How to Back Up Overlay Settings Before a Reset or Reinstall

Overlay settings live in local files that Windows Backup and cloud sync do not cover. To keep a layout, copy the application's settings folder to a drive outside the PC before you reset, reinstall or update, then verify the copy. The steps below work for most Windows overlay tools, and the last sections apply them to Droidex Companion for Droid Tycoon.

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TL;DR

Windows Backup covers general OS preferences, not third-party overlay layouts or game configuration files.
Overlay tools store settings in different places: a profiles folder, %AppData%, %LocalAppData% or a local database file. Find the folder first, then copy it.
Close the overlay before copying, and keep a dated copy on a separate drive.
After a restore, an overlay that sits off screen is usually a resolution or display mismatch, not lost data.

What Windows backs up and what it skips
Find where the overlay stores its settings
A reliable backup routine
When to back up
Restoring settings and fixing a misplaced overlay
Our perspective: what to protect in a Droid Tycoon setup
Using Droidex Companion after a restore
A checklist to keep
FAQ
Sources

What Windows backs up and what it skips

Many players assume that signing in with a Microsoft account restores everything on a clean install. It does not. Microsoft's settings catalog for Windows Backup lists what is saved to the cloud, and the scope is system-level: items such as Game Bar shortcuts, mode toggles and display or notification preferences. Custom overlay layouts, HUD positions and the configuration files of third-party game software are outside that list.

A Microsoft support answer on what returns after a clean Windows 10 install says the same thing in plain terms: what survives depends on each app or game, and anything important should be saved from its AppData or other storage folder by hand.

This gives a simple rule. If a setting took you more than five minutes to arrange, treat it as a file you must copy yourself.

Item	Covered by Windows Backup	Needs a manual copy
Game Bar hotkeys	Yes	No
Display and notification preferences	Yes	No
Third-party overlay layout	No	Yes
Overlay hotkeys set inside the app	No	Yes
Game HUD layouts and macros	No	Yes, usually via the game's own export
Saved calculators, plans and profiles in a local tool	No	Yes

Find where the overlay stores its settings

There is no standard location. As Ubuntu's guide to backing up application settings explains, software may keep configuration in hidden user directories or in the registry, so you have to identify the application-specific path before you can preserve it. On Windows the usual candidates are:

The application's own install folder, often with a Profiles subfolder.
%AppData% (the Roaming folder).
%LocalAppData%, where many overlays keep a config folder or a database file.

To open any of them, press Win+R, type the variable name such as %LocalAppData%, and press Enter. Look for a folder named after the tool or its developer. Sort by Date modified after you change one overlay setting: the folder that updates is the one you need.

Microsoft's own community guidance on which folders to copy before a factory reset points to the hidden AppData folder as especially useful for gamers, because many programs keep their settings there.

App settings folder copied before a reset

Three real examples of where settings sit

The pattern differs between tools, which is why a generic "export" step rarely exists.

MSI Afterburner and its on-screen display. The tool does not rely on the Windows registry. A guru3D thread on Afterburner settings backup says the Profiles folder inside the main application folder is what you need to copy. A second thread on exporting Afterburner settings gives the same advice for overclocking and fan settings.
Final Fantasy XIV. HUD layouts, hotbars and macros are stored locally, so they do not follow you to another PC. The FFXIV wiki page on configuration settings covers the built-in backup, and TheGamer's walkthrough shows the launcher method for PC and Mac.
A community overlay using local files. The FAQ of the MHFZ overlay describes settings kept in local data, which is the same arrangement many overlay tools use.

In each case the answer is a folder or an exported file, not a cloud toggle.

A reliable backup routine

The routine takes about five minutes and fits any overlay tool.

Close the overlay and the game. A running program can hold a settings file open or rewrite it on exit. Copying a stale file is the most common reason a restore fails.
Locate the settings folder using the method above.
Copy the whole folder, not single files. Overlay tools often split layout, hotkeys and saved data across several files.
Paste it to a different drive, such as a USB drive or a second internal disk. A copy on the drive you are about to wipe is not a backup.
Name the copy with the tool, the version and the date, for example overlay-settings-v1.2.9-2026-10-19.
Take a screenshot of the overlay layout in the game. It costs ten seconds and gives you a visual reference if the restore needs adjusting.
Test the copy if you can: open the folder on the backup drive and confirm the files have recent modified times and nonzero sizes.

Tip: do not rely on a cloud sync service alone for a clean OS install. The advice collected by TheGamer favors file-level copies of the configuration folders, so old settings do not conflict with the new environment.

Named restore points for tools that support them

Some tools let you keep several snapshots. MSI Afterburner, for example, accepts the command MSIAfterburner.exe /backup [name] and a matching /restore [name], which creates separate named restore points, as the developer describes in the guru3D development news thread. Check whether your overlay offers anything similar. If it does not, dated folder copies achieve the same result.

