Resetting the Vectorworks User Data and Preferences Folder

The user preferences folder in Vectorworks stores user-specific settings, preferences, customizations, templates, workspaces, and other user-generated data. It allows users to personalize their Vectorworks experience according to their workflow and preferences.

The default location of the user folder varies based on the operating system:

• Mac: ~/Library/Application Support/Vectorworks
• Windows: C:\Users\YourUsername\AppData\Roaming\Nemetschek\Vectorworks

If you are unsure of the current location of your user folder, you can find this information within the Vectorworks software itself. Here's how:

1. Open Vectorworks on your computer.
2. Click on the "Vectorworks" menu on Mac or the "Tools" menu on Windows in the top left corner of your screen.
3. Select "Preferences" on MacOS or  "Options - Vectorworks Preferences" on Windows.
4. In the Preferences window, navigate to the "User Folders" tab.
5. Here, you will see the current location of your user folder listed. You can also click on the "Reveal in Finder" (Mac) or "Explore..." (Windows) button to directly open the user folder in your file manager.

Note: Make sure not to make any changes to the Vectorworks User Folder while Vectorworks itself is opened. 

Corrupted or damaged files within the user folder can lead to various issues such as application crashes, slow performance, unexpected behavior, missing or corrupted preferences, error messages, and inability to save changes.

Please note: Resetting the user folder will revert all customizations, preferences, templates, and settings to their default configurations. Any personalized configurations or templates will be lost.

Steps to Reset the User the Folder: 

MacOS:

1. Close Vectorworks: Ensure Vectorworks is completely closed.
2. Navigate to User Folder: Go to the standard location: ~/Library/Application Support/Vectorworks in Finder. (Hold down Option and click "Go" to access the hidden Library folder).
3. Rename the Folder: Look for the "20xx" folder (where 'xx' represents the version of Vectorworks) and rename it to "20xx_backup" or similar.
4. Open Vectorworks. It will create a new user folder with default settings.

Windows:

1. Close Vectorworks: Make sure Vectorworks is completely closed.
2. Navigate to User Folder: Open File Explorer and go to C:\Users\YourUsername\AppData\Roaming\Nemetschek\Vectorworks. (Note: Enable the option to view hidden files and folders in File Explorer settings). Alternatively please press on the Start button in your Task Bar and type %appdata% . This will search for the hidden folder and then just complete navigating through the path to Roaming\Nemetschek\Vectorworks.
3. Rename the Folder: Locate the "20xx" folder and rename it to "20xx_backup" or similar.
4. Open Vectorworks. It will generate a new user folder with default settings.

After resetting the user folder, Vectorworks may prompt you to perform an online activation the first time it is launched. This is a standard procedure and is to be expected.

By resetting the user folder, you can effectively manage issues stemming from corrupted preferences or settings in Vectorworks. However, if resetting the user folder doesn't address the issue, you can revert back to your previous setup.

Steps to Revert Back the Reset:

1. Close Vectorworks
2. Locate the backup folder where you renamed or backed up your original user folder.
3. Rename the backup folder back to its original name.
4. Replace the newly created user folder (the one without your custom settings) with the restored backup folder.
5. Open Vectorworks.