AutoPreserve as ceased working all by itself

[Grumpy Goat]

PSP 2019 Ultimate v.21.1.0.22 x64 running on Windows 10 64 bit laptop

I have had this product installed on my laptop since I upgraded last year. AutoPreserve was always selected from day 1, and it is selected presently. All of a sudden since maybe the last month or so, and with no changes to PSP from me, AutoPreserve no longer works. I open a file, edit it, click "Save As", keep the same name, it prompts me if I want to overwrite and I say "Yes" and it does it. BUT, in the past it used to create an AutoPreserve folder in the same save location, with the last pre-edit version of the file in it - now it does not.

I have searched the hard drive looking for any othher location where it "may have decided" to start saving the AutoPreserve folder and found nothing.

I chatted with Corel Customer Support not expecting much and was not disappointed. First person suggested uninstalling and using a cleanup tool which I did. No success - still cannot find any AutoPreserve folder as none is being created.

Another person said to reset the program to default by holding down <Shift> while double-clicking on the PSP icon - that reset all the settings but had no impact on AutoPreserve. That CS person did say that the 2020 version (just released) fixed this issue. I said, "Oh there is an issue is there? Can I have any knowledge base number and link to where this may be discussed?" - she could not help with that either, saying there was no such KB issue (and I searched on the Support webpages and that appears to be true - looks like this problem is "unknown" yet it was fixed in the 2020 version (for which I am being prompted to upgrade)

NOTE all this while the box is checked in the Preferences. I have no need for the 2020 version and the 2019 version works just fine for me ... until this AutoPreserve fail.

I asked the CS person if there was a Registry setting that I could set the fix this issue - she knew of none. She promised to send me a fix via email .... still waiting. What a joke.

So, does anyone know of a solution to this?