Where Does Buttercup Store Vaults and Settings?
Where Buttercup keeps its portable .bcup vault files versus its own local desktop app settings.
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Buttercup splits storage in two: vaults as portable .bcup files wherever you saved them, app settings in the standard Electron userData folder. The vaults hold the secrets; the settings hold pointers.
That split means losing the settings folder costs nothing while losing the .bcup files costs everything. Back up the vault files to synced storage and treat the settings folder as disposable. Mobile apps open the same vaults through cloud providers, so one file serves all devices.
Where Buttercup stores this, by platform
User-chosen *.bcup vault files
Vault files live wherever you put them; search for .bcup to inventory. Recent paths in settings break when files move, so re open rather than troubleshoot. Keep at least one copy outside cloud sync.
%APPDATA%\Buttercup (settings only)
Window state and recent vault list here, no secrets inside. Paste %APPDATA%\Buttercup into Explorer. Deleting it is the safe reset when the UI misbehaves.
Frequently asked questions
how do i move buttercup vaults to a new computer
Copy the .bcup vault files to the new machine and open them with the desktop app, then re enter the password. Vaults are standalone encrypted files, so no export step exists. App settings (theme, lock timer) need separate copying from the Electron folder.
where are my buttercup vault files
Wherever you saved them: Buttercup never picks a location for you. Check Documents, cloud sync folders, and USB sticks for .bcup files. The recent vaults list in settings only remembers paths, so a moved file needs re opening, not recovery.
where are buttercup app settings stored
In the Electron userData folder (%APPDATA%\Buttercup on Windows), holding window state, recent vault paths, and preferences. It contains no passwords, only pointers. Deleting it resets the app shell without touching a single vault.
Notice an outdated path? Let us know.