How to Reset CaptureGem Settings Safely
Table of Contents
CaptureGem has a Settings → Reset Data dialog with separate choices for configuration (Clear Configuration), temporary files (Clear Temp Data), metadata (Clear Metadata), and saved videos (Clear Video Data). Nothing is selected by default. View state has no separate checkbox: Full Reset also clears it, but selects every other category, including videos and metadata. Do not use Full Reset just to clear view state; read every selected category before confirming.
Before a reset
Stop any active recordings. Use Export Models in Settings to save your model list to a CSV file; it keeps each model’s site, notes, rating and recording group, but not its auto-record mode. Back up config.json, the config_backups folder, finished videos, and temporary or retained source files you may need to a safe location outside the folders being reset. config.json and its backups can contain passwords, cookies and a license key, so keep those copies private. If a conversion failed or a recording is unfinished, inspect the source files before clearing temporary data. A reset cannot recover files after they have been deleted.
The active data folder may differ from the default. An explicit CAPTUREGEM_DATA_DIR override takes priority. New macOS profiles use ~/Library/Application Support/capturegem, new Windows profiles use %LOCALAPPDATA%\capturegem, and Linux uses ~/CaptureGem_Data. Older macOS and Windows profiles can use legacy folders. When both old and new folders contain settings, the desktop and recorder daemon can choose different folders: the desktop uses the newer settings marker, while the daemon prefers a legacy folder with config.json. Check both folders and logs before a reset. Video and temporary folders can also be customized in Settings; see file locations.
Reset settings while keeping recordings
If both old and new profile folders contain settings, do not use Reset Data yet. In this split case it deletes the folders listed in the desktop-selected settings, which may not be the ones the dialog shows. Back up both candidates and use the manual steps below until only one folder has settings.
- Open Settings → Reset Data.
- Select Clear Configuration only. Leave Clear Video Data, Clear Metadata, and Clear Temp Data unselected if you need those files.
- Select Reset Data, review the warning, select Confirm Reset, and wait for the recorder to restart.
- Clear Configuration returns every setting and folder to its default, removes your model list and saved Chaturbate headers, and resets your license. Activate Premium again with Activate Premium, set any custom folders again, then add your models back with Import Models.
If you need a guaranteed fresh configuration or the app cannot open, quit CaptureGem completely first: use Settings → Exit CaptureGem if the app opens (closing the window only hides it), and wait until recorderd has stopped. Locate the active profile and move both config.json and the config_backups folder somewhere safe. If you move only config.json, CaptureGem restores your old settings from the newest backup in config_backups. Do not delete the entire profile folder: it can contain finished recordings, temporary segments, metadata, and other recoverable files. Restoring the old configuration may also restore the issue you were troubleshooting.
For help diagnosing the issue before resetting, see CaptureGem troubleshooting.
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