title	Command-line options
nav_order	4

Command-line options

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Everyday options

Option	Default	What it does
`-default`	`system`	layout for new fields: `system` (from Windows settings), `keep` (leave as is) or a language — `en-US`, `ja`
`-db`	`%LOCALAPPDATA%\KeyLayoutPin\layouts.json`	where the memory is stored
`-interval`	`100ms`	how often to check the current layout (10ms to 5s)
`-log`	`%LOCALAPPDATA%\KeyLayoutPin\log.txt`	the log file — see Logging
`-chromium`	`true`	let Chrome, Edge, VS Code and other Chromium/Electron apps tell apart fields inside pages; `-chromium=false` turns it off

These are the lasting options: when you check Start with Windows, they are saved with the autostart entry.

Option	What it does
`-v`	verbose log: every focus change with the field's name and key
`-watch 3m`	for the given time, log every focus change and layout change without switching anything
`-probe 30s`	for the given time, print once a second what has focus
`-list`	list the installed layouts and exit
`-reset`	forget all fields and exit (refuses while the app is running)
`-version`	print the version and exit
`-h`	print all options with their defaults

Use them with the console build, keylayoutpin.exe, to see the output. See Troubleshooting for how to read it.

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-v, -watch and -probe output field names and window titles — that can be personal data. Use them for diagnostics only.

How you start	What goes to the file
no `-log`	errors only (`ERROR …`), to `%LOCALAPPDATA%\KeyLayoutPin\log.txt`
`-log`	everything, to the default file
`-log app.txt` or `-log=C:\path\log.txt`	everything, to that file (a relative path is relative to the current folder)
`-log=off`	no file at all

The console build also prints everything to the console. -watch and -probe write to a file only when -log is given explicitly.

The file is capped at 1 MB: when it grows past that, it is renamed to log.old.txt (the previous one is deleted) and a new one is started.

Start with English as the layout for every new field:

.\keylayoutpin_bg.exe -default en-US

Keep the memory next to the program (e.g. on a USB stick):

.\keylayoutpin_bg.exe -db .\layouts.json

Write a detailed log into the current folder, for a bug report:

.\keylayoutpin_bg.exe -v -log app.txt

Paths may use %VAR% and $env:VAR — both are expanded, so the same command works from cmd, PowerShell and shortcuts.

A wrong option stops the app with a message (in a message box for keylayoutpin_bg.exe, which has no console).