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Reset the MPLAB® X IDE to its Default State

Last modified by Microchip on 2024/06/24 06:30

Resetting MPLAB® X

To "reset" MPLAB® X Integrated Development Environment (IDE) to its default state, close MPLAB X IDE and simply delete/rename the User/Cache/Packs directories. MPLAB X IDE will create new ones when it will start.

If for some reason you want to go back to the "troubled" state, just save the User/Cache/Packs directories directory somewhere else or simply rename it adding a suffix like _bad or _<current_date> (e.g. v5.45_bad, .mchp_packs_20210407). Closing MPLAB X IDE, deleting the newly created version folder and copying/renaming back the backup folder will bring MPLAB X IDE to its "troubled" state.

Folders that should be Cleared

There are a few folders MPLAB X IDE creates on the user's machine to keep Settings, installed Plugins, Cache, and downloaded Packs. The Settings, Plugins, and Cache have specific folders for each MPLAB X IDE version installed, the downloaded Packs are common to all MPLAB X IDE installations.

Cache files

MPLAB X IDE keeps its temporary files in a so-called Cache Directory, and this cache is made to speed up things. Sometimes, the cache can lead to unexpected behaviors of the IDE, so it is a good idea to clear the cache when weird behavior happens.​

Cache Directory is listed in the MPLAB X IDE Main Menu: Help->About

Persistence files

The MPLAB X IDE User Directory is the place where MPLAB X IDE keeps track of various settings and installed plugins in its persistence data files. If for some reason one of these files becomes corrupted or the user wants to simple reset MPLAB X IDE because of a malfunction, deleting them will restore MPLAB X IDE to its default state and new persistence files will automatically be created.​

User Directory is listed in the MPLAB X IDE Main Menu: Help > About. Below are some places where it could be found for various Operating Systems (OS)

Locations for the User Directory:​

  • Windows® XP:
    C:\Documents and Settings\username\Application Data\.mplab_ide\dev\version
  • Windows Vista, Windows 7 and later:
    C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\.mplab_ide\dev\version (before v3.00)
    C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\mplab_ide\dev\version (v3.00 and later)
  • Linux®:
    ~/.mplab_ide/dev/version
  • Mac OSX®:
    ~/Library/Application Support/mplab_ide/dev/version

Packs

With MPLAB X IDE 5.40 we have introduced the concept of Packs. These are updates for our Devices and Tools that should not be dependent on the MPLAB X IDE release and they are published to bring up improvements or fix issues with various tools or device families.​

The manually installed packs are downloaded into a folder called .mchp_packs and this is usually placed into the OS user folder.