Manual Windows
Where your files live
Every folder Neato Echo writes to on Windows — settings, the notes database, logs, downloaded models and note files.
Neato Echo keeps everything in two places: an application-data folder for your settings and notes, and a cache folder for downloaded models. Both are inside your user account, so nothing needs administrator access to read or remove.
Application data
Your settings, dictation history, notes, logs and any saved audio live in:
%APPDATA%\neato-echoPaste that into the File Explorer address bar to open it. Inside:
| Item | What it is |
|---|---|
transcriptions.db | An ordinary SQLite database holding your history and notes |
logs/ | Log files — the thing to attach when you report a problem |
audio/ | Recordings kept by your audio-retention setting |
Downloaded models
Speech and language models are downloaded on first use and cached outside the application-data folder, so you can reclaim the space without losing settings:
%USERPROFILE%\.cache\neato-echoWhisper models sit in whisper-models/ inside it; Parakeet and the other
engines, and the language models, have folders of their own. Deleting anything
here is safe — the app re-downloads what it needs next time you select it.
You don't have to do it by hand: Settings → System → Data Management → Model cache has Open, which shows you the folder, and Clear cache, which empties it. Reset app data in the same section is the bigger hammer — it deletes local settings, transcriptions, recordings and models together.
Uninstalling Neato Echo leaves both folders in place. Delete them yourself if you want a clean slate — Windows has the commands.
Note files, if you turned them on
Save notes as files (under Settings → Preferences under App) mirrors your notes as Markdown into a folder you choose. It's off until you turn it on, and the location is entirely yours — the app writes into it and nothing else does.
That folder is also the Obsidian answer: point it at a vault and your notes appear there as ordinary Markdown. Export your notes covers the detail.
Credentials
API keys for optional cloud providers aren't in either folder as plain text. They're encrypted through Windows' own credential protection (DPAPI) and stored as encrypted files under the application-data folder. How Neato Echo is secured has the detail.
Backing up
If you want a copy of everything, take the application-data folder while
Neato Echo is closed. Copying transcriptions.db while the app is running can
catch it mid-write.
The models cache isn't worth backing up — it re-downloads.
Related
Still need help?
Write to [email protected] with your Windows version, your Neato Echo version (Settings → System), and what you were doing. A person reads every message.