Your useful AI work can include weeks of conversations, project instructions, and reference documents. Before you replace a computer or make a large change, save a copy you control. OGAD (Off Grid AI Desktop) can put that work into a local ZIP file, without a cloud backup account.
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This guide covers the desktop backup in Settings > Backup & restore. It is a free core feature. You choose the folder or removable drive where the backup is saved.
What does the backup contain?
The desktop backup contains chats, projects, project instructions, and project knowledge files. It includes the saved text needed to restore those records. It is a portable copy of that work, not a complete disk image of your computer.
| Included | Keep separately |
|---|---|
| Project records and instructions | Installed AI model files |
| Chat records and messages | App installation and device settings |
| Project knowledge documents and saved text chunks | Captured screen history and other Pro data outside this backup format |
Do not assume every image or audio attachment outside project knowledge is bundled. Keep original media separately when it matters. The desktop backup file mapper explicitly gathers project document files.
How do you create a local backup?
Open Settings > Backup & restore, select Create backup, and choose where to save the ZIP. Wait for the success message before moving or disconnecting the destination drive. The backup process does not need a cloud storage service.
- Finish the work you want to keep. Check that important project files are present on this computer.
- Open Settings, then Backup & restore.
- Under Create a portable backup, select Create backup.
- In the save dialog, choose a local folder or attached drive. Use a name that includes the date so you can identify the copy later.
- Wait for Backup saved and check that the ZIP is present at the chosen location.
Keep sufficient free space on the computer as well as the destination. The app prepares temporary files before writing the finished archive.
For the first backup, note one chat and one project document to check during a later restore. A visible ZIP file confirms that the export finished; a successful restore provides a stronger check that it contains the work you need.
Where should you keep the ZIP?
Keep a copy somewhere other than the computer you are protecting. A removable drive is useful when you want an offline copy. Disconnect it after the backup finishes.
The exported ZIP is not password-encrypted by this workflow. Treat it as a copy of your conversations and documents. Use an encrypted drive or your own secure storage if you need encryption at rest.
A folder managed by a cloud sync service can upload the ZIP. Choose an ordinary local folder or offline drive if you do not want that to happen. The archive implementation writes a compressed ZIP; it does not apply backup encryption.
Make the backup easy to recognize later
Give each finished archive a name that distinguishes its date and purpose, such as ogad-before-laptop-move-2026-09-29.zip. This is a name you choose in the save dialog, not a special format the app requires. Keep the ZIP intact after export.
Write a short note beside it with the app version and two items you expect to recover. For example: the final message in your trip-planning chat and the packing document in that project. Do not put private content into the filename; a neutral project label is enough to identify the check.
Keep an earlier known-good copy while you make a new one. A newly created archive might contain a different set of files than you expected, especially if some documents have not yet arrived from another device. Check the source computer before exporting and verify the material after a later restore.
This procedure is a manual snapshot. It does not schedule tomorrow’s backup or continuously protect every change after the export. Make another copy after a milestone you want to keep, such as completing a research project or preparing to replace the computer.
If you use a removable drive, wait for the export to finish and eject the drive through the operating system before disconnecting it. Keep original media and model-installation information separately when your recovery plan depends on items outside the portable backup.
What if the backup does not finish?
| Problem | Check | Action |
|---|---|---|
| No ZIP appears | Save dialog and status | Confirm the save location and whether the operation was canceled. |
| The export reports a missing file | Project documents | Make the original document available, then retry. |
| The drive fills up | Free space | Choose a destination with enough space and keep room for temporary files. |
| A later change is absent | Backup date | Create another backup after the change. Existing ZIP files are snapshots. |
Is sync a substitute for this backup?
Sync keeps work available across connected devices. A backup preserves a copy at a chosen time. Keep backups when you need a recovery point you can store separately from the active devices.
Restoring adds missing records and keeps existing data. It does not turn the current app back into an exact copy of an earlier date. Keep that distinction in mind when you choose what to protect.
Get OGAD, create your first backup, and copy the ZIP to a separate drive before you move computers.