Where Does JabRef Keep Libraries and Settings?
JabRef libraries are plain .bib files wherever you save them. Where the app hides its preferences on Windows, macOS and Linux.
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There is no central JabRef library folder. Each library is a .bib file in a place you chose, like any Word document. If you lost one, search your drive for *.bib. Settings are a different story. JabRef uses the Java Preferences API, so they land in a different corner on every OS.
On Windows that means the registry. On Linux it is an XML file under your home directory. The reliable way to move settings is inside the app: Options > Preferences, export at the bottom left, then import on the other machine. Hand-editing the registry or the XML rarely ends well.
Where JabRef stores this, by platform
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\JavaSoft\Prefs\org\jabref
A registry key, not a file. Don't edit it directly. Export from Options > Preferences instead, and tick memory-stick mode if you want a portable jabref.xml next to the app.
~/Library/Preferences/org.jabref.plist
Java preferences on macOS. The exact filename can differ with the Java runtime, so check ~/Library/Preferences for a jabref entry if this file is absent. Export from Preferences for a dependable copy.
~/.java/.userPrefs/org/jabref/prefs.xml
Plain XML you can copy between machines. Entries like fileWorkingDirectory hold absolute paths, so expect JabRef to fall back to defaults where those paths don't exist.
Frequently asked questions
How do I transfer JabRef settings to a new computer?
Open Options > Preferences and export your preferences to XML with the button at the bottom left. Import that file on the new machine. Absolute paths inside may not match, and JabRef falls back to sensible defaults for those.
Where is my JabRef library file?
Wherever you saved it. JabRef libraries are ordinary .bib files with no fixed folder. Search your computer for *.bib to find them all, then use File > Open to reattach any that went missing from the recent list.
Notice an outdated path? Let us know.