Where Does HandBrake Store Presets and Logs?
HandBrake presets file and encode logs on Windows and macOS for backup and troubleshooting.
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HandBrake stores custom presets in a presets.json file inside its app data folder. Encode activity logs sit alongside for diagnosing failures.
One file holds every custom preset. That makes migration a copy job rather than a re-creation project.
Where HandBrake stores this, by platform
%APPDATA%\HandBrake
Holds presets.json plus encode logs. Close HandBrake before copying presets across machines.
~/Library/Application Support/HandBrake
Same role. Use Go to Folder in Finder. Exact filenames can vary slightly by HandBrake version.
Frequently asked questions
How do I move HandBrake presets to a new computer?
Copy presets.json to the same location on the new machine with HandBrake closed. The in-app preset export covers single presets; the file covers everything at once.
Where are HandBrake encode logs?
Open the Activity Log window (or the log files next to presets) after a failed encode. Paste the relevant tail when asking for help; volunteers diagnose from logs, not descriptions.
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