StateKeep is a Windows command-line tool that automatically backs up and restores application settings. Point it at any folder—ideally a cloud-synchronized drive such as OneDrive or a NAS share—and StateKeep keeps a readable copy of your supported app configurations there.

It is designed to be set up once and then left to run unattended. Use it to:

• recover from accidental configuration changes;
• restore settings after reinstalling Windows or an application; and
• transfer application settings between computers through a shared backup folder.

StateKeep stores ordinary files rather than proprietary archives or databases, so backups remain understandable and accessible. It backs up application configuration only; it is not a replacement for a full-system backup.

To install the official release, you need:

• 64-bit Windows;
• Windows PowerShell, which is included with supported Windows versions; and
• an internet connection that can reach GitHub to download the installer and release.

No separate dependencies need to be installed. The official release is self-contained and includes its .NET runtime; you do not need the .NET runtime or SDK, Python, GitHub CLI, or administrator privileges.

Open PowerShell and run:

irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mikaelleven/StateKeep/main/scripts/install.ps1 | iex

The installer downloads and SHA-256 verifies the latest GitHub release, installs it to %LOCALAPPDATA%\StateKeep, and adds that folder to your user PATH. Open a new terminal when it finishes.

Run setup once. The folder can be any writable location; a cloud-synchronized folder or NAS directory makes backups available on other computers.

statekeep setup "%ONEDRIVE%\MyBackups" # Special folder alias for OneDrive
statekeep setup . # Use current directory
statekeep setup "C:\MyBackups" # Explicit path
statekeep validate

Back up all detected configured applications:

statekeep backup

Your backup is stored in a per-device folder, for example:

%ONEDRIVE%\MyBackups\DESKTOP_A7K3M9Q2\apps\...

Restore settings from this computer’s backup:

statekeep restore zed

Run statekeep --help to see every command and supported application ID.

Install or update the Windows Task Scheduler task to make backups unattended:

statekeep install task

The command is idempotent: running it again updates the existing StateKeep task instead of adding duplicates. See Scheduling for task behavior and silent execution details.

When computers use the same backup folder, restore an app by its device ID, computer name, or full backup-folder name:

statekeep restore zed --from OTHER-PC
statekeep restore zed --from OTHER-PC_A7K3M9Q2

Restore every configured application with --all:

statekeep restore --all --from OTHER-PC

Preview a restore before changing files with --dryrun. Use --force only when you intend to overwrite conflicts:

statekeep restore zed --from OTHER-PC --dryrun
statekeep restore zed --force

See the CLI specification and restore-safety guidance for complete command and conflict-handling details.

StateKeep’s supported applications are described by human-readable YAML definition files in the apps\ directory alongside the executable. To add an application, create a definition with a unique ID, its configuration root paths, and evidence files or directories that identify the correct location.

Start with App Configuration Specification for the complete schema, path rules, file filters, and examples. Validate definitions after editing them:

statekeep validate

• Developer guide — local setup, development, and release workflow
• Architecture — system design and technical decisions
• Requirements — functional and non-functional requirements
• CLI specification — commands and output behavior
• App configuration specification — application-definition format
• Restore safety — conflicts and restore semantics
• Scheduling — scheduled task installation and silent execution

StateKeep is distributed under the MIT License.