When to back up

Back up at these moments:

Before a Windows reset or clean install.
Before updating the overlay to a new version. Developers often add migration or auto-backup routines, but the MHFZ overlay FAQ still recommends a manual copy first, since a failed migration is the case you cannot undo.
Before moving to a new PC or a second drive.
After you finish a layout you like. A copy taken right then is the one you will want later.

A companion phone app does not change this. MSI's Afterburner app FAQ states that the mobile app acts as a controller, and that profile saves must still be done and verified in the desktop application. The same logic applies to any overlay with a mobile or web front end: the desktop install holds the data.

Restoring settings and fixing a misplaced overlay

Restore in this order:

Install the same version of the overlay that created the backup, or the nearest one available.
Launch it once so it creates its default folders, then close it.
Copy your backed-up folder over the new one, replacing files when asked.
Set the game to the same display mode and resolution you used before.
Launch the overlay and the game, and compare against your screenshot.

If the overlay appears in the wrong spot, or not at all, the files are usually intact. Common causes are a changed monitor resolution, a different display scaling value, or a game window mode that differs from the old one. Match the display mode first. Players who need to reset an overlay position on a tool that offers no reset button can restore a default by renaming the settings folder, relaunching so the tool recreates defaults, and then dragging the overlay into place before saving a fresh backup. Keep the renamed folder until you are sure you do not need it.

A position reset is also a good moment to reduce what is on screen. A checklist to reduce overlay clutter helps you decide which panels deserve space before you save the new layout.

One caution from a different field: saving progress and saving settings are separate jobs. If you also play browser puzzle games, a German guide on saving escape room progress shows how progress is kept on the web side, which is why a Windows settings backup would not help there.

Our perspective: what to protect in a Droid Tycoon setup

We build Droidex Companion for Droid Tycoon players, and the question behind this keyword is one we expect from competitive players. An overlay is not cosmetic. It is the arrangement you built so that live stats, rebirth planning and leaderboard data stay readable while you play. Losing it costs setup time at the moment you least want to spend it.

Three things guide how we think about it:

Local recognition means local data. The app reads the game screen on your own PC, so your layout and preferences sit on your machine, not on a server that restores them for you.
Layout depends on display mode. A saved arrangement only makes sense against the same resolution and window mode. Our guide on windowed fullscreen in Fortnite covers that side.
Hotkeys are part of the setup. If you reinstall Windows, check your overlay keys against our page on overlay hotkeys, because system-level Game Bar shortcuts can be restored by Windows while app-level ones are not.

We do not state a fixed settings path in this article. Locate the folder on your own install using the modified-date method above, and confirm it before you wipe anything. A copy you have verified beats a path you have assumed.

— Daniel

Using Droidex Companion after a restore

Droidex Companion is a free Windows app for Droid Tycoon with live stat tracking, rebirth planning, collection management, customizable overlays and leaderboards. All main features are available without payment, and support through Ko-fi is optional.

After you reinstall, these pages shorten the recovery:

The Droid Tycoon overlay setup guide for rebuilding a layout that keeps frame rates stable.
The one-minute overlay checks if the overlay does not appear.
The Game Bar conflict fix if a Windows shortcut collides with an app hotkey after the reset.
The rebirth planning overlay guide for the screen recognition side.
The Droid Tycoon tools page for base income, Nova and chip cost calculators.

If you play on the leaderboard, review the leaderboard overlay setup after a restore so your overlay still meets its requirements. Players who care about what the overlay shows on stream can read about game overlay privacy.

A checklist to keep

Step	Done when
Overlay and game closed	No related process in Task Manager
Folder found	Modified date changes after you edit a setting
Folder copied whole	File count matches the original
Copy stored off the system drive	Opens from the backup drive
Copy labeled	Name includes tool, version and date
Layout screenshot saved	Image sits next to the backup
Display mode noted	Resolution and window mode written down

FAQ

Does Windows Backup save my overlay settings?

No. Windows Backup covers system-level items such as Game Bar hotkeys and display or notification preferences, per Microsoft's settings catalog. Third-party overlay layouts and game configuration files are not included, so copy them yourself.

Where do I find an overlay's settings folder?

Start with %AppData% and %LocalAppData%, then the install folder, looking for a folder named after the tool. Change one setting in the overlay and sort by Date modified to confirm which folder it writes to. If a tool offers its own export option, prefer that.

How do I reset an overlay position without losing everything else?

Check for a reset option in the overlay's settings first. If none exists, back up the settings folder, rename it, relaunch so the tool creates defaults, and drag the overlay where you want it. The renamed folder stays as your fallback.

Should I copy settings before every update?

Yes, when the layout matters to you. Developers often include auto-backup routines, but a manual copy takes under a minute and covers the case where a migration fails, as the MHFZ overlay FAQ advises.