Where is the data for Properties.Settings.Default saved?

Question

In my WPF application, I click on Settings.settings in the Solution Explorer and enter a StringCollection variable with a User scope:

in my app.config I see that they are saved there:

<userSettings>
    <TestSettings.Properties.Settings>
        <setting name="Paths" serializeAs="Xml">
            <value>
                <ArrayOfString xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
                    xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema">
                    <string>one</string>
                    <string>two</string>
                    <string>three</string>
                    <string>four</string>
                    <string>five</string>
                    <string>six</string>
                    <string>seven</string>
                </ArrayOfString>
            </value>
        </setting>
    </TestSettings.Properties.Settings>
</userSettings>

then I run my application and with this code:

StringCollection paths = Properties.Settings.Default.Paths;

Properties.Settings.Default.Paths.Add("added in code");
Properties.Settings.Default.Save();

foreach (var path in paths)
{
    System.Console.WriteLine(path);
}

which gives me this output :

one
two
three
four
five
six
seven
added in code

I run the application again and it gives me this output:

one
two
three
four
five
six
seven
added in code
added in code

But I look at my app.config again and it still has the original values :

<userSettings>
    <TestSettings.Properties.Settings>
        <setting name="Paths" serializeAs="Xml">
            <value>
                <ArrayOfString xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
                    xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema">
                    <string>one</string>
                    <string>two</string>
                    <string>three</string>
                    <string>four</string>
                    <string>five</string>
                    <string>six</string>
                    <string>seven</string>
                </ArrayOfString>
            </value>
        </setting>
    </TestSettings.Properties.Settings>
</userSettings>

Where are the values that are added by the application being saved?

Answer 1

Since you selected user scope, they are saved in each user profile directory, more specifically, inside the AppData folder of the user profile in a file named user.config .

The full path is dependent of the application.

In Windows 7 without roaming profile and with an Windows Forms Application named Example.Settings.CustomClass I'm getting the following folder:

C:\Users\[user]\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Example.Settings.CustomCl_Url_3qoqzcgn1lbyw2zx3oz1o3rsw2anyjsn\1.0.0.0

Also note that they are saved taking in consideration the version of your application and that the values stored in App.config are the default values used for a new user.

Answer 2

I was looking under Win 10 for the Settings. If anyone else need to know, they are not stored in Subfolder of Microsoft (see previous answer). Just look here:

C:\Users\[user]\AppData\Local\Example\Example...\1.0.0.0\

Answer 3

I stumbled across an easy way to find the path(s).

1. Open the Application Properties.
2. Under the "Application" tab, select "Assembly Information...".
3. Change the value of "Company". Select OK to save.
4. Select the "Settings" application properties tab.
5. Select "Synchronize" (first button in the options at the top of the tab).
   You should then receive a Visual Studio information dialogue saying "No user.config files were found in any of the following locations:" followed by a list of locations where the settings are saved.