Back Up FreeCAD Preferences and Custom Toolbars

Backing up your FreeCAD setup ensures you do not lose custom toolbars, keyboard shortcuts, workbench layouts, and parameter settings during updates, system crashes, or migrations to a new computer. FreeCAD stores all user-defined interface customizations and global settings inside specific configuration files—primarily user.cfg. This guide explains exactly where to find these configuration files on Windows, macOS, and Linux, and how to safely back them up and restore them.

Locate the FreeCAD Configuration Directory

FreeCAD must be closed before copying configuration files to ensure the latest changes are written to disk. The storage location depends on your operating system:

  • Windows: Press Win + R, type %APPDATA%\FreeCAD, and press Enter. The path typically resolves to C:\Users\<YourUsername>\AppData\Roaming\FreeCAD\.
  • Linux: Open your file manager or terminal and navigate to ~/.config/FreeCAD/ (or ~/.FreeCAD/ in older legacy versions).
  • macOS: Open Finder, press Cmd + Shift + G, and navigate to ~/Library/Preferences/FreeCAD/ or ~/Library/Application Support/FreeCAD/.

Files to Back Up

Inside the configuration folder, look for the following files:

  1. user.cfg: This is the most critical file. It contains your custom toolbars, UI modifications, workbench preferences, keyboard shortcuts, and default behavior settings.
  2. system.cfg: Contains system-level parameters and hardware configurations related to your installation. Backing this up is recommended if you want an identical environment replication.
  3. Gui/ or macro directories (Optional): If you have created custom Python macros or downloaded external workbenches, back up the Macro folder located in the same directory or within your standard FreeCAD document path.

How to Back Up the Settings

  1. Close FreeCAD completely.
  2. Open your file browser and navigate to the directory matching your operating system.
  3. Copy user.cfg (and system.cfg, if desired) to an external drive, a cloud storage folder, or a secure local backup directory.

Alternative Method: Using the FreeCAD Parameter Editor

You can also export settings directly from within the FreeCAD application:

  1. Open FreeCAD.
  2. Navigate to Tools > Edit parameters... in the top menu.
  3. In the Parameter Editor window, select Save to disk to force an immediate write of all preferences, or select File > Export... to save the parameter tree as an XML file to your chosen destination.

How to Restore Your Settings

  1. Install FreeCAD on the target machine and open it once, then close it. This generates the necessary folder structure.
  2. Navigate to the configuration folder on the target machine.
  3. Paste your backed-up user.cfg file into the folder, overwriting the default file created by the new installation.
  4. Launch FreeCAD. Your custom toolbars, layout positions, and preferences will be restored.