Export and import your settings

Export / Import lets you capture the optimizations BRUTAL has applied on this PC into a small file, then re-apply that same setup on another PC — or hand it to a friend. It's the fastest way to replicate a tuned configuration without clicking through every module again.

What gets exported

An exported config is a JSON file containing:

The list of optimization modules BRUTAL actually applied on this machine.
The active game profile, if one is set.
A snapshot of your system info (CPU, GPU, RAM, hardware tier) — so whoever imports it can see what hardware it came from.
The app version and an export timestamp.

Detection is honest. Several of BRUTAL's optimizations touch registry values that also exist on a stock Windows install, so "the value is present" is not proof BRUTAL set it. To avoid mis-reporting, a module is counted as "applied" only when BRUTAL's own per-module backup file exists for it — the authoritative record that BRUTAL actually ran that module. You won't accidentally export tweaks you never made.

How to export

Open Settings from the sidebar.
Under Export / Import, click Export Settings.
Choose where to save. The default name looks like brutal_config_20260624.json.
Done — the status line confirms the file name. You now have a portable copy of your setup.

How to import

On the target PC, open Settings and click Import Settings.
Pick the .json file you exported.
BRUTAL shows a confirmation with the source hardware and the exact list of modules it will apply. Review it.
Click Yes to apply. BRUTAL runs each listed module on this machine and applies the game profile if one was included.

Importing actually runs the optimizations — it changes Windows settings on the current PC. For full effect, restart the PC after the import completes, just as you would after running the modules manually.

Tier-aware on the way in

An import doesn't blindly copy raw values — it re-runs each module on the new machine, so anything tier-aware (memory tuning, emulator depth, CPU optimizations) is recalculated for this PC's hardware. That's why exporting from a high-end rig and importing onto a modest laptop still produces sensible results rather than settings that don't fit.

Free vs Pro on import

The importer respects your license. The free toolbox runs as expected; the Pro-only modules (and applying a game profile) are skipped with a note in the log if you're not on Pro. Everything else is applied normally — so a free user importing a Pro user's config still gets every free optimization in the file.

Only valid module numbers (1–22) are accepted, and unknown entries are ignored — so a hand-edited or unrelated JSON file can't push junk into your system. Imports are also size-checked before they're parsed.

Best practice

Export after you finish tuning a machine — treat the file as a restore point for your configuration (note: it's not a Windows backup; use Restore All Defaults to undo).
Keep the file somewhere safe (cloud drive, USB) so you can re-apply your setup after a Windows reinstall.
When importing onto different hardware, read the confirmation dialog — the source-hardware line tells you whether the config is a sensible match.
Restart after every import so timer, power, and network changes take full effect.

Common issues / troubleshooting

"Import failed: invalid config file." — The file isn't a valid BRUTAL export, is corrupted, or was edited into bad JSON. Re-export a fresh copy.
Some modules were skipped. If you're not on Pro, the five Pro-only modules and the game profile are skipped by design — the rest still apply.
Nothing seems different after import. Many optimizations only take full effect after a reboot. Restart, then check the Benchmark tool.
The export shows fewer modules than I expected. That's the honesty guard working — only modules BRUTAL actually ran (and has a backup file for) are listed, so the export never overstates what was done.