir, name, inputtype, options, group, events=[], de
 
     conf.mySettingsSQLsafe.append((key, name, desc, inputtype, options, regex, str(result), group, str(events)))
     # save metadata in dummy setting
-    conf.mySettingsSQLsafe.append((f'{key}__metadata', "metadata name", "metadata desc", 'json', "", "", json.dumps(setJsonMetadata), group, ""))
+    if '__metadata' not in key:
+        conf.mySettingsSQLsafe.append((f'{key}__metadata', "metadata name", "metadata desc", 'json', "", "", json.dumps(setJsonMetadata), group, ""))
 
     conf.mySettings.append((key, name, desc, inputtype, options, regex, result, group, str(events)))
     #  save metadata in dummy setting
-    conf.mySettings.append((f'{key}__metadata', "metadata name", "metadata desc", 'json', "", "", json.dumps(setJsonMetadata), group, ""))
+    if '__metadata' not in key:
+        conf.mySettings.append((f'{key}__metadata', "metadata name", "metadata desc", 'json', "", "", json.dumps(setJsonMetadata), group, ""))
 
     return result
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------------