How to save Visual Studio settings in preparation for fresh Win10 install

Question

I am preparing to do a fresh Win10 install. I'm currently running Visual Studio 16.10.1 on Win10 2004.

How do I save my VS setup so I can retain the settings for use after the fresh installs?

Specifically:

1. Workspace config/layout
2. Recent files/projects/solutions history
3. installed modules

Thanx in advance for your help,
Art

Answer 1

Hi @Art Hansen ,

Welcome to Microsoft Q&A!

If you do a clean installation of Windows 10, the Visual Studio will be removed completely, which includes all Visual Studio installation files and environment settings.

For your requirement, I suggest you export installation configuration files to save the workload and component information: open your VS installer > More > Export configuration. Meanwhile, you can export your environment settings by launching your VS > Tools > Import and Export settings.

For your projects, it is by default saved to %USERPROFILE%\source\repos. You can go to Tools > Options > Projects and Solutions > Locations to find projects location.

I suggest you backup these files to an external location such as USB Thumb drive, onedrive or another PC before doing a fresh installation of Windows. You can later import these files on your machine.

Sincerely,
Anna

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