Config Go Bye-Bye (strange unexpected factory reset?)

[Smacaroni]

I had built a Pi 3 RecalBox years ago, it was great. The Rpi board died, so I built another Pi 4 RecalBox, fresh install after reformatting the SD card (same ROMs copied to HDD on my PC.) New PS4 controllers (one genuine Sony, one knock-off)
It has not been so great of an experience. Wacky things seem to keep happening that I'm going forego listing to avoid muddying the conversation.

The latest problem started two days ago. I noticed that it was not connecting to WiFi. The SSID was gone?? So I re-entered the WiFi credentials, watched a bunch of TV via Kodi, went to bed.
Since then, I've noticed the following settings are not where I set them a week or so ago:
System time on menu
All controllers that I have not used in the last two days are gone.
Kodi X to start is now off, but I know I turned it on.
Overclocking set to none when I set it to 1600 for playable N64 games.
Keyboard mapping "1" to X button (to launch Kodi from the IR/Firestick/Keyboard remote). In fact, the es_inputs.cfg looks like the fresh install file, but I can't confirm for certain because in an attempt to fix the problem, I reconfigured both PS4 controllers which changed the file time stamp.
Hide "adult" games is off again.
I'm sure there are others.

Here's the one that I can't seem to solve, the "Hotkey + B" and other Hotkey + functions in RetroArch do not work except "Hotkey + Start" to exit the game.

The Google, she does nothing. It shows me many results for RetroPie and while I've tried to find the same config files in RecalBox, some do not exist and many are set the way that is recommended by those forums. Changing the ones that do not match have had no effect. So I restored them to the original state, having made copies of the original before monkeying with them.

I'm at a loss.
Anyone have any idea how I can restore HotKey + ? to work again?

[Smacaroni]

@Smacaroni Oh, one more thing, 8.1.1 is the version. Rpi 4 8GB

[Smacaroni]

@Smacaroni I was just able to confirm that yes, something automatically replaced my es_input.cfg file as I had a es_input.bak file created on or about October 18th. It would have lived in /recalbox/share/system/.emulationstation/ strangely, I still had a copy open in Notepad on my PC.
It has an element

<inputConfig type="joystick" deviceName="SHANWAN PS3 GamePad" deviceGUID="030000004c0500006802000010810000" deviceNbAxes="6" deviceNbHats="0" deviceNbButtons="17">

The file is missing and the es_input.cfg has no such element.

I don't mind this controller "going away", I probably won't use the knock-off PS3 controllers I have on this box. I just wanted to make note of the symptom.

My apologies for spamming my own thread, I guess I don't have enough reputation points to edit one of my posts.

[Smacaroni]

I gave up, restored from a fresh Rpi image.
Put all the setings back.
Everything is working again. No idea why it would suddenly revert.
This isn't a good solution, but it is a solution.
I also noticed that I had 240 test tools the popped up at the same time as the WiFi forgetting it's settings.
Strangely, I now have one PS4 controller that won't go into paring mode. It must be my magnetic personality.

[Smacaroni]

I once again can not use Hotkey + B. Or any Hotkey + (except start).
Am I the only one experiencing this? Strange that it would reoccur a few days later, not immediately, not never. I do not believe I've made any configuration changes in the last 48 hours.

[Scavy]

@Smacaroni Hello
your SD card may be the origin of the problem. It may be corrupted. Could you try with an other one ?