diff --git a/GSASII/GSASIIdataGUI.py b/GSASII/GSASIIdataGUI.py
index 81bfcea3..cfd0af74 100644
--- a/GSASII/GSASIIdataGUI.py
+++ b/GSASII/GSASIIdataGUI.py
@@ -596,11 +596,11 @@ def ShowVersions():
                     break
                 except:
                     pass
-        print ("  Image:      %s (PIL or Pillow)"%version)
-    print ("  Platform:   %s %s %s"%(sys.platform,platform.architecture()[0],platform.machine()))
+        print (f"  Image:      {version} (PIL or Pillow)")
+    print (f"  Platform:   {sys.platform} {GSASIIpath.GetPlatformArchitecture()} {platform.machine()}")
     try:
         import mkl
-        print ("  Max threads:%s"%mkl.get_max_threads())
+        print (f"  Max threads:{mkl.get_max_threads()}")
     except:
         pass
 
diff --git a/GSASII/GSASIIfiles.py b/GSASII/GSASIIfiles.py
index 59dd11e4..b639ce97 100644
--- a/GSASII/GSASIIfiles.py
+++ b/GSASII/GSASIIfiles.py
@@ -120,8 +120,7 @@ def get_python_versions(packagelist):
         except:
             pass
     versions.append(['Platform',
-                     sys.platform + ' ' + platform.architecture()[0] +
-                     ' ' + platform.machine()])
+                     sys.platform + ' ' + GSASIIpath.GetPlatformArchitecture() +                     ' ' + platform.machine()])
     return versions
 
 ImportErrors = []
diff --git a/GSASII/GSASIIpath.py b/GSASII/GSASIIpath.py
index c858f73b..2a83a0b1 100644
--- a/GSASII/GSASIIpath.py
+++ b/GSASII/GSASIIpath.py
@@ -146,6 +146,17 @@ def LoadConfigFile(filename):
             fp.close()
     return info
 
+def GetPlatformArchitecture():
+    '''Produces same result as platform.architecture()[0], but runs much
+    faster because struct.calcsize('P') gives the pointer size while
+    platform.architecture()[0] launches an external process
+    ('file <executable>') on POSIX systems every time it is called.
+
+    :returns: '32bit' or '64bit'
+    '''
+    import struct
+    return f"{struct.calcsize('P')*8}bit"
+    
 def GetBinaryPrefix(pyver=None):
     '''Creates the first part of the binary directory name
     such as linux_64_p3.9 (where the full name will be
@@ -165,11 +176,11 @@ def GetBinaryPrefix(pyver=None):
         raise Exception('Unknown platform')
     if 'arm' in platform.machine() and sys.platform == "darwin":
         bits = 'arm'
-    elif 'aarch' in platform.machine() and '64' in platform.architecture()[0]:
+    elif 'aarch' in platform.machine() and '64' in GSASIIpath.GetPlatformArchitecture():
         bits = 'arm64'
     elif 'arm' in platform.machine():
         bits = 'arm32'
-    elif '64' in platform.architecture()[0]:
+    elif '64' in GSASIIpath.GetPlatformArchitecture():
         bits = '64'
     else:
         bits = '32'
@@ -205,10 +216,12 @@ def HowIsG2Installed():
         else:
             rev = '-rev'
         if g2URL in g2repo.remote().urls:
-            return 'github'+rev
+            G2_installed_result = f'github{rev}'
+            return G2_installed_result
         elif g2URL.replace('https://github.com/',
                            'git@github.com:') in g2repo.remote().urls:
-            return 'github'+rev
+            G2_installed_result = f'github{rev}'
+            return G2_installed_result
         G2_installed_result = 'git'+rev
         return G2_installed_result
     except:
@@ -216,6 +229,25 @@ def HowIsG2Installed():
     G2_installed_result = 'noVCS'
     return G2_installed_result
 
+G2_commit_hash_result = None
+def getG2CommitHash():
+    '''Returns the hex sha for the current GSAS-II commit (HEAD) for a
+    git-based install. The result is cached to avoid the cost of
+    starting a git process for repeated calls, since the checked-out
+    commit will not change while GSAS-II is running.
+
+    :returns: the hexsha string for the current commit, or None if it
+      cannot be determined (e.g. not installed via git).
+    '''
+    global G2_commit_hash_result
+    if G2_commit_hash_result is not None: return G2_commit_hash_result
+    try:
+        g2repo = openGitRepo(path2GSAS2)
+        G2_commit_hash_result = g2repo.head.commit.hexsha
+    except:
+        pass
+    return G2_commit_hash_result
+
 def getSavedVersionInfo():
     '''Get version number information from a file written by install
     routines. This is faster than getting the information from git. Also,
@@ -2133,7 +2165,7 @@ def testLLamaModel():
     Returns the name of the most recently installed model 
     or None if the model needs to be installed.
     '''
-    modelDir = os.path.expanduser("~/.GSASII/llama_models")
+    modelDir = os.path.join(LocalG2Dir(),"llama_models")
     if not os.path.exists(modelDir):
         return None
     fileList = glob.glob(os.path.join(modelDir,'*.gguf'))
@@ -2147,7 +2179,7 @@ def testLLamaModel():
 
