diff --git a/internal/filememo/filememo.go b/internal/filememo/filememo.go
index fe4c4551..c4a22817 100644
--- a/internal/filememo/filememo.go
+++ b/internal/filememo/filememo.go
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ package filememo
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
+	"errors"
+	"io/fs"
 	"os"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
@@ -37,6 +39,10 @@ var (
 	// on by every write magpie makes (Forget)
 	holds int
 	gen   uint64
+	// gone is the files found not there last time looked at, not waited
+	// on again (steady.Stat): one there before and not now may be being
+	// replaced (Windows), and is
+	gone = map[string]bool{}
 )
 
 // heldFor is how long a file found unchanged is taken as unchanged, while
@@ -82,7 +88,7 @@ func Read[T any](kind, path string, parse func([]byte) (T, error)) (T, error) {
 	}
 	g := gen
 	mu.Unlock()
-	fi, err := os.Stat(path)
+	fi, err := statFile(path)
 	if err != nil {
 		return zero, err
 	}
@@ -95,7 +101,7 @@ func Read[T any](kind, path string, parse func([]byte) (T, error)) (T, error) {
 		mu.Unlock()
 		return e.v.(T), nil
 	}
-	b, err := steady.ReadFile(path)
+	b, err := steady.ReadThere(path)
 	if err != nil {
 		return zero, err
 	}
@@ -123,3 +129,29 @@ func Read[T any](kind, path string, parse func([]byte) (T, error)) (T, error) {
 	mu.Unlock()
 	return v, nil
 }
+
+// statFile is os.Stat of path, waiting out a moment of it not there
+// (another process replacing it, on Windows) unless it wasn't there last
+// time either: taken for gone, a file of accounts read as no accounts, and
+// the next write left them all out (Packing1 on Discord, Windows 11:
+// Antigravity's account gone after an update).
+func statFile(path string) (os.FileInfo, error) {
+	mu.Lock()
+	wasGone := gone[path]
+	mu.Unlock()
+	var fi os.FileInfo
+	var err error
+	if wasGone {
+		fi, err = os.Stat(path)
+	} else {
+		fi, err = steady.Stat(path)
+	}
+	mu.Lock()
+	if errors.Is(err, fs.ErrNotExist) {
+		gone[path] = true
+	} else {
+		delete(gone, path)
+	}
+	mu.Unlock()
+	return fi, err
+}
diff --git a/internal/filememo/filememo_windows_test.go b/internal/filememo/filememo_windows_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f1f539f3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/filememo/filememo_windows_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+package filememo
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"sync/atomic"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/yetone/magpie/internal/steady"
+)
+
+// Another magpie replacing the file (a write is a temp file renamed over
+// it) has Windows say, for a moment, that the file isn't there at all: read
+// so, a file of accounts was no accounts, and the next write left them out
+// (Packing1 on Discord, Windows 11: Antigravity's provider and its account
+// gone after an update). Read waits that moment out.
+func TestReadWhileReplaced(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	p := filepath.Join(dir, "logins.json")
+	body := bytes.Repeat([]byte("x"), 100_000)
+	os.WriteFile(p, body, 0o600)
+	var stop atomic.Bool
+	done := make(chan struct{})
+	for range 2 {
+		go func() {
+			defer func() { done <- struct{}{} }()
+			for !stop.Load() {
+				tmp, err := os.CreateTemp(dir, ".logins.json.*")
+				if err != nil {
+					continue
+				}
+				tmp.Write(body)
+				tmp.Close()
+				if steady.Rename(tmp.Name(), p) != nil {
+					os.Remove(tmp.Name())
+				}
+			}
+		}()
+	}
+	defer func() {
+		stop.Store(true)
+		<-done
+		<-done
+	}()
+	parse := func(b []byte) (int, error) { return len(b), nil }
+	misses := 0
+	for end := time.Now().Add(5 * time.Second); time.Now().Before(end); {
+		if n, err := Read("replaced", p, parse); err != nil || n != len(body) {
+			misses++
+			if misses < 4 {
+				t.Logf("read %d bytes, %v", n, err)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	if misses > 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("the file read as not there %d times while replaced", misses)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/provider/logins_windows_test.go b/internal/provider/logins_windows_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d1ffac21
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/provider/logins_windows_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+package provider
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"slices"
+	"sync/atomic"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/yetone/magpie/internal/steady"
+)
+
+// Another magpie writing logins.json (a temp file renamed over it: the one
+// an update is replacing, a second one started) has Windows say, for a
+// moment, that it isn't there: read so, it was no accounts, and the write
+// that followed left every account out (Packing1 on Discord, Windows 11:
+// 「整行都没了，供应商里面antigravity直接消失了」 after an update).
+func TestLoginsKeptWhileAnotherMagpieWrites(t *testing.T) {
+	googleSandbox(t, &fakeGoogle{})
+	if err := addGoogleLogin("antigravity", "a@x.com", "", googleAuth{RefreshToken: "1//a", Project: "pa"}); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	p := loginsPath()
+	body, err := os.ReadFile(p)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	var stop atomic.Bool
+	done := make(chan struct{})
+	for range 2 {
+		go func() {
+			defer func() { done <- struct{}{} }()
+			for !stop.Load() {
+				tmp, err := os.CreateTemp(filepath.Dir(p), ".logins.json.*")
+				if err != nil {
+					continue
+				}
+				tmp.Write(body)
+				tmp.Close()
+				if steady.Rename(tmp.Name(), p) != nil {
+					os.Remove(tmp.Name())
+				}
+			}
+		}()
+	}
+	has := func(ls []savedLogin) bool {
+		return slices.ContainsFunc(ls, func(l savedLogin) bool { return l.Agent == "antigravity" && l.User == "a@x.com" })
+	}
+	misses := 0
+	for end := time.Now().Add(5 * time.Second); time.Now().Before(end); {
+		loginsMu.Lock()
+		if ls := readLogins(); !has(ls) {
+			misses++
+			// what every change to an account does next: the list read,
+			// changed, written back
+			_ = writeLogins(ls)
+		}
+		loginsMu.Unlock()
+	}
+	stop.Store(true)
+	<-done
+	<-done
+	if !has(readLogins()) {
+		t.Fatalf("the Antigravity account is gone from logins.json (read as none %d times)", misses)
+	}
+	if misses > 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("logins.json read as no accounts %d times while another magpie wrote it", misses)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/steady/steady.go b/internal/steady/steady.go
index be9c1099..78d37f24 100644
--- a/internal/steady/steady.go
+++ b/internal/steady/steady.go
@@ -2,8 +2,11 @@
 // replacing at that moment. On Windows a file being renamed over refuses
 // to open, and one held open refuses to be renamed over, both for a
 // moment ("Access is denied"): read as none, a file of accounts is no
-// accounts, and the next write leaves them out. Elsewhere a rename is
-// atomic and these are os.ReadFile and os.Rename.
+// accounts, and the next write leaves them out. A file being renamed over
+// is also, for a moment (two milliseconds seen), not there at all, to
+// another process or thread: Stat and ReadThere wait that out for a file
+// that was there. Elsewhere a rename is atomic and these are os.Stat,
+// os.ReadFile and os.Rename.
 package steady
 
