diff --git a/main.js b/main.js
index 14e4663..04245d8 100644
--- a/main.js
+++ b/main.js
@@ -625,7 +625,14 @@ app.whenReady().then(() => {
     const launchConfig = configStore.load();
     const fm = launchConfig.globalSettings && launchConfig.globalSettings.folderMonitor;
     if (fm && fm.enabled && fm.folderPath) {
-      startFolderMonitor(fm);
+      if (fs.existsSync(fm.folderPath)) {
+        startFolderMonitor(fm);
+      } else {
+        debugLog(`folder-monitor auto-start skipped: path not found (${fm.folderPath})`);
+        // Persist the disable so the user gets a clean state on next launch
+        const gs = { ...launchConfig.globalSettings, folderMonitor: { ...fm, enabled: false } };
+        configStore.save({ globalSettings: gs }).catch(() => {});
+      }
     }
   } catch (err) {
     debugLog(`folder-monitor auto-start failed: ${err.message}`);
@@ -1051,11 +1058,27 @@ ipcMain.handle('import-backup', async (_event, legacyPassword) => {
   const ts = new Date().toISOString().replace(/[:.]/g, '-');
   const preImportPath = configStore.filePath.replace('.json', `.pre-import-${ts}.json`);
   try { fs.copyFileSync(configStore.filePath, preImportPath); } catch {}
+  // Strip machine-specific state: absolute paths from the source machine will
+  // not exist on this one (e.g. C:\Users\Administrator\... vs \bakeredwin318\...).
+  // Any path that does not resolve locally is cleared so the user can re-set it
+  // instead of hitting silent failures later.
+  const importedGlobal = imported.globalSettings || {};
+  if (importedGlobal.logFilePath && !fs.existsSync(path.dirname(importedGlobal.logFilePath))) {
+    importedGlobal.logFilePath = '';
+  }
+  if (importedGlobal.folderMonitor && typeof importedGlobal.folderMonitor === 'object') {
+    const fm = importedGlobal.folderMonitor;
+    if (fm.folderPath && !fs.existsSync(fm.folderPath)) {
+      fm.folderPath = '';
+      fm.enabled = false;
+    }
+  }
+  importedGlobal.pendingQueue = null;
   // Single atomic write — no split state, no TOCTOU race
   const merged = {
     hosters: imported.hosters,
     hosterSettings: imported.hosterSettings,
-    globalSettings: imported.globalSettings,
+    globalSettings: importedGlobal,
     history: imported.history || []
   };
   await configStore._atomicWrite(JSON.stringify(merged, null, 2));