neuromore Studio

Local files and troubleshooting

Use this page to find Studio’s local files and to work through common problems.

The data folder

Studio keeps its local files in one data folder per user:

System	Folder
Windows	`%LOCALAPPDATA%\neuromore\NMStudio`, usually `C:\Users\<user name>\AppData\Local\neuromore\NMStudio`
macOS	`~/Library/Containers/com.neuromore.studio/Data/Library/Application Support/neuromore/NMStudio`
Linux	`~/.local/share/neuromore/NMStudio`

The macOS path applies to the packaged app, which runs in a sandbox. An unsigned app you build yourself may use ~/Library/Application Support/neuromore/NMStudio instead.

To open the folder:

Windows: paste the path into the File Explorer address bar.
macOS: in Finder, choose Go > Go to Folder and paste the path. The Library folder is hidden by default.
Linux: the .local folder is hidden by default. Paste the path into your file manager, or use a terminal.

What is in the folder

These are the files and folders you are most likely to need. Studio keeps other files here too.

Path in the data folder	What it is
`NMStudio_settings.cfg`	Settings, in INI format
`Logs/NMStudio_<date>_<time>.txt`	Studio log, one file per start
`brainflow.log`	Detailed BrainFlow log
`Layouts/<name>.layout`	Custom window layouts
`Data/`	Session files waiting for upload
`Cache/`	Downloaded data that Studio can fetch again
`Devices/*.json`	Optional device definitions. Studio does not create this folder.

Studio reads Devices using a path with a Windows separator, so it may not find this folder on macOS and Linux.

Settings file

NMStudio_settings.cfg holds the values from NMStudio > Settings, such as the log level, device drivers and network ports.

Studio writes this file each time you change a setting and again when it exits, so an edit you make while Studio runs is overwritten. Quit Studio before you edit the file. If the file is missing, Studio uses its default settings.

For an example edit, see how to change the log level without starting Studio.

Studio log

Each start creates a new file in Logs, for example NMStudio_2026-11-05_14-30-00.txt. The date and time are in UTC, so the newest file belongs to the current or most recent run. Studio does not delete old log files. You can delete them yourself when Studio is closed.

To get more detail, set NMStudio > Settings > General > Log Level to Debug, repeat the problem, then set it back to Errors + Warnings. See Debugging for the levels.

In 1.7.3: The log is a single file, NMStudio_Log.txt, directly in the data folder. Studio overwrites it on every start, so copy it before you restart.

brainflow.log

Studio creates brainflow.log the first time it connects to a BrainFlow board. It holds BrainFlow’s detailed messages, for example which library file could not be loaded and which parameters were used. The Studio log shows only a short error.

Studio adds to this file and does not clear it, so the newest messages are at the end. For a short log, quit Studio, delete the file, then repeat the problem. See BrainFlow.

Layouts

Custom layouts are saved as <name>.layout in Layouts. Saving them depends on your account. They exist only on this computer, so copy the files to use a layout on another one. See Layouts.

Data

When a session ends and your account uploads physiological data, Studio saves the session as .nmd and .json files in Data. It uploads them in the background while you are logged in, and removes them after a successful upload. Files whose upload fails normally stay here until a later attempt.

So an empty Data folder is normal. It is not an archive of your sessions. To keep your own copy of a signal, use a File Writer node.

Whether physiological data is uploaded depends on your account. See the Privacy Policy.

Reset Studio

Rename rather than delete, so you can go back. Quit Studio first.

To reset only the settings:

Rename NMStudio_settings.cfg to NMStudio_settings.old.
Start Studio. It uses the default settings.

To reset everything:

Rename the NMStudio data folder to NMStudio.old.
Start Studio. It creates a new data folder.
Log in again.

A full reset leaves your settings, custom layouts, logs, waiting session files and cache behind in the old folder. To keep a custom layout or waiting session files, copy them into the new folder. Files in the Back-End File System window are stored in the neuromore cloud, not in this folder.

Check serial ports and Bluetooth devices

Tools > Information shows what the operating system reports. On macOS, this menu is inside the Studio window, not in the system menu bar. Each box ends with the hint “Press Ctrl+C to copy info to clipboard.” The shortcut copies the text on Windows. On macOS and Linux, take a screenshot or type the values out.

Entry	What it shows	Use it to
Tools > Information > Serial Ports	For each port: `portName`, `systemLocation`, `manufacturer`, `description`, `serialNumber`, and `productID` and `vendorID` in decimal where available. “No Serial Ports found.” if there are none.	Find the port to enter in a device node, and check that the computer sees your dongle or board.
Tools > Information > Bluetooth Devices	On Windows, the devices Windows knows about: `Name`, `MacAddressHex`, `DeviceClass`, `IsPaired`, `IsConnected`. On macOS and Linux, always “No devices found.”	Check on Windows that a device is paired and connected.

These lists come from the operating system. A device in the list is not necessarily a device Studio has connected to. For that, see the Devices window.

