Where Does NetBeans Store Settings?
NetBeans userdir and cachedir on Windows, Mac and Linux, and the flags that relocate them.
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NetBeans keeps user settings in a versioned userdir and disposable caches in a cachedir, with locations varying by OS. Windows and macOS nest them under a NetBeans folder in the standard app data roots, while Linux uses a hidden .netbeans directory in home. The exact path for your install shows under Help and then About.
Both directories accept overrides. The --userdir and --cachedir launcher flags relocate them per run, and netbeans.conf sets permanent defaults alongside JDK and memory options. Deleting the userdir with the IDE closed is the standard fix for corrupted settings, since it regenerates on next launch.
Where NetBeans stores this, by platform
%APPDATA%\NetBeans
One subfolder per major version, so parallel installs stay separate. Cache sits beside it under %LOCALAPPDATA%\NetBeans\Cache. Close the IDE before deleting either, as a lock file guards the running instance.
~/Library/Application Support/NetBeans
Check Help and then About NetBeans for the exact versioned path on your machine. The install wide netbeans.conf lives inside the app bundle under Contents\Resources\NetBeans\etc.
~/.netbeans
Older installs used ~/.netbeans directly. The --userdir flag overrides all of this per launch, which is how portable and multi profile setups avoid the default entirely.
Frequently asked questions
how do i start netbeans with a fresh profile
Launch with netbeans --userdir pointing at an empty folder. The IDE populates it on first start, giving you a clean profile without touching the original. Point back at the old folder to return.
how do i change the netbeans userdir permanently
Edit the netbeans_default_userdir line in netbeans.conf inside the install etc folder. That file also sets the JDK and JVM flags, so back it up before experimenting with either.
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