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Back up more than a single settings screen before updating 3D printer firmware. Save the printer’s configuration files, a text export of active settings, firmware build files, macros, persistent variables, and calibration data stored separately from the main configuration. Firmware updates can change file formats, reset nonvolatile memory, or require new settings, so treat the process as a migration rather than assuming EEPROM will remain untouched.
What to back up before a firmware update
Create a backup that covers both source configuration and current runtime values. They are not interchangeable. A configuration file may show how firmware was built but omit changes made later through the control screen or G-code. Conversely, a runtime report may show current values without preserving the files needed to rebuild or migrate the firmware.
- Firmware configuration files: Keep the vendor’s configuration package or your own build-time files, including board definitions, machine limits, thermistor selections, driver settings, and feature switches.
- Runtime settings: Export or record values currently loaded in the printer, such as steps per millimeter, acceleration, jerk or junction settings, PID values, probe offsets, and leveling data.
- Macros and startup commands: Save custom start and end G-code, homing routines, purge sequences, filament-change macros, and safety checks.
- Persistent variables: Copy files used to retain counters, temperatures, material presets, or other values across restarts.
- Calibration data: Preserve bed meshes, extrusion calibration, rotation distances, motor-current choices, and any tool-offset records that are not recreated automatically.
- Printer identity details: Record the exact printer model, controller board, firmware family and version, bootloader or update method, and host software version.
Store at least one copy away from the printer’s SD card or host computer. A removable card or flash drive can hold an export, but it should not be your only copy.
Why EEPROM settings may not survive an update
“EEPROM” is not a universal guarantee. Different firmware families use different storage locations and update procedures. An update may preserve nonvolatile memory, erase it, reinterpret a value under a new format, or require a setting that did not exist in the previous release.
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Even when memory survives, the new firmware may expect different limits, names, units, or dependencies. A printer can boot successfully while having an incorrect probe offset, motor current, thermistor type, or motion limit. For that reason, compare saved values with the new release and re-enter only settings that are compatible with the updated version.
Manufacturers also customize firmware. A vendor may disable commands, relocate files, add a proprietary configuration layer, or require a particular update order. Use the exact model’s release notes and update instructions before applying any generic procedure.
Marlin: save runtime reports and build configuration
1. Capture an M503 report
If the printer supports Marlin’s M503 command, connect through the printer’s terminal or host software and send:
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2. Save the embedded configuration export when available
Some Marlin builds expose an option to embed configuration data and export it as a ZIP file to an SD card or flash drive. If that menu item exists, use it and copy the resulting archive to a computer. The exact menu wording depends on the build and display configuration.
3. Preserve the files used to build the firmware
Keep the complete Marlin configuration package, including the primary configuration files and any board- or version-specific files supplied by the printer vendor. Marlin configuration migration is version-sensitive: options can be renamed, removed, split, or given different defaults. A saved build package lets you compare those changes instead of guessing.
4. Record values not obvious in a report
Write down the thermistor and heater definitions, maximum temperatures, stepper-driver mode and current, endstop logic, probe type, offsets, bed-leveling method, and any custom safety settings. Also save slicer start and end G-code; those commands are usually outside firmware’s persistent storage.
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Printer configuration files
Klipper’s authoritative configuration normally lives on the host computer rather than in the microcontroller’s flash. Copy printer.cfg and every file it includes. Included files commonly hold macros, menu definitions, material settings, resonance data, or board-specific pin assignments.
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Keep a readable directory copy, not only a screenshot or printed report. Preserve comments and section names because they explain dependencies that may matter during migration.
Saved variables and generated changes
If the configuration uses Klipper’s save_variables feature, copy the file configured for persistent variables. It may contain values that are not obvious in the main configuration. Also review changes generated by SAVE_CONFIG. Klipper documents that this command can overwrite the main printer configuration file, so make a copy before running an update or restoring an older version.
Macros and host-side services
Save custom macros, shell-command integrations, camera or monitoring configuration, and any scripts used to start Klipper. Firmware flashing alone may not replace these files, but a host reinstall, storage failure, or vendor recovery image can remove them.
Expect migration edits
Klipper’s frequently asked questions note that upgrades can require settings changes. Read the release notes for the target version, then compare your configuration with the current reference. Do not paste an old file over a new one blindly; update sections deliberately and check renamed options, deprecated parameters, and changed pin definitions.
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RepRapFirmware: protect config.g and startup files
Copy the complete system configuration
RepRapFirmware commonly reads config.g from the /sys directory on the SD card during startup. Copy that file and related system files, including macros, tool definitions, height maps, and any board-specific configuration used by your machine.
Check startup safety before restoring
A malformed config.g can prevent normal startup or leave the board unable to complete initialization. Keep an untouched original and restore changes incrementally. If the update documentation specifies a required syntax or file order, follow it rather than importing the previous file wholesale.
Do not assume M500 and M501 behave identically
RepRapFirmware supports commands and persistence behavior that can vary by firmware version and board. The RepRap Wiki documentation describes config.g startup behavior and notes that M500/M501 handling is firmware-dependent. Confirm what your particular release stores before relying on those commands as a backup.
