Where Does Qt Creator Store Settings and Kits?
Qt Creator splits QtCreator.ini, toolchains and caches across QtProject folders. Paths on Windows, macOS and Linux, plus .user files.
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Qt Creator keeps global settings as small files: QtCreator.ini for preferences, qtversion.xml and toolChains.xml for kits, and a qtcreator data folder for caches. Wiping them all resets the IDE to factory state, the documented fix for a hopelessly broken setup.
Project-specific choices (kits, run configs, build dirs) live separately in .pro.user or CMakeLists.txt.user files next to your sources. Those are machine-specific by nature. Never commit them. Share the portable subset through .shared files instead, and launch with -settingspath to relocate the global store.
Where Qt Creator stores this, by platform
%APPDATA%\QtProject
QtCreator.ini and friends here, bulk caches under %LOCALAPPDATA%\QtProject. Project files keep their own .pro.user beside the sources.
~/.config/QtProject
Odd but official: Qt Creator uses ~/.config even on macOS. Extra data sits in ~/Library/Application Support/QtProject/Qt Creator. Override everything with qtcreator -settingspath.
~/.config/QtProject
Same ~/.config root, with caches under ~/.local/share/data/QtProject/qtcreator. Delete both trees for a full reset while keeping your projects intact.
Frequently asked questions
How do I fully reset Qt Creator settings?
Close the IDE and delete the QtProject settings folders for your OS listed above. Reopening recreates factory defaults. Export working kits first if rebuilding them by hand sounds miserable.
Should I commit .pro.user files?
No. They pin machine-specific kits and absolute build paths that break on other computers. Commit the .pro file plus a .shared file for settings the whole team needs, and let each machine generate its own .user file.
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