Most of the setting you made will be automatically save to xchat.ini. Refer to xchat.ini, there are brief descriptions of each settings. It is real time, it means you don't have to restart x Chat to activate the setting. Every time you change the setting, it will load the new setting when you use that feature. All setting is saved in xchat.ini except the starup option, it is saved in the registry - HKEY_LOCAL_MACHMINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run.

There are two sections you should not change in xchat.ini:

- Load At Startup

- Password Protect

Once you change the Password Protect section, you will never get x Chat working. The only solution is to remove xchat.ini and the program, and then install the program again. 

There are some minor error in xchat.ini.

; - Change the value only if it conflicts with other application
; - Default value from 100 - 105

Default has changed to 2500 - 2505 in x Chat 2.7.

;  Temporary Remote Port
Connect Port=101

Temporary Remote Port is the temporary setting you use to connect to remote client. The setting could be anything but should be 2500 in default.

In x Chat 2.8, the temporary remote port is changed to permanent remote port. You can change this setting in xchat.ini.