Firewall

Studio has to reach the neuromore cloud, and there is no offline mode. Allow outgoing HTTPS to backend.neuromore.com on port 443. Commercial clients with their own instance of the neuromore cloud use that instance’s address instead. The login window shows the address in small grey text. Experiences can also download assets from the addresses stored in the design, so a strict allowlist can block them.

In 1.7.3: The login window does not show the server address.

Studio’s other network features work on the same computer with the default settings. Open a port only for the cases below, and only on a network you trust:

Case	Allow	On which computer
An OSC source on another computer sends to Studio	Incoming UDP 4545	The Studio computer
OSC Output nodes send to another computer	Incoming UDP 4546, or your Target UDP port	The target computer
A game on another computer connects to Studio	Incoming TCP 45456	The Studio computer
The same game receives the feedback bundle	Incoming UDP 45554	The game computer

For a game on another computer, also turn on NMStudio > Settings > Network > Studio Server > Broadcast server announce. See Visualizations and OSC.

The Windows installer adds a Windows Firewall rule for Studio that applies to private networks. The rule covers the program, not single ports. On a network set to Public, you may have to allow Studio yourself. The macOS and Linux packages add no firewall rule.

Caution: The WebSocket interface is an unauthenticated local protocol. Keep its port (4547 by default) firewalled and don’t expose it to untrusted networks.

The OUT OF DATE message

At each start, Studio asks the neuromore cloud for the current version. If the cloud reports a newer version than yours, Studio shows OUT OF DATE with both version numbers and closes when you click OK. You can’t log in until you update.

The message points to the User Portal. Community builds are on GitHub releases. If you find no newer package there, or you are a commercial client, contact neuromore. See Updating.

Moving from 1.7.3 to 1.8.2 can change the values your protocols produce. See What changed since 1.7.3 before you update.

Common problems

Problem	Likely cause	What to do
The login window keeps coming back with no message	A wrong password, or Studio can’t reach the neuromore cloud. Release builds write the error to the log and show nothing.	Look for `REST ERROR` in the newest log. Check your password or use Forgot password?. Check your internet connection and firewall. A failed login also removes the saved login, so type it again.
Studio does not start, or closes during startup	Various	Read the end of the newest log. Set the log level to Debug in the settings file, then try again. If that doesn’t help, reset the settings, then everything.
A device does not appear in the Devices window	Its driver is off, the search is off, or the operating system doesn’t see it. BrainFlow boards and Neurosity are not found by a search.	Check NMStudio > Settings > Devices > Drivers. Mitsar, SenseLabs and Bluetooth are off by default. Turn Automatic Device Search on, unless you use a Cyton through BrainFlow, which needs it off because of the serial port. A BrainFlow board appears only after you press Apply on its node, or when you add a Cyton node, see BrainFlow. Check Tools > Information. See Biosensors.
A device you expected is missing from Studio altogether	It depends on your account, or it is not in community builds	See Biosensors and Editions and licensing.
A serial device does not connect on macOS	The macOS app sandbox declares USB and Bluetooth access, but no serial access. This may block serial devices.	See the note in Biosensors.
A BrainFlow node shows “Device not connected”	The board is still connecting, the classifier was just opened and Apply has not been pressed, the board was rejected, or it stopped delivering data	Wait up to about 15 s. Boards with discovery take that long by default. Press Apply on the node. A Cyton node has no Apply button and connects by itself, see BrainFlow. If the message stays, read the end of `brainflow.log`. See BrainFlow.
Begin Session is disabled	No classifier is loaded, or a classifier or state machine has an error, such as a missing device	See Running a session.
The Chrome extension can’t connect	Studio isn’t running, the site has no local network permission, or another program holds port 4547. Studio shows no message for a port in use and doesn’t write it to the log file.	See Troubleshooting in the Chrome extension guide.
OSC values don’t reach Studio	Wrong port or address, a firewall, or another program on the same port	See OSC. If the log shows `Failed to bind UDP socket`, Studio could not open its OSC input port. Close the other program or change Input UDP port.
A game stays blank or doesn’t react	No session is running, or the classifier has no feedback nodes for this game	See Visualizations.
An entry in the Visualizations menu is greyed out	Studio can’t find the game’s program for this platform	Reinstall Studio, or see Adding a visualization to the list.
The windows are in the wrong place	The current layout was changed	Choose a layout in Windows > Layouts. See Layouts.

Ask for help

Help > Support opens an email to support@neuromore.com. Include:

Your Studio version, from Help > About, and your operating system.
What you did, what you expected, and what happened.
The newest file from Logs, with the log level set to Debug if you can repeat the problem.
brainflow.log, for a BrainFlow board.
The text or a screenshot of Tools > Information, for a device problem.

Read the log files before you send them. They can include your computer’s host name and what you typed into BrainFlow node fields. Send them only to support@neuromore.com. Send only these files, not the whole data folder.

For community questions and ideas, use GitHub Discussions. Don’t post log files there.