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Use both server backup categories when you want a complete FFXIV settings copy: Character Settings stores a character’s HUD, hotbars, keybinds and related data, while Client Settings stores display, sound, input, accessibility and shared-macro preferences. On Windows or Mac, you can also create a local FFXIVconfig.fea export with the launcher’s Backup Tool. Restore from the matching category; do not expect the local launcher file to transfer settings directly to a console.
The safest sequence is to upload both server categories first, make a local launcher export when you have a Windows or Mac installation, and then verify the destination before removing the old copy. Each method has a different scope, and none preserves every piece of local game state.
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Which FFXIV backup should you use?
Final Fantasy XIV has separate backup scopes, and choosing only one can leave important preferences behind. Start with the destination you need:
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| Character Settings server backup | Protecting or retrieving one character’s gameplay setup | HUD layouts, hotbars and cross hotbars, gear sets, key bindings, character configuration, filters, text colors, individual macros and related character or social data | Server-backed; intended for use through supported game clients and platforms |
| Client Settings server backup | Preserving preferences shared by the client | Display, sound, input-device, theme, accessibility, movie/cutscene and other client-level settings, plus shared macros | Environment-dependent values may need adjustment after restore |
| Launcher Backup Tool | Keeping a local file or moving settings between Windows and Mac | Character configuration and HUD settings, hotbars and cross hotbars, gear sets, macros, log filters and log text colors | Windows and Mac only; not a console-transfer method |
| Configuration Sharing | Temporarily applying selected settings to another character | Selected HUD, hotbar, macro, character-configuration, partial system-configuration and miscellaneous data | Not the routine archival backup or same-character platform-transfer workflow |
For a new computer, reinstall, or general safety copy, upload both server categories and, if you use Windows or Mac, keep a local launcher export as a second copy.
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Choose by situation
- New PC or Mac: use Character Settings and Client Settings, then add the launcher export for a file you can carry to the new installation.
- Same character on a console: use the two server backup windows. The launcher file is not the console route.
- Several characters with different layouts: upload each character individually under Character Settings. Client Settings is still a separate, client-wide upload.
- Copying one tested setup to another character: use Import Character Settings or Configuration Sharing, depending on whether you need a selective character import or a temporary handoff.
- Keeping an offline safety copy: create
FFXIVconfig.feaand place the containing folder somewhere you control, with optional external storage as a second copy.
Back up a character’s hotbars, HUD and gameplay settings to the server
Character Settings is the backup that contains the arrangements most players mean by “my FFXIV setup.” It is tied to the selected character rather than being a single universal client snapshot. A character with a custom healer HUD and a character with a tank HUD therefore need separate uploads.
Upload the character backup
- Open the Character Selection screen.
- Select the character whose setup you want to protect.
- Open that character’s Character Settings backup window.
- Choose Upload and acknowledge the confirmation prompt.
The eligible character-side data includes Character Configuration, HUD Layout, Hotbars and Cross Hotbars, Gear Sets, Key Bindings, Log Filters, Log Text Colors, Individual Macros, miscellaneous data and social data. If several characters have different hotbars or HUD arrangements, upload each character separately.
Before uploading, log in to the character and make any last hotbar or HUD edits you want to keep. An upload is a snapshot of the settings that exist when you perform it; changes made afterward are not in that server copy until you upload again. If your layouts differ by role or job, inspect every relevant hotbar and cross-hotbar page before confirming.
Download a character backup
- At Character Selection, select the relevant character and open the same Character Settings backup window.
- Choose Download.
- Confirm the prompt and allow the client to apply the server copy.
Downloading replaces the applicable local character settings with the stored server version. If you changed a hotbar or HUD after the last upload, upload again before downloading so the newer arrangement is not discarded. If you are uncertain which copy is newer, stop and make a fresh upload from the installation that still has the desired layout rather than guessing.
What the character scope means
This backup is the right place for character-specific controls: key bindings, gear sets, log filters, log text colors, individual macros and the visible arrangement of actions. It is not a substitute for Client Settings. A successful character download can restore a familiar hotbar while leaving client-wide sound, display or accessibility preferences untouched.
Back up client-wide settings and shared macros
Client Settings is separate from the selected character. It is the category to use for preferences that should apply to the game installation or account session rather than one character’s individual HUD and hotbars.
Upload client settings
- Go to Character Selection.
- Select the gear icon in the upper-right corner.
- Open Client Settings Backup.
- Choose Upload and confirm.
Client Settings covers display, sound, input-device, theme, accessibility, miscellaneous movie and cutscene options, and shared macros. Character Configuration and individual macros belong to Character Settings instead, so back up both categories when you need both kinds of macros.
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Shared macros are easy to overlook because they are available to more than one character. Treat them as client-side data: a character upload alone is not enough to guarantee that shared macros return on a fresh installation.
Download client settings
- Open the gear icon at Character Selection.
- Enter Client Settings Backup.
- Choose Download and confirm.