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Settings that deserve a separate written record
| Category | Examples to record | Why it matters after updating |
|---|---|---|
| Motion calibration | Steps per millimeter, rotation distance, microstepping, acceleration, velocity, jerk or junction limits | Incorrect values change dimensions, movement speed, and collision risk. |
| Motor control | Driver type, motor current, stealth or spread-cycle mode, idle timeout | Wrong values can cause missed steps, overheating, or stalled axes. |
| Temperature control | Thermistor or sensor type, heater limits, PID values, fan behavior | A wrong sensor definition can produce unsafe readings or failed heating. |
| Homing and probing | Endstop logic, probe offsets, safe homing coordinates, Z height | Errors can drive the nozzle or probe into the bed. |
| Leveling | Bed mesh, fade height, manual leveling corrections, gantry alignment | Meshes may be invalid if probe geometry or coordinate systems change. |
| Extrusion | Extruder steps or rotation distance, pressure advance, retraction, maximum extrusion rate | Old values may not match a changed extruder configuration. |
| Macros and workflow | Start/end G-code, pause, resume, cancel, filament-change and purge routines | Macros can call renamed commands or assume old coordinates. |
| Persistent data | Saved variables, tool offsets, material presets, counters, calibration tables | These values may live outside the main firmware configuration. |
This list is a safety-oriented checklist, not a claim that every firmware stores each item in the same place. Identify the actual storage location for your model.
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A complete pre-update backup procedure
- Identify the installation. Record the firmware family, exact version, printer model, controller board, bootloader if known, host software, and vendor update path.
- Read the target release notes. Look for migration instructions, changed configuration names, required bootloader steps, storage changes, and warnings about clearing settings.
- Stop with the printer in a safe state. Finish or remove the print, cool the hotend and bed, and disconnect power only according to the vendor procedure.
- Copy configuration files. Include Marlin build files, Klipper host files and includes, or RepRapFirmware system files and macros.
- Export active values. Run
M503on supported Marlin installations, save relevant Klipper files and variables, and record RepRapFirmware values using the documented method for that release. - Save calibration artifacts. Copy meshes, height maps, tool offsets, PID results, resonance data, and persistent-variable files.
- Save slicer and host settings. Back up start and end G-code, printer profiles, and scripts that send custom commands.
- Create a second copy. Put the files on a separate computer or backup service in addition to removable storage.
- Label the backup. Include the printer, board, firmware version, and date in the folder name so an older configuration is not mistaken for the new one.
What to do immediately after updating
Confirm communication and startup
Verify that the printer boots, the host connects, temperatures report plausible room values, and no sensor or endstop errors appear. Do not begin with a production print.
Compare before restoring
Compare the new configuration with the saved copy. Re-enter compatible values deliberately instead of restoring every line automatically. Pay particular attention to board pins, sensor definitions, motion limits, motor current, probe offsets, and macro commands.
Test motion and safety
- Move each axis slowly and confirm direction.
- Test endstops and probe triggering without placing a finger near moving parts.
- Home only after confirming the expected endstop or probe behavior.
- Heat the bed and hotend while watching temperature readings and shutdown behavior.
- Run a small, supervised test print before returning to normal production.
If anything behaves unexpectedly, stop, power down as appropriate, and consult the vendor’s recovery instructions. Keep the original backup untouched while troubleshooting.
Firmware comparison at a glance
| Firmware family | Primary items to preserve | Storage and migration issue |
|---|---|---|
| Marlin | M503 text report when supported, build configuration, embedded configuration ZIP when offered | Runtime values can differ from EEPROM and build-time files. |
| Klipper | Host-side configuration, included files, macros, saved-variable file when used | SAVE_CONFIG can overwrite the main configuration; upgrades may require edits. |
| RepRapFirmware | config.g, related system files, macros, and relevant SD-card contents |
config.g runs at startup; malformed syntax can interfere with boot, and persistence commands vary. |
Common backup mistakes
- Saving only a screenshot: A picture cannot restore macros, file includes, or exact syntax.
- Saving only EEPROM: Nonvolatile values do not contain the source configuration or every host-side file.
- Overwriting the only copy: Updating a file in place removes your rollback reference.
- Restoring everything blindly: Old pin names, limits, or macros may be incompatible with the new release.
- Skipping vendor instructions: Customized builds can differ from upstream firmware behavior.
- Testing with a print immediately: A successful boot does not prove that homing, heating, probing, or motion limits are safe.
How to decide whether a setting should be backed up
Back up any value that affects safety, geometry, temperature control, motion, probing, extrusion, or automated workflow. If losing it would force you to recalibrate, inspect wiring, rebuild firmware, or recreate a macro, preserve it before flashing. When uncertain, save the entire configuration directory and a plain-text report; storage is cheaper than reconstructing a working printer.
The safest expectation is that an update may preserve some settings, reset others, and require migration for the rest. A complete backup gives you a documented baseline, while post-update checks ensure that the printer is not merely booting but operating with the intended limits and calibration.
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