Name: Endstate
Availability: InStock
Author: Substrate Systems

Question 1

What types of apps does Endstate detect?

Accepted Answer

Endstate detects apps installed via traditional installers (EXE/MSI) and Microsoft Store. It uses winget under the hood to handle installs. Portable apps that aren't registered in Windows are not detected.

Question 2

Does it need admin rights?

Accepted Answer

Scanning your machine doesn't require admin. Restoring apps on a new machine may need admin depending on what's being installed — Endstate will prompt you when needed.

Question 3

Which apps can Endstate install?

Accepted Answer

48 apps are sandbox-validated and passing, including VS Code, Git, OBS Studio, Blender, Obsidian, Discord, KeePassXC, and more.

Question 4

Which app settings does it back up?

Accepted Answer

Endstate has settings modules for 300+ apps — editors and IDEs (VS Code, the JetBrains suite, Neovim), terminals, creative tools (Blender, DaVinci Resolve, Ableton Live), media players, emulators, note-taking apps, and many more. The list is open source and growing, and settings backup is always opt-in — never automatic.

Question 5

Can I use it across multiple machines?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The local product is free on as many machines as you like. Save your setup from any of them and restore on any other.

Question 6

What if something goes wrong during restore?

Accepted Answer

Endstate creates a backup before changing any settings. You can revert with one click. App installs use standard Windows installers, so they can be uninstalled normally.

Question 7

Is an internet connection required?

Accepted Answer

Scanning and saving your setup works offline. Restoring apps on a new machine needs internet to download installers. The local product never phones home.

Question 8

Where do I download Endstate?

Accepted Answer

Grab the latest installer any time at substratesystems.io/download. No account, no payment — just download and run.

Question 9

Is this safe to run on my machine?

Accepted Answer

The provisioning engine — the part that actually installs software — is open source under Apache 2.0. You can read exactly what it does before running anything, and build the same binary from source if you want to.

Settings backup for 300+ Windows apps