vamAIDocs

Where your data lives

Everything vamAI saves stays in its own folder on your PC. Here's what each part holds, how your keys are protected, and how to back up or move vamAI.

vamAI keeps everything inside its own folder, next to vamAI.exe. It doesn't install anything elsewhere or scatter files around your PC. The one exception is background music: VaM can only play files from its own folder, so vamAI copies the tracks you make into Custom\Sounds\vamAI\Music in your VaM folder.

What's in the folder

Folder What it holds
data Your settings, characters, portraits, voices, music tracks, scenarios, scenes, conversations and memories. Also your encrypted keys and sign-in, and the logs.
models AI models vamAI downloads, such as the one character memory uses.
sidecars The programs that run AI on your PC (Whisper, the local language model, Audio2Face), when you download them from inside vamAI.

vamAI creates these folders the first time it runs. They're never part of the download, so updating leaves them alone.

Warning

Don't edit or delete files in data while vamAI is running. If you want to tidy up, do it from inside the app.

Your keys and sign-in

Your AI service keys and your vamAI sign-in are stored encrypted for your Windows account on this PC. They never leave your computer, except to go to the service they belong to.

Because they're tied to your Windows account, they can't be read anywhere else. On another PC or another Windows account, vamAI removes them and asks you to enter them again. Everything else comes across untouched.

Where your conversations go

vamAI sends your conversation, and what it knows about your VaM scene, to the AI services you chose. It goes straight from your PC to them. There's no vamAI server in between.

Services that run on your PC, such as Whisper or the local language model, keep that part on your computer.

Backing up

Close vamAI, then copy the data folder somewhere safe. That's your characters, voices, conversations, memories and settings.

To restore, close vamAI and copy the data folder back into the vamAI folder. Your keys will need entering again if you restore onto a different PC or Windows account.

Tip

models and sidecars can be large. You don't need to back them up: vamAI can download them again.

Moving to another PC

  1. Close vamAI.
  2. Copy the whole vamAI folder to the new PC (or to a new place on the same PC).
  3. Start vamAI.exe from its new home.
  4. If you moved to another PC or Windows account, vamAI says "Re-enter your API keys". Add them again in Advanced → Providers, and sign in again in Settings → Account.

Moving to another PC also takes a place on your account for devices. If you won't use the old PC any more, sign out there first, or remove it on the website. See Devices.

Uninstalling

Close vamAI and delete its folder. Outside it, only the plugin's .var in VaM's AddonPackages and any music copies in Custom\Sounds\vamAI\Music remain; delete those too if you like. If you want to keep your characters, copy the data folder first. See Updating & uninstalling.

Deleting your vamAI account

Your vamAI account (your sign-in, membership record and computers) is on vamAI's server, not in this folder. To delete it, sign in on the website and open Account → Delete your account. The page lists what is deleted and the little that is kept, and asks you to type your email to confirm. If you signed in more than a few minutes ago, it asks you to sign in with Patreon again first.

Deleting your account doesn't cancel your Patreon membership (cancel it in your Patreon memberships (opens in new tab)), and it doesn't touch this folder: your characters and settings stay on your PC.

Logs and diagnostics

vamAI keeps a log of each run in data\logs (the 10 newest). They help when something goes wrong. Logs can include what was said in your conversations, so look through them before sharing.

Advanced → Settings → Help & diagnostics → Export diagnostics saves a zip for a support request. It holds recent logs, your settings with every API key removed, and details about your system. See Troubleshooting.