Where Does QMK Toolbox Keep Firmware?
QMK Toolbox flashes firmware files you pick yourself, usually from Downloads. Where firmware lives and what settings persist.
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QMK Toolbox is a flasher, not a library. Firmware files live wherever you downloaded or built them, commonly Downloads or a firmware folder in Documents. The app points at a file and writes it to the board.
App settings like microcontroller selection persist in platform preferences. Those matter less than the firmware files themselves. Lose the .hex or .uf2 and the settings cannot rebuild it.
Where QMK Toolbox stores this, by platform
%USERPROFILE%\Downloads
Usual home for downloaded .hex, .bin and .uf2 firmware before flashing. The exact folder is wherever the file was saved, so read the file field in the app for the truth. Keep one folder per board.
~/Downloads
Same firmware handling on Mac. Boards in bootloader mode mount as USB drives for .uf2, in which case the file copies through Finder rather than the Toolbox.
~/Downloads
Identical model on Linux. Bootloader access needs udev rules for the chip family, so permission errors point to rules rather than missing firmware.
Frequently asked questions
Which firmware file did I flash last?
Check the file field in QMK Toolbox itself, which prints the loaded firmware path. Downloads is the usual home for .hex, .bin and .uf2 files. Copy the firmware beside the board name so later flashes grab the right one.
Does QMK Toolbox store my firmware?
No. The keyboard carries the flashed firmware on its own chip. The Toolbox only loads files and talks to the bootloader. Keep your own copies of firmware, since the app does not archive them.
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