Where Does WinUAE Store Configs and States?
WinUAE stores .uae configs plus states, screenshots, and ROM paths under its Paths folders, defaulting to the public documents Amiga Files tree.
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WinUAE separates path choices from the files themselves, and the Paths panel is the control room. Configuration files, savestates, screenshots, videos, and ROM scan folders each get a root, defaulting to the shared-documents Amiga Files tree. The registry remembers the roots; the folders hold the goods.
That split explains every lost-config mystery. New versions read the previous roots from the registry, so files survive upgrades untouched. Portable mode flips the design: an ini beside the exe replaces the registry and relative paths make the install drive-independent.
Where WinUAE stores this, by platform
C:\Users\Public\Documents\Amiga Files\WinUAE
Default roots for configurations, states, screenshots, ROMs, and savestates. Re-point them in the Paths panel; keep configs under your user folders to dodge UAC write issues.
[WinUAE-Folder]\winuae.ini
The portable switch: an empty winuae.ini beside the exe moves settings out of the registry and enables relative paths. Ideal for USB installs and multi-version side-by-side setups.
Frequently asked questions
Where did my configuration files go?
Open the Paths panel: it lists every root (configs, states, ROMs, screenshots) and each is changeable. The registry only remembers which roots you picked, so the panel is the map, not regedit.
How do I run WinUAE portably from USB?
Drop an empty winuae.ini beside winuae.exe to enable portable mode. Settings then live in the ini instead of the registry, and relative paths keep the whole install movable across drives.
Notice an outdated path? Let us know.