Tally Prime Configuration Persistence: Backup and Restore of Application, Company, and User Settings

📅 07 Feb 2026 📂 General 👁 2 views

This Knowledge Base article explains where and how Tally Prime stores configuration data, including bank details, email (SMTP) settings, view/UI preferences, and customizations, and whether these settings can be preserved during reinstallation, upgrade, or migration.

It clarifies:

Which settings are company-bound
Which are application-level
Which are user/machine-specific
What can and cannot be safely copied
Best practices to minimize reconfiguration effort

This document applies to Tally Prime (all current releases) on Windows standalone and multi-user environments.

Product / System Overview

Tally Prime is an on-premise accounting and compliance application that stores configuration data across multiple layers rather than a single settings file.

Configuration Storage Layers

Layer	Scope	Portable
Company Data	Accounting & statutory data	✅ Yes
Application Config	Email, paths, TDL	⚠️ Version dependent
User / Machine Preferences	UI & views	❌ Limited

Technical Architecture & Behavior

1. Company-Level Configuration (Persistent)

Stored inside company data folders, these settings are automatically restored when the company is restored.

Includes:

Bank masters (account number, IFSC, bank name)
Ledger & master configurations
GST / statutory details
Party email IDs
Voucher & inventory configuration
Cheque printing formats
Company-attached TDL behavior

Storage Location (default):


C:\TallyPrime\Data\<CompanyFolder>

✔ Reinstall-safe
✔ Machine-independent

2. Application-Level Configuration (Partially Persistent)

Stored outside company data and lost on clean reinstall unless backed up manually.

Key File: `tally.ini`

Contains:

SMTP server, port, SSL/TLS settings
Default email sender ID
Data path configuration
Output directories
License-related parameters

Default Locations:


C:\Program Files\TallyPrime\
C:\TallyPrime\

Example – Email configuration in tally.ini:


[Mail]
SMTPServer=smtp.gmail.com
SMTPPort=587
From=accounts@company.com
SSL=Yes

⚠️ Version-sensitive
⚠️ Copy only between same Tally Prime versions

3. TDL Customizations

Custom TDLs are external to company data unless explicitly embedded.

Location:


C:\TallyPrime\TDL\

✔ Must be backed up manually
✔ Must match Tally version compatibility

4. User & View Settings (Non-Portable)

These settings are user-profile and machine-specific.

Includes:

Screen layouts
Expand/collapse states
User navigation behavior
View filters & shortcuts

Stored at:


C:\Users\<Username>\AppData\Local\Tally\

❌ Not officially supported for migration
⚠️ May cause corruption if copied across systems

Use Cases & Environments

Applicable Scenarios

OS reinstallation
Tally Prime upgrade (same major version)
Disk failure recovery
Office PC replacement
AMC-based IT support environments

Environment Types

Standalone Tally Prime
LAN multi-user setup
On-premise accounting systems

Step-by-Step: Safe Backup Before Reinstall

Step 1: Backup Company Data

From Tally:


Gateway of Tally → Backup

OR manually copy:


C:\TallyPrime\Data\

Step 2: Backup Application Configuration

Copy the following:


tally.ini
TDL\

Step 3: Document Non-Portable Settings

✔ Screenshot:

Email configuration screen
Cheque printing settings
Bank configuration screens

Restore Procedure After Reinstall

Install same Tally Prime version
Restore company data
Replace:
```
tally.ini
TDL\
```
Reopen Tally and verify:
- Email test mail
- TDL loading
- Voucher behavior

Common Errors, Root Causes & Fixes

Error	Root Cause	Fix
Email not sending	SMTP blocked / auth changed	Reconfigure SMTP
TDL not loading	Version mismatch	Update TDL
Blank UI / crash	AppData copied	Delete AppData
Missing email ID	`tally.ini` not restored	Restore file

Security Considerations & Risks

tally.ini may store email credentials
Avoid sharing config files insecurely
Restrict access to Tally installation directory
Use App Passwords for Gmail / M365
Do not copy AppData between users

Best Practices & Recommendations

✔ Always backup company data first
✔ Maintain same version during restore
✔ Keep TDL documentation
✔ Avoid copying AppData folders
✔ Use disk images / VM snapshots for zero-downtime recovery
✔ Maintain a Tally reinstall checklist

Conclusion

There is no single file in Tally Prime that stores all configurations. Settings are intentionally split across company data, application config, and user-specific storage.

With proper backups of:

Company data
tally.ini
TDL folders

…you can reinstall Tally Prime with minimal reconfiguration effort, while avoiding corruption or instability.

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