 def installLLamaModel():
     '''Download the Qwen2.5-3B-Instruct llama model'''
-    modelDir = os.path.expanduser("~/.GSASII/llama_models")
+    modelDir = os.path.join(LocalG2Dir(),"llama_models")
     os.makedirs(modelDir, exist_ok=True)
     print('Downloading a model...')
     from huggingface_hub import hf_hub_download
@@ -2179,7 +2211,7 @@ def ageLLMindex():
     '''
     import datetime
     f = 'chroma_db'
-    dbdir = os.path.expanduser('~/.GSASII/query_gsas2')
+    dbdir = os.path.join(LocalG2Dir(),"query_gsas2")
     db = os.path.join(dbdir,f)
     if os.path.exists(db):
         m_time_timestamp = os.path.getmtime(db)
@@ -2228,9 +2260,9 @@ def getLLMindex():
         #print("Saved to:", tmp.name)
         # create the files in a new location and then move them to the final location
         f = 'chroma_db'
-        finaldir = os.path.expanduser('~/.GSASII/query_gsas2')
+        finaldir = os.path.join(LocalG2Dir(),"query_gsas2")
         finaldb = os.path.join(finaldir,f)
-        newdir = os.path.expanduser('~/.GSASII/new_query_gsas2')
+        newdir = os.path.join(LocalG2Dir(),"new_query_gsas2")
         newdb = os.path.join(newdir,f)
         os.makedirs(newdir, exist_ok=True)
         os.makedirs(finaldir, exist_ok=True)
diff --git a/GSASII/GSASIIpwd.py b/GSASII/GSASIIpwd.py
index 95d922b9..7ef5033b 100644
--- a/GSASII/GSASIIpwd.py
+++ b/GSASII/GSASIIpwd.py
@@ -3800,7 +3800,7 @@ def fullrmcDownload():
     import os
     import requests
     import platform
-    if platform.architecture()[0] != '64bit':
+    if GSASIIpath.GetPlatformArchitecture() != '64bit':
         return "fullrmc is only available for 64 bit machines. This is 32 bit"
     setXbit = True
     if sys.platform == "darwin":
diff --git a/GSASII/GSASIIscriptable.py b/GSASII/GSASIIscriptable.py
index 0e96df96..c7e44dc1 100644
--- a/GSASII/GSASIIscriptable.py
+++ b/GSASII/GSASIIscriptable.py
@@ -919,6 +919,9 @@ class variables:
     :param str filename: To be deprecated. Serves the same function as newgpx,
             which has a somewhat more clear name.
             (Do not specify both newgpx and filename).
+    :param bool fastsave: When specified as True, the version number
+            is taken from the git_verinfo.py file rather than using git.
+            This saves a bit of time.
 
     There are two ways to initialize this object:
 
@@ -956,7 +959,9 @@ class variables:
     :meth:`~G2Project.set_refinement`, :meth:`~G2Project.iter_refinements` and
     :meth:`~G2Project.do_refinements`.
     """
-    def __init__(self, gpxfile=None, author=None, filename=None, newgpx=None):
+    def __init__(self, gpxfile=None, author=None, filename=None, newgpx=None,
+                     fastsave=False):
+        self.fastsave = fastsave
         if filename is not None and newgpx is not None:
             raise G2ScriptException('Do not use filename and newgpx together')
         elif filename is not None:
@@ -1005,7 +1010,9 @@ def from_dict_and_names(cls, gpxdict, names, filename=None):
     def save(self, filename=None):
         """Saves the project, either to the current filename, or to a new file.
 
-        Updates self.filename if a new filename provided"""
+        :param str filename: a file name to be used to save the .gpx file.
+           Updates self.filename if this is provided
+        """
         controls_data = self.data['Controls']['data']
         # place info in .gpx about GSAS-II
         #  report versions of modules; ignore what has not been used
@@ -1022,10 +1029,9 @@ def save(self, filename=None):
         #    G2 version info
         controls_data['LastSavedUsing'] = str(GSASIIpath.GetVersionNumber())
         try:
-            if GSASIIpath.HowIsG2Installed().startswith('git'):
-                g2repo = GSASIIpath.openGitRepo(GSASIIpath.path2GSAS2)
-                commit = g2repo.head.commit
-                controls_data['LastSavedUsing'] += f" git {commit.hexsha[:8]} script"
+            if GSASIIpath.HowIsG2Installed().startswith('git') and not self.fastsave:
+                commit = GSASIIpath.getG2CommitHash()
+                controls_data['LastSavedUsing'] += f" git {commit[:8]} script"
             else:
                 gv = GSASIIpath.getSavedVersionInfo()
                 if gv is not None:
@@ -2795,7 +2801,7 @@ def add_image(self, imagefile, fmthint=None, defaultImage=None,
                 Data['DetDepthRef'] = False
             else:
                 Data['type'] = 'PWDR'
-                Data['color'] = GSASIIpath.GetConfigValue('Contour_color','Paired')
+                Data['color'] = GSASIIpath.GetConfigValue('Contour_color','GSPaired')
                 if 'tilt' not in Data:          #defaults if not preset in e.g. Bruker importer
                     Data['tilt'] = 0.0
                     Data['rotation'] = 0.0