Where Does Visual Studio Save Projects by Default?
Visual Studio default projects folder and exported settings file on Windows, including version differences.
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Visual Studio creates new projects under a versioned Projects folder in Documents. The version in the name (2022, 2019) matches the IDE release.
Settings are a separate story. Export them to a .vssettings file rather than hunting through AppData, since the live settings tree is not meant to be copied by hand.
Where Visual Studio stores this, by platform
%USERPROFILE%\Documents\Visual Studio 2022\Projects
Subfolders per project hold the .sln file and sources. Check Tools > Options > Projects and Solutions > Locations if your folder differs, since it is configurable. Exported settings default to Documents\Visual Studio [Version]\Settings.
Frequently asked questions
How do I change the default projects folder?
Go to Tools > Options > Projects and Solutions > Locations. The Projects location field shows and changes the default for new projects. Existing projects stay where they are.
How do I move Visual Studio settings to a new machine?
Use Tools > Import and Export Settings to save a .vssettings file. Copy that file to the new machine and import it there. Project templates and extensions need separate reinstalls.
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