> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.autocleaneeg.org/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Advanced: Persistent State (setup.json)

> How AutocleanEEG saves your defaults across runs and where to find them.

# Persistent State: `setup.json`

AutocleanEEG saves a few preferences between runs (for example, your active task and source) in a per-user JSON file called `setup.json`. This makes common workflows faster while remaining easy to reset.

## Location

Stored under your user profile in a standard OS location:

* macOS: `~/Library/Application Support/autoclean/setup.json`
* Windows: `%APPDATA%\autoclean\setup.json` (typically `C:\Users\<you>\AppData\Roaming\autoclean\setup.json`)
* Linux: `$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/autoclean/setup.json` or `~/.config/autoclean/setup.json`

Tip (macOS):

```bash theme={null}
open "$HOME/Library/Application Support/autoclean"
```

## Contents

Here’s a representative example of the file contents:

```json theme={null}
{
  "version": "1.0",
  "setup_date": "2025-08-31T08:47:30.250928",
  "config_directory": "/Users/ernie/Documents/Autoclean-EEG",
  "active_task": "RestingState_EGI",
  "active_source": "/Users/ernie/Documents/ExampleData 2/Resting/128_Rest_EyesOpen_D1004.raw"
}
```

* `version`: internal format version of this file
* `setup_date`: when the state file was first created
* `config_directory`: your Autoclean Workspace directory (where `tasks/` and `output/` live)
* `active_task`: the Task used when you don’t pass one on the CLI
* `active_source`: default file or directory used when you don’t pass one on the CLI

## How It’s Used

* Loaded on startup to apply your saved defaults.
* Updated by CLI commands (e.g., `task set`, `source set`).
* Missing values fall back to prompts or sensible defaults.

## Reset & Maintenance

* To reset saved defaults, remove or rename `setup.json` (AutocleanEEG recreates it):

```bash theme={null}
# macOS
rm -i "$HOME/Library/Application Support/autoclean/setup.json"

# Windows (PowerShell)
Remove-Item "$env:APPDATA\autoclean\setup.json"

# Linux
rm -i "${XDG_CONFIG_HOME:-$HOME/.config}/autoclean/setup.json"
```

* Prefer using the CLI to change values rather than editing the file directly:

```bash theme={null}
autocleaneeg-pipeline task set <TaskName>
autocleaneeg-pipeline source set
```

For paths and defaults at a higher level, see the Basics section: Workspace, Tasks, Source, and Fallbacks.

## Troubleshooting

* Not seeing expected defaults? Check `autocleaneeg-pipeline task show` and `source show`.
* Confirm the `setup.json` path for your OS and ensure it’s valid JSON.
* If values look stale or the file is corrupted, delete it and re-run `task set` / `source set`.