Move Translation IME Settings to a New Computer: Backup & Restore
Use local export, version notes, staged restore, and per-category tests—without assuming cloud sync.
To move Translation IME settings to a new computer, export the local configuration and dictionaries through the current version’s settings interface, record the build, language pairs, and hotkeys, then import and test one category at a time. Do not assume unpublished account or cloud sync; if a transferred dictionary is present but phrases fail, use the custom-phrase troubleshooting article.
1 Before moving: identify what this version can export
Backup menus vary; trust the installed interface, not an assumed sync feature.
For a Translation IME settings backup and configuration restore, export the local configuration, dictionaries, or custom phrases visible on the old computer, then record the app version, operating system, and language pairs. Do not assume signing in restores everything, and do not treat an unpublished cloud-sync capability as a migration plan.
Open settings and look for Export, Backup, Dictionary management, or Configuration—the exact labels depend on the current build. Record the selectable categories: hotkeys, language pairs, candidate preferences, appearance, and custom dictionaries. If the interface does not list an item, do not promise that the package contains it.
Keep the original export off the system drive you are about to replace. Capture the settings overview, version, and important toggles too. A usable migration kit has the exported files, screenshots, and a version note.
2 Build a backup set: files, version, rollback copy
Recovery depends on knowing where a file came from, not collecting every folder.
Name the backup with date, device, OS, and version—for example, old-laptop-Windows-2026-07-26. Keep one untouched copy of every configuration or dictionary export and use a duplicate for import tests, so a newer build cannot rewrite your only source.
Preserve the dictionary format and encoding produced by the app. If the current version exports dictionaries separately, name them by purpose. If it creates one package, do not split it or rename extensions by hand.
Use screenshots for hotkeys, language pairs, and candidate preferences that are not included in an export. Capture the page name and full value, not a cropped toggle, so post-restore comparisons are unambiguous.
3 Restore on the new computer: install, then import in stages
Prove the clean installation works before old configuration changes the baseline.
Use the download page to verify the platform and current version. Finish installation and confirm the IME can be selected and show candidates. If Windows setup is blocked by permissions, antivirus, or leftovers, use the Windows installation troubleshooting article; configuration import cannot fix an incomplete install.
In the new build, use its visible Import or Restore function. Avoid replacing the entire new configuration directory with an old one: file layouts and fields can change, and a bulk overwrite hides the exact failing step.
A safe order is language pairs and basic preferences, hotkeys, then custom dictionaries. After each category, test switching, candidates, and one custom phrase in Notepad. Continue only after that category passes.
4 Dictionary export/import: transferred is not the same as active
This page moves the file; another page handles phrase matching and ranking.
After import, confirm the new computer lists the dictionary or its entries and that the item count looks reasonable. This verifies that the file entered the new environment; it does not prove every trigger, encoding choice, overwrite rule, or candidate rank works.
If entries are listed but typing never shows them, an old translation still ranks first, or the import report says success without a match, move to the custom-phrase-not-working article. Repeating a full restore will not repair activation or candidate priority.
For a large version gap, test-import a small dictionary first. If the current interface rejects the old format, keep the original and use only a conversion path you can verify; skip forum “universal converters.”
5 Settings differ across devices: choose a baseline before merging
When both devices changed, a two-way package overwrite is the riskiest shortcut.
Create an independent backup from each device and note its modification time. Choose the most complete, recently verified machine as the baseline. Pull only missing dictionaries or documented settings from the other machine instead of alternating two unknown snapshots.
Merge by category: compare language-pair and hotkey screenshots, then import missing dictionaries. Record the source device, imported category, and test result at each step, so you can return to the previous local backup.
If the current interface explicitly exposes synchronization, use only the scope it documents. Continue treating unlisted categories as local backups. This article does not claim that account sync, cloud storage, conflict merging, or cross-platform sync exists.
6 Post-restore acceptance: six checks before calling it done
A successful import message is not the result; normal typing is.
Verify: (1) the IME switches correctly; (2) source and target languages are right; (3) normal hotkeys do not conflict; (4) candidate bar and appearance match your notes; (5) dictionary lists are complete; (6) one normal phrase and one custom phrase work in Notepad and a daily app.
Failure at (1) goes to installation or system input-source checks. Wrong direction at (2) goes to candidate-language pairing. A dictionary present at (5) but custom phrase failing at (6) goes to custom-phrase troubleshooting. Do not keep overwriting all settings for one isolated symptom.
After acceptance, export a dated baseline from the new computer and retain the old originals for a while. Keep the same naming rule whenever hotkeys, language pairs, or dictionaries change, and the next migration becomes repeatable.
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FAQ
Does Translation IME sync settings through an account or the cloud?
Do not assume it does. If the current public interface does not explicitly offer that feature, use local configuration export and import. Menu names, exportable items, and locations depend on the installed version. Even with an account entry, verify exactly which settings it says it syncs.
My old computer is gone and all settings are missing. Can I recover them?
Check system backups, migration tools, and any configuration or dictionary exports you saved. Without the old device, an export, or a system backup, you will usually need to rebuild from screenshots and notes. Do not overwrite your installation with a stranger’s configuration folder.
The dictionary imported, but custom phrases still do not appear. Where should I go?
Once the file is on the new machine, phrase matching belongs to the custom-phrase troubleshooting article. Check activation, language pair, import format, and candidate priority instead of restoring the entire package again.
Two computers have different settings. Can I overwrite both directions?
Avoid two-way overwrites. Back up both machines, choose one as the baseline, then merge dictionaries and settings by category. Import and verify one category at a time so an older file cannot silently replace a newer one.
Before restoring, verify the new computer’s platform and current package on the download page
If you are ready to install or update, return to the download page and verify the current public version, platform notes, and on-site release information.