How do I archive Medal clips?

To archive your Medal clips, you essentially need to back up both your video files and Medal's internal library data. This ensures your gaming highlights are safely stored and can be restored to your Medal library later if needed.

Understanding Medal Clip Storage

Medal stores your recorded game clips as individual video files (e.g., MP4s) in a designated folder on your computer. Alongside these video files, Medal also maintains a separate "Library List file" that contains metadata about each clip, such as its title, game, timestamp, and any edits you've made within the app. Archiving involves backing up both of these components.

Why Archive Your Clips?

Free Up Disk Space: Moving clips to external storage can free up valuable space on your primary drive.
Data Security: Protect your memorable gaming moments from accidental deletion, hard drive failure, or operating system issues.
Migration: Easily transfer your clips and Medal library data when upgrading to a new PC.
Organization: Create long-term storage for older clips you don't frequently access within the app.

Step-by-Step Guide to Archive Your Medal Clips

Follow these steps to effectively archive your Medal clips and their associated library data.

1. Check Your Capture Folder Settings

Before you can back up your clips, you need to know exactly where Medal is saving them.

Open Medal: Launch the Medal.tv application.
Go to Settings: Click on the gear icon, usually found in the bottom left corner.
Navigate to Clips & Recording: In the settings menu, find and select "Clips & Recording."
Locate Capture Folder Location: Look for the "Capture Folder Location" setting. This path will tell you the exact directory where all your Medal clips are currently saved.
- Example: It might look something like C:\Users\YourUsername\Videos\Medal or a custom path you've set.

2. Back Up Your Medal Capture Folder

Once you've identified your capture folder, the next step is to copy its contents to a secure archiving location.

Access the Folder: Using File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (macOS), navigate to the "Capture Folder Location" you identified in Step 1.
Select All Clips: Select all the video files and subfolders within this directory.
Copy the Files: Copy the selected files.
Choose an Archive Location: Paste the copied files to your chosen archiving destination.
- Recommended Archiving Solutions:
  - External Hard Drive: Ideal for large collections of clips, offering physical control and typically good transfer speeds.
  - Cloud Storage: Services like Google Drive, OneDrive, or Dropbox provide off-site backup and accessibility from anywhere. This is excellent for disaster recovery.
  - Network Attached Storage (NAS): A personal cloud solution for home users, offering robust storage and network access.
Verify Backup: After the copy process is complete, open a few archived clips from the new location to ensure they play correctly and are not corrupted.

3. Back Up Your Library List File

This crucial step preserves the metadata and organization of your clips within the Medal app. Without this file, even if you restore your video files, they won't automatically appear in your Medal library with their original titles, games, and edits.

Locate Medal's Data Folder: Medal typically stores its library data in your application data directory.
- Windows: Press Win + R, type %APPDATA%\Medal, and press Enter. This will open Medal's main application data folder.
- macOS: Navigate to ~/Library/Application Support/Medal.
Identify the Library List File: Within this folder, look for a file that contains your library's information. It's often named something like clips.json or a similar file related to your library database.
- Pro Tip: If you're unsure which specific file is the "Library List file," it's safest to copy the entire Medal folder found in %APPDATA% (or ~/Library/Application Support/) to your archive location. This ensures you capture all configuration and library data.
Copy to Archive: Copy this file (or the entire Medal data folder) to the same archive location where you stored your video clips. It's good practice to keep them together in a clearly labeled folder.

Restoring Your Archived Clips and Library

Should you need to restore your clips and their library data, the process involves reversing the archiving steps.

4. Restoring Your Library List File

This should be done before placing clips back into Medal's capture folder, especially if you're restoring to a fresh Medal installation or after a significant app reset.

Close Medal: Ensure the Medal application is completely closed.
Locate Medal's Data Folder: Go to %APPDATA%\Medal (Windows) or ~/Library/Application Support/Medal (macOS).
Replace Library File (or Folder):
- If you backed up a specific "Library List file," paste it into this Medal data folder, overwriting any existing file.
- If you backed up the entire Medal data folder, delete the existing Medal folder in %APPDATA% (or ~/Library/Application Support/) and then paste your backed-up Medal folder in its place.
Open Medal: Launch Medal. Your library should now reflect the state it was in when you performed the backup.

5. Restoring Your Clips

After restoring the library list, you can place your video files back into Medal's capture folder.

Check Capture Folder Settings: (Refer to Step 1) Ensure Medal's "Capture Folder Location" points to where you want your restored clips to reside. If you've just restored the library list, this setting should ideally revert to your original path.
Copy Clips: Copy your archived video files from your archive location.
Paste into Capture Folder: Paste the clips into the Medal capture folder. Medal will usually detect and display these clips within the app automatically, linking them to their restored library data.

Summary of Archiving Steps

Step	Action	Key Location
1. Check Capture Folder	Find where Medal saves your clips.	Medal Settings > Clips & Recording > Capture Folder Location
2. Backup Capture Folder	Copy all clip video files to your archive (external drive, cloud).	Your identified `Capture Folder Location`
3. Backup Library List File	Copy the Medal library data file(s) or the entire Medal app data folder to your archive.	`%APPDATA%\Medal` (Windows) or `~/Library/Application Support/Medal` (macOS) - look for `clips.json` or similar, or just copy the whole folder
4. Restore Library List File	Copy the archived library file(s)/folder back to the Medal app data location (when restoring).	`%APPDATA%\Medal` (Windows) or `~/Library/Application Support/Medal` (macOS)
5. Restore Clips (Optional)	Copy archived video files back to Medal's designated capture folder (after restoring library data).	Your identified `Capture Folder Location`

By following these steps, you can effectively archive and manage your precious Medal gaming moments, ensuring their safety and accessibility for years to come.