 import (
@@ -21,20 +24,70 @@ const (
 	pause = 10 * time.Millisecond
 )
 
+// goneTries and gonePause bound the wait on a file not there to 15ms or
+// so: the moment a rename over it leaves is a couple of milliseconds, and
+// a file that is really not there is waited on that long.
+const (
+	goneTries = 15
+	gonePause = time.Millisecond
+)
+
+// windows is whether files behave as Windows' do; a test sets it.
+var windows = runtime.GOOS == "windows"
+
+// stat and readFile are os.Stat and os.ReadFile; a test stands in for them.
+var (
+	stat     = os.Stat
+	readFile = os.ReadFile
+)
+
 func retry(f func() error) error {
 	err := f()
-	for i := 0; err != nil && runtime.GOOS == "windows" && !errors.Is(err, fs.ErrNotExist) && i < tries; i++ {
+	for i := 0; err != nil && windows && !errors.Is(err, fs.ErrNotExist) && i < tries; i++ {
 		time.Sleep(pause)
 		err = f()
 	}
 	return err
 }
 
+// retryGone is retry, waiting out a moment of the file not there too.
+func retryGone(f func() error) error {
+	err := retry(f)
+	for i := 0; err != nil && windows && errors.Is(err, fs.ErrNotExist) && i < goneTries; i++ {
+		time.Sleep(gonePause)
+		err = retry(f)
+	}
+	return err
+}
+
+// Stat is os.Stat of a file that was there: one being replaced is waited
+// for, so it isn't taken for gone. A file not there costs the wait, so a
+// caller asking again remembers it gone (filememo does).
+func Stat(p string) (fs.FileInfo, error) {
+	var fi fs.FileInfo
+	err := retryGone(func() (err error) {
+		fi, err = stat(p)
+		return err
+	})
+	return fi, err
+}
+
+// ReadThere is ReadFile of a file just found there (Stat): not there now is
+// it being replaced, waited out.
+func ReadThere(p string) ([]byte, error) {
+	var b []byte
+	err := retryGone(func() (err error) {
+		b, err = readFile(p)
+		return err
+	})
+	return b, err
+}
+
 // ReadFile is os.ReadFile, waiting out a file being replaced.
 func ReadFile(p string) ([]byte, error) {
 	var b []byte
 	err := retry(func() (err error) {
-		b, err = os.ReadFile(p)
+		b, err = readFile(p)
 		return err
 	})
 	return b, err
diff --git a/internal/steady/steady_test.go b/internal/steady/steady_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..63bd793d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/steady/steady_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+package steady
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"io/fs"
+	"os"
+	"runtime"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+// as Windows has it: a file being renamed over is, for a moment, not there
+func TestStatWaitsOutAReplace(t *testing.T) {
+	windows = true
+	defer func() { windows, stat, readFile = runtime.GOOS == "windows", os.Stat, os.ReadFile }()
+	missing := 3
+	stat = func(p string) (fs.FileInfo, error) {
+		if missing > 0 {
+			missing--
+			return nil, fs.ErrNotExist
+		}
+		return os.Stat(p)
+	}
+	p := t.TempDir()
+	if _, err := Stat(p); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("a file being replaced taken for gone: %v", err)
+	}
+	missing = 3
+	readFile = func(p string) ([]byte, error) {
+		if missing > 0 {
+			missing--
+			return nil, &fs.PathError{Op: "open", Path: p, Err: fs.ErrNotExist}
+		}
+		return []byte("accounts"), nil
+	}
+	if b, err := ReadThere(p); err != nil || string(b) != "accounts" {
+		t.Fatalf("read %q, %v", b, err)
+	}
+	// one really gone is said so, after the wait
+	stat = os.Stat
+	if _, err := Stat(p + "-none"); !errors.Is(err, fs.ErrNotExist) {
+		t.Fatalf("a file not there: %v", err)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index a455264b..d8124da7 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -190,6 +190,9 @@ func run(args []string) error {
 		// (agent.DisconnectPreview)
 		return agent.DryRun(args[1])
 	}
+	// started by an update, the magpie it replaces goes first: the moves
+	// below write the files it may still be writing
+	update.AwaitPredecessor()
 	makeDirs()
 	settings.Migrate()
 	// the providers and settings read once for every agent's fields, which