Some values describe the machine rather than the account. Display resolution, graphics quality and input-device details may not be reproduced exactly when the destination has different hardware, monitors or peripherals. Check those options manually after the download.
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Use the launcher to create a local FFXIVconfig.fea backup
The launcher’s Backup Tool is a separate Windows/Mac feature. It creates a file you control, which is useful before an operating-system reinstall or as an additional copy outside the game’s server backup.
Create the local export
- Open the FFXIV launcher and select Config.
- Under Backup Tool, select Back Up.
- Select Backup.
- Choose a destination folder and complete the operation.
The export is named FFXIVconfig.fea. The tool also presents an option labeled Do not overwrite older data; use it when you want to preserve existing data rather than replace it during a backup operation.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteThe local export includes character configuration and HUD settings for characters, hotbars and cross hotbars, gear sets, macros (including shared macros), log filters and log text colors. It excludes system configuration, screenshots and character appearance data.
Because this is a file-based copy, note the exact folder you selected. A backup stored in a temporary download location is easy to lose during a reinstall. Keep the original filename and, if you copy the folder, copy the file itself rather than creating a shortcut to a file that will no longer exist.
Restore the local export
- Open the launcher’s Config screen.
- Under Backup Tool, choose Restore.
- Select the folder that contains
FFXIVconfig.fea. - Complete the confirmation prompts and launch the game to verify the imported settings.
The restore action expects the folder containing the file, not a renamed file or an unrelated parent directory. Keep the original filename intact. If you copied the backup to a USB drive or another disk, browse to the folder on that storage device that directly contains the file.
Move the local file safely
You may keep the destination folder on another drive or copy it to optional external storage, such as a USB flash drive. External storage is only an extra local copy; it is not required for the in-game server backup. The launcher export supports transfers between the Windows and Mac versions. The official launcher procedure does not transfer settings to PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S or Nintendo Switch 2.
For a Windows-to-Mac or Mac-to-Windows move, use the local file in addition to the server uploads, not instead of them. The two server categories protect data that the launcher export does not, while the local file gives you a portable copy you can retain independently.
Transfer settings to another platform
For the same character moving between supported platforms, use the server backups rather than the Windows/Mac launcher file. Upload Character Settings and Client Settings before leaving the old platform, then sign in on the destination platform and download each category from its corresponding backup window.
This separation matters: downloading only Character Settings can bring back your hotbars and HUD while leaving sound, display, accessibility and shared macros at their destination defaults. Downloading only Client Settings has the opposite problem.
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The platform rule is straightforward: the launcher export is documented for Windows and Mac versions, while the server-backed functions are the appropriate path when the destination is PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S or Nintendo Switch 2. A local file on a computer cannot be selected by a console client.
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Downloading a server backup restores data for the backup’s character. If you instead want to copy selected arrangements from one character to another, use Import Character Settings.
- At Character Selection, select the destination character.
- Choose Import Character Settings.
- Select the source character.
- Choose the specific settings to import.
- Acknowledge the warning or confirmation prompt, then select OK.
Character appearance data is not copied by this workflow. Select only the categories you actually want on the destination; importing everything can alter more of that character’s configuration than intended. For example, you can select a HUD or hotbar arrangement without treating the import as an appearance transfer.
Import is also a useful way to standardize a setup across characters without replacing the destination character’s entire identity. Make a backup of the destination first if its current arrangement is valuable, then perform the selective import.
What these backups do not preserve
No single option is a complete image of every local game state. Plan around these exclusions:
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- Character Settings backup: screenshots, character appearance data, item sorting and inventory locations are omitted.
- Client Settings backup: machine-dependent values, including display resolution, graphics quality and input-device details, may not export or apply identically.
- Launcher export: system configuration, screenshots and character appearance data are excluded.
- Appearance and inventory organization: importing character settings does not copy appearance data, and the documented character backup does not preserve item sorting or inventory locations.
Take screenshots of unusual inventory layouts or graphics settings if those details matter to your move. Screenshots are a separate reference, not part of the FFXIV settings backup. Likewise, plan to recreate any appearance-related choices manually because neither the documented character download nor the launcher export supplies them.
Configuration Sharing in Patch 7.5
Patch 7.5 added Configuration Sharing, which uploads selected hotbars and configuration settings as temporary server data so another character can download and apply them. Its choices include HUD layout, hotbars, individual and shared macros, Character Configuration, part of System Configuration and miscellaneous data.
Use Configuration Sharing for a targeted handoff between characters, such as applying a tested hotbar arrangement. It is not the archival replacement for Character Settings and Client Settings. The patch guidance directs regular backups, and use of the same character on another platform, to the normal server backup functions.
The word temporary is important here. Configuration Sharing is designed to apply a chosen set of settings elsewhere, not to become your only historical copy. For long-term protection, retain the regular Character Settings and Client Settings uploads and, where applicable, the local launcher file.
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Recommended move or reinstall procedure
- Finish edits on the old installation: log in to each character and make sure the HUD, hotbars, cross hotbars, gear sets, keybinds and macros look the way you want.
