Background: I have used Arduino IDEs for many years, and created many programs. I recently installed the latest version (2.2.1), and have run into compiler errors for programs which had worked in the past. After trying to resolve the library issues, I decided the best thing was to start completely from scratch.
Problem: After deleting the program folder for the IDE, I re-installed the MSI, opened the IDE, and found that it still somehow remembered the last program I opened, and had references to libraries which it should not know about, as I had not installed them, and removed all traces of my old sketches and libraries. I cannot be confident that the install is clean.
Question: How can I completely remove the install, and purge all remnants of settings, config, old library references so that I can be sure I am starting off with a clean install?
Hi @jonman. You can effectively produce the environment of a first time Arduino IDE installation by deleting the following folders:
Please be careful when deleting things from your computer. When in doubt, back up!
Be especially careful about deleting the Sketchbook folder. The other three folders do not contain any irreplaceable user data (except in an unusual case where the user manually put such data in the folder, which they should remember doing), but the sketchbook is often used to store sketches and custom libraries created by the user.
ⓘ<username> is used as a placeholder for your Windows username in the paths below.
Configuration Folder
C:\Users\<username>\.arduinoIDE\
Data Folder
C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Arduino15\
If looking for it with your file manager or command line, note that the AppData folder is hidden by default. On Windows "File Explorer", you can make it visible by opening the "View" menu, then checking the box next to "☐ Hidden items".
Sketchbook
The default location (which will be used after you clear the configuration folder) is:
C:\Users\<username>\Documents\Arduino\
You can configure this location via the IDE's "Sketchbook location" preference.
User Data Folder
C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\arduino-ide\
If looking for it with your file manager or command line, note that the AppData folder is hidden by default. On Windows "File Explorer", you can make it visible by opening the "View" menu, then checking the box next to "☐ Hidden items".
@ptillisch Thank you, thank you! I followed those steps you provided, and re-installed. This time there were no saved settings, and libraries were back to normal with no reference of anything previously installed. Thank you. I greatly appreciate your help, and I will add these steps to my setup process for future reference. Thanks again!
Please be careful when deleting things from your computer. When in doubt, back up!
If looking for it with your file manager or command line, note that the