Where data is stored

This page lists every file InstaloaderSharp GUI reads or writes, besides the downloads themselves, and how to start over or move to another computer.

Contents

• Overview
• The GUI's settings
• Sessions
• The latest-stamps file
• Files in the download folder
• What is never saved
• Starting over
• Moving to another computer

Overview

What	Where	Written by
The GUI's settings	%LOCALAPPDATA%\InstaloaderSharpGUI\settings.ini	The GUI only
Session files	%LOCALAPPDATA%\Instaloader\session-USERNAME (or the Session file you chose)	The GUI, InstaloaderSharp and Instaloader
The latest-stamps file	%LOCALAPPDATA%\Instaloader\latest-stamps.ini (or the Stamps file you chose)	The GUI, InstaloaderSharp and Instaloader
Downloads, metadata, resume files	The download folder	The GUI, InstaloaderSharp and Instaloader

%LOCALAPPDATA% is usually C:\Users\YOUR-NAME\AppData\Local. Type it into Explorer's address bar to open it, or use Settings → About → Data folders → Open.

The program files themselves (InstaloaderSharpGUI.exe, InstaloaderSharp.exe) write nothing into their own folder, so they can be kept in a read-only folder.

The GUI's settings

settings.ini stores:

• all options of the Download, Account and Settings pages,
• the targets,
• the download folder,
• the sign-in method, the username, the browser, and the session and cookie file paths,
• the window's position and size.

It is saved when a download starts and when the program closes, and read when the program starts. It is a plain text file with one name=value line per setting. It contains no password and no session, but it does contain your username, targets and folders, so remove those before sharing it.

Sessions

A session file contains the login cookie of an account. It is created by Sign in and Import cookies on the Account page, and updated after downloads. The GUI, InstaloaderSharp.exe and Instaloader use the same files, in the same format (see Session files in the InstaloaderSharp manual).

The Saved sessions list on the Account page shows the session files in the default folder, and Delete or Sign out removes them. See Signing in.

A session file gives access to your account. Keep it private, and never post it, for example in a bug report.

The latest-stamps file

With Remember latest downloads on, the time of the newest downloaded item of each profile is stored in the stamps file. See Keeping an archive up to date and Latest-stamps file.

Files in the download folder

Besides pictures, videos, captions and metadata, the download folder may contain:

File	Meaning
id in a profile's folder	The profile's numeric ID, used to recognize renamed profiles
iterator_XXXXXXXX.json.xz	A resume file of an interrupted download; see Running a download
*.temp	A file that was being downloaded; it is renamed when complete

See Downloaded files and File formats in the InstaloaderSharp manual.

What is never saved

• Passwords. A password you type is kept in memory only while the program runs, and forgotten when it closes.
• Two-factor codes.
• The output of downloads, unless you save it with Save… on the Activity page.

Starting over

To reset	Do
All options, keeping targets, folder and sign-in	Settings → Command line → Reset to defaults
Everything in the GUI	Close the program and delete %LOCALAPPDATA%\InstaloaderSharpGUI\settings.ini
A sign-in	Account → Sign out, or Delete in Saved sessions
What Remember latest downloads knows	Delete the stamps file (the next download fetches everything again)

Moving to another computer

1. Install both programs on the new computer; see Getting started.
2. Copy %LOCALAPPDATA%\InstaloaderSharpGUI\settings.ini to the same place on the new computer, and the download folder if you want to keep updating it.
3. Copy %LOCALAPPDATA%\Instaloader too, to keep your sessions and latest stamps; otherwise sign in again.
4. Start the program and check the Download folder and the Account page, since paths may differ.

Alternatively, save an argument file with Settings → Command line → Save args file… and import it on the new computer with Import args file….