Where Does PCem Store Configs and NVRAM?
PCem keeps machine configs, NVRAM, ROMs, and logs under one .pcem folder in the home directory (config paths adjustable in pcem.cfg).
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PCem concentrates machine state in one dot folder in your home directory, which makes backup refreshingly simple. The configs subfolder holds machine definitions, nvr holds CMOS memory per machine, roms holds BIOS files, and logs plus screenshots accumulate beside them.
Version 17 moved Windows installs to the home folder to match Unix, which confused upgraders looking beside the exe. The pcem.cfg [Paths] section remaps every category, so portable layouts survive through relative entries. NVR files pair with configs by name, never to be mixed across machines.
Where PCem stores this, by platform
%USERPROFILE%\.pcem
Machine configs, NVR, ROMs, logs, and screenshots under one roof. Remap categories in pcem.cfg [Paths]. v17 moved Windows here from the exe folder; symlink pcem.cfg for custom layouts.
~/.pcem
Same dot-folder layout on Linux and macOS. Launch with --config pointing at a named file for scripted or multi-machine setups like TAS tooling.
Frequently asked questions
How do I move ROMs or configs elsewhere?
Edit the [Paths] section of pcem.cfg to point each category where you want it. ROMs, NVRAM, configs, logs, and screenshots each take a path, and relative entries keep the install portable.
A machine misbehaves after config changes. What resets it?
Delete the machine's .nvr file in the nvr folder (named after config plus motherboard). NVR holds CMOS state separately from disk images, so stale NVR explains boots that disks alone cannot fix.
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