Where Is VLC's Configuration File?
VLC's vlcrc file on Windows, macOS and Linux, why it only appears after you save preferences, and what deleting it resets.
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VLC keeps one plain-text config file per user, named vlcrc. It is written only when you change a setting and save it from Tools > Preferences (VLC > Preferences on a Mac), so a fresh install often has no such file yet. There is no system-wide version, and older VLC releases used a different folder on macOS and Linux.
The file doubles as the reset switch. Quit VLC, delete vlcrc, and the next launch starts from factory defaults. Your hotkeys and interface tweaks go with it, so keep a copy somewhere if you only meant to fix one broken setting.
Where VLC stores this, by platform
%APPDATA%\vlc\vlcrc
Expands to C:\Users\[Username]\AppData\Roaming\vlc\vlcrc. VLC creates the folder and the file the first time you save a preference. Deleting vlcrc is the standard fix for a scrambled setup, since VLC regenerates it with defaults on the next start.
~/Library/Preferences/org.videolan.vlc/vlcrc
VLC named the folder after its bundle identifier, so there is no plain vlc/vlcrc path to look for. Older releases used ~/Library/Preferences/VLC/vlcrc instead. The folder appears once you save a preference.
~/.config/vlc/vlcrc
Current path for VLC 0.9.0 and newer. Versions up to 0.8 stored it at ~/.vlc/vlcrc, so an upgrade can leave the old file behind with your old settings in it.
Frequently asked questions
How do I reset VLC to default settings?
Quit VLC first, then delete vlcrc from the path above (on Windows: %APPDATA%\vlc\vlcrc). VLC writes a fresh file with default values on the next launch. Copying the old file elsewhere first preserves the hotkeys you had set.
Why is there no vlcrc file on my computer?
Because VLC only writes it after you change a preference and save it. Open Tools > Preferences, change something small, hit Save, and the file shows up in the folder above with everything you changed inside.
Where does VLC store hotkeys and interface settings?
In the same vlcrc file, as plain text grouped into bracketed sections, hotkeys included. With VLC closed you can hand-edit it, or copy it to another machine to carry your whole setup over.
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