Resetting Sierra Chart to a Default State / Restoring Backup Global Configuration File

Resetting Sierra Chart to a Default State

There is no need to uninstall and reinstall Sierra Chart to reset to a default state. To reset Sierra Chart to a default state for whatever reason, perform the steps below.

Resetting Sierra Chart to a default state does not cause any of the Chartbooks, chart data files (DLY and SCID file extensions), Spreadsheets, Trade Activity data to be lost. Those will remain.

1. The default installation folder path for Sierra Chart is C:\SierraChart\. The installation folder path can be determined through Window >> Message Log. Look at the Program path: line at the top of the Message Log. Make a note of this folder path.
2. Exit Sierra Chart if it is running with File >> Exit.
3. Go to the Sierra Chart installation folder on your computer that you made a note of in an earlier step.
4. Rename some or all of the following files and folders by adding .backup to them. Only rename the files that you wish to have reset back to default.
   • Sierra4.config (Contains all of the global settings in Sierra Chart. This includes settings set through all of the configuration windows under the Global Settings menu. Chart specific settings, like the settings in Chart >> Chart Settings, are held in Chartbooks and not this file. Sierra4.config does not include Account related settings or Global Symbol Settings and can be safely shared with others.)
   • Accounts4.config (This contains the Data and Trading service related settings including all Usernames and Passwords. Your Sierra Chart Account Name and Password is stored in this file. This file is encrypted. We do not recommend renaming this file to avoid losing these particular settings.)
   • KeyboardShortcuts.config (This contains the Keyboard shortcuts configuration.)
   • AccountBalance.data (Account Balances data)
   • TradePositionsAndBalance.data (Trade Positions data)
   • TradeOrdersList.data (Open Orders data)
   • SymbolSettings (folder containing Global Settings >> Symbol Settings data)
   • TradeActivityLogs (folder containing the data in Trade >> Trade Activity Log)
   • DefaultStudySettings (folder containing default study settings files)
5. This is not a recommended step but if you want to remove all of your chart data files, Study Collections, and Chartbooks, go to the Sierra Chart Data Files Folder which is usually C:\SierraChart\Data. Rename this folder to Data_Backup.
6. Restart Sierra Chart.
7. If you want to restore a backup global configuration file, refer to Restoring Backup Global Configuration File.
   
   Alternatively you can exit from Sierra Chart and rename the files and folders, you renamed above by adding .backup, back to the original names. Although in this case the newly created files and folders after having followed the steps above, will then need to be renamed to some other name first.

Restoring Backup Global Configuration File

This procedure explains how to restore a backup of the global configuration files. This is something that generally does not need to be done unless the global configuration file were to be accidentally deleted or damaged in some way.

1. Exit Sierra Chart by selecting File >> Exit.
2. Go to the folder Sierra Chart is installed to on your system. Usually this is C:\SierraChart. The installation folder can be determined through Window >> Message Log. Look at the Program path: line at the top of the Message Log.
3. Go to the Backups subfolder within the Sierra Chart installation folder.
4. Within the Backups folder you will see up to 30 #.Sierra4.config and #.Accounts4.config files. The beginning name of the file is the day of the month the backup was made on. For what these files contain, refer to the list in the Resetting Sierra Chart to a Default State section on this page.
5. Copy the file that you want to restore.
6. Navigate up one folder level to the main Sierra Chart folder.
7. Paste the #.Sierra4.config or #.Accounts4.config file you copied into the folder.
8. Delete or rename the existing Sierra4.config or Accounts4.config file to make possible the rename in the next step.
9. Rename the #.Sierra4.config / #.Accounts4.config file by removing the number and period in front of the filename.
10. Start/Run Sierra Chart again to use the new restored global configuration file.