- On the old installation: upload the selected character under Character Settings.
- For client-wide preferences: open the gear icon and upload Client Settings.
- For Windows or Mac: create a launcher backup and verify that the destination folder contains
FFXIVconfig.fea. - Store the local copy safely: keep it in a user-selected folder and optionally copy it to external storage.
- On the new installation: sign in and download Character Settings and Client Settings from their separate windows.
- If the move is Windows-to-Mac or Mac-to-Windows: use the launcher’s Restore with the folder containing
FFXIVconfig.feaas an additional local import. - Recheck hardware-specific options: set resolution, graphics quality and input devices for the new machine.
- Test before deleting the old copy: enter a low-risk area, inspect every hotbar and cross hotbar, open the HUD layout, test keybinds and verify macros.
Keep the old installation or local file until this verification is complete. A backup is only useful if the restored result is confirmed before the original copy is discarded.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Troubleshooting backup and restore problems
The hotbars came back, but sound or display settings did not
You restored Character Settings only. Open the gear icon at Character Selection, enter Client Settings Backup and download the client-side copy separately.
Shared macros are missing
Shared macros are part of Client Settings, while individual macros are part of Character Settings. Download the category that matches the missing macro type; backing up both categories avoids this split.
The launcher cannot find the local backup
Use Config → Backup Tool → Restore and select the folder that directly contains FFXIVconfig.fea. Confirm that the file was not renamed, moved into a second nested folder or replaced by a shortcut.
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The restored graphics look wrong on the new computer
Resolution and graphics quality depend on the destination environment. Reopen the relevant system settings and select values appropriate for the new display and hardware.
A character import changed more than expected
Repeat the import from the destination character and select only the required settings. Import Character Settings is selective; it is not an appearance-copy tool.
A console cannot use the launcher file
The local Backup Tool is for Windows and Mac transfers. For PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S or Nintendo Switch 2, use the server-backed Character Settings and Client Settings workflows instead.
I backed up one character but another still has old hotbars
Character Settings is character-scoped. Return to Character Selection, select the other character and upload that character’s settings separately. A client-wide upload does not replace each character’s individual HUD and hotbar data.
Should I use Configuration Sharing for a computer reinstall?
No. Configuration Sharing is intended for applying selected temporary settings to another character. For a reinstall, use the regular Character Settings and Client Settings backups, plus the launcher export on Windows or Mac.
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Final verification checklist
- Every character with a unique layout has a recent Character Settings upload.
- Client Settings has a recent upload, including shared macros.
- The local Windows/Mac copy contains
FFXIVconfig.feawhen a file backup is needed. - The destination platform matches the method: server backup for cross-platform use, launcher export only for Windows/Mac.
- HUD, hotbars, cross hotbars, gear sets, keybinds and macros have been tested after restoration.
- Resolution, graphics quality and input devices have been adjusted for the destination machine.
- Screenshots, appearance choices, item sorting and inventory locations have been handled separately if they matter to you.
- The original local file or old installation is retained until the restored setup has been checked.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Character Settings and Client Settings backup?
Character Settings is character-specific and includes HUD layouts, hotbars, cross hotbars, gear sets, key bindings, filters, text colors, individual macros and related data. Client Settings covers display, sound, input, theme, accessibility, movie and cutscene preferences, miscellaneous client data and shared macros. Upload both for a broad settings copy.
Can I move FFXIV settings from PC to PS5, Xbox or Nintendo Switch 2 with FFXIVconfig.fea?
No. The launcher Backup Tool is documented for Windows and Mac versions. For PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S or Nintendo Switch 2, upload and download Character Settings and Client Settings through the server backup windows.
Where is the FFXIVconfig.fea file created?
You choose the destination folder during Config → Backup Tool → Back Up. The resulting file is named FFXIVconfig.fea. Restore by selecting the folder that directly contains that file.
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Shared macros belong to Client Settings. Individual macros belong to Character Settings. Back up and restore both categories when you need both types.
Does importing character settings copy my character’s appearance?
No. Import Character Settings does not copy character appearance data. Select the specific configuration categories you want to transfer.
Will a backup preserve screenshots, inventory sorting or inventory locations?
No. The documented character backup omits screenshots, item sorting and inventory locations, and the launcher export also excludes screenshots. Keep separate screenshots or notes for details you need to reproduce manually.
Why did my resolution or graphics quality change after restoring?
Those values depend on the destination machine, monitor and input environment. Reopen the relevant client settings and adjust resolution, graphics quality and input devices manually.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsIs Configuration Sharing a replacement for regular backups?
No. Patch 7.5 Configuration Sharing is temporary and selective. Use Character Settings and Client Settings for routine backups and for using the same character on another platform.
The Bottom Line
For the most reliable FFXIV move, upload Character Settings and Client Settings separately. On Windows or Mac, also create a local FFXIVconfig.fea with the launcher and keep the containing folder somewhere safe. Use server backups for console transfers, import only the character settings you need, and manually recheck hardware-dependent options plus anything the backups exclude.
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