[nik collection lost again]

Hello,

I upgraded to 1.7.0 yesterday and discovered today that all my plugins are gone. Mainly it was the NIK collection that I use.  This happened with the last upgrade but at least i could see the items ghosted in the list but now the plugins menu doesn't open at all, its completely empty. Somehow I got them back the last time but this time I tried and nothing happens. I know the Google free version is still available. I went to DXO and followed their instructions to get the collection back but do not see the set appearing anywhere within the Affinity app.  What to do?

I think it would be appreciated that you provide a warning everytime there's a new upgrade that certain plugins, possible presets too, could be lost.  I would have avoided the upgrade so that I could finish my work project without delays. Hopefully I can get back on track. 

I have been with Affinity since the beginning; a joy to work with, so clear and simple.

I hope things can be smoother in the future when it's time for another new and improved version, without unexpected complications and headaches.