Guide: Chatty directories and files

Files/Directory structure | Backup

Learn what directories and files Chatty creates/uses.

Files/Directory structure

Settings Directory

The settings directory by default is in your user home directory in a subfolder called .chatty. If you use the -cd commandline parameter, then the settings directory is the current Working Directory.

You can use commandline parameters by creating a shortcut and setting the target to something like javaw.exe -jar "D:\Chatty\Chatty.jar" -cd.

Alternatively, the -d parameter allows you to specify a settings directory directly: javaw -jar "D:\Chatty\Chatty.jar" -d D:\program settings\Chatty

Note: You need to edit the path to the Chatty.jar to where you actually have it on your computer. Also if you specify a custom settings directory you must create it manually before using it.

Use the command /dir to display and /openDir to open the Settings Directory.

Note: favoritesAndHistory and statusPresets have been merged into settings as of v0.9.1.

Working Directory

This directory is associated with Chatty when you start it. This is usually the directory the program is started from. In some cases, depending on how Chatty is started, this may point to a different directory, which can cause issues.

You can change the Working Directory by specifying it when you start Chatty, usually by creating a shortcut and changing what is defined under Run in in the shortcut settings. Make sure this points to the same folder the Chatty.jar is in (or something else if you want to customize it, just make sure the files you need are there).

Use the command /wdir to display and /openWdir to open the Working Directory.

JAR Location

This is where the Chatty.jar is located and is used for loading libraries that Chatty uses.

Backup

Chatty performs an automatic backup (enabled by default) everytime it is started (if at least the number of days as defined in the settings have passed, by default one). It copies the setting files (except login) to the backup folder in the settings directory, increasing the numbering of the files with every backup. It only makes as many backups as defined in the settings and then starts over with the first number, rotating the files.

This is supposed to make recovery of settings easier in case they are not read or written correctly and thus lost (which shouldn't usually happen). In that case you can manually copy/rename the lost files from a backup (just looks for the most recent one based on the change date that looks fine).

If some settings are important to you this can help, but you shouldn't rely on it. Always make your own backups, best on a different device!

Restore backup

If you lost your setting files (or some of them) but still have a backup, you can manually copy the backup to restore it.

1. Prepare & Locate Backup Folder
   • Enter /openBackupDir to open the Backup folder (or enter /showBackupDir and navigate to the Backup folder manually).
   • There should be several files in the format backup_x_<name>, these represent the separate batches of backups.
   • After that, make sure Chatty is not running. Settings are saved when Chatty is closed, so if you change setting files manually while it is running your manual changes would just be overwritten once you close Chatty.
2. Find latest backup and rename
   • Sort the files by modification date in your file browser and choose the latest batch that seems like it might work (e.g. files that are not 0KB, although the addressbook might be if you never used it).
   • Rename the files you want to restore from backup_x_<name> to <name> (for example backup_2_settings to settings). You can ignore the backup_meta file.
3. Move renamed files
   • Copy or move the renamed files to the parent folder (the one you get from /dir or /openDir commands), overwriting any existing setting files.
4. After you are done, start Chatty again and the settings should be restored.