Windows

Where Does XnView Store Settings?

XnView AppData folder with xnview.ini, bookmarks and catalog data on Windows.

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XnView keeps its settings in xnview.ini inside an AppData folder, with bookmarks, categories and thumbnail cache alongside. Photos stay in your own library and are only referenced.

The catalog database is the file that matters for tagged collections. Copy the XnView folder and categories, ratings and history survive a reinstall.

Where XnView stores this, by platform

Windows
%APPDATA%\XnView\xnview.ini

Main settings file with the catalog database and bookmarks in the same folder. Copy the full XnView folder with the app closed. Portable builds keep the INI beside the executable instead.

Frequently asked questions

How do I back up XnView categories and ratings?

Copy the whole XnView AppData folder. The catalog database inside carries categories, ratings and color labels together.

Where is the XnView thumbnail cache?

Next to the INI in the folder above. Delete it to reclaim space; thumbnails rebuild on next browse.

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