Where is your HoldSay library, and how do you back it up?
Back up or safely move your complete library.
Your HoldSay library stays in a local folder that you can open, copy for backup, or move to another location.
This covers finding the current folder, making a complete backup, and moving the working library to a new drive, plus the one check to run before you delete the old copy.
The library is a folder on your disk — copy it and the backup is complete.
Find the current library folder
Your library is an ordinary folder on your computer or drive, not a hidden cloud workspace. To see it, open Settings, find Local file library under General, and select Open. Finder on Mac or File Explorer on Windows opens the current folder.
To open the folder of one specific recording instead, right-click it in the library list and choose Show in Finder.
Open the current local library directly from Settings.
Leave the folder structure and internal file names alone. The library keeps recordings, transcripts, and notes connected, so its parts only make sense together.
Show in Finder jumps from a library note to its folder on disk.
Each recording keeps its audio, transcript, speakers and outline together as plain files. Leave them in place and let HoldSay manage them.
Rename and organize notes inside HoldSay, not in the file manager.
Back up the complete library
Finish any active recording or transcription and quit HoldSay first, so nothing changes while you copy. Then copy the complete library folder to a backup drive or another location you control, keeping its structure intact. Do not pick out only the audio or only the notes, because those parts belong together. Wait for the copy to finish before opening HoldSay again.
A complete backup copies the working library folder while HoldSay is closed.
Unless you change the location in Settings, HoldSay keeps using the same working library, and the copy is simply your safety net. For material you cannot recreate, keep more than one copy.
Move the library to a new location, then verify
Moving is different from backing up: it makes HoldSay work from another folder or drive going forward. Make a backup first, then under Local file library select Choose…, pick the new location, and let HoldSay finish preparing it without interrupting.
Choose a new working location only after making a safe copy.
Before you delete the old copy, open several older notes and replay their audio. Older notes are the real test, because they prove the whole library made it, not just newly created material. If the new location is an external drive, keep it connected whenever you use HoldSay.
Common questions
Where does HoldSay store my recordings?
Open Settings, select General, find Local file library, and select Open. Finder on Mac or File Explorer on Windows shows the folder currently used for your local library.
How do I make a complete backup of my HoldSay library?
Finish active recordings and transcriptions, then quit HoldSay before copying anything. Copy the complete library folder to a backup destination and keep its folder structure intact.
Can I move my HoldSay library to another drive?
Yes. Make a current backup, then go to Settings, General, Local file library and select Choose… to select the new location. Let HoldSay finish preparing the destination, then open several older notes and replay their audio before removing the old copy.
If a label on this page does not match the app, email support@holdsay.com. Include Mac or Windows and the HoldSay version shown in Settings.