How to Clean Up Preferences in Archicad?

Cleaning up preferences in Archicad deletes the local preference and Work Environment files when they’ve been corrupted and are causing startup or stability issues. After deleting these files, Archicad recreates them with the default settings the next time it starts.

Important: This process resets interface customisations, such as keyboard shortcuts, palette positions and other user-specific settings.

Back up your custom settings before deleting the preferences. Graphisoft recommends first saving and exporting your custom Work Environment.

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Before you start

1. If you use Teamwork, note down the BIMcloud or BIM Server address, as well as your username and password, so you can log back in afterwards.
2. Send all pending changes in any Teamwork project before continuing. Cleaning up preferences deletes the local Teamwork data from the workstation, and unsent changes may be lost.
3. Export and save your custom Work Environment.
4. If you use custom IFC or DWG translators, export and save these too before deleting the preference data.
5. Close Archicad.

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Exporting and saving your custom Work Environment

1. Open Work Environment
   In Archicad, go to:
   Options > Work Environment > Work Environment
2. Open Work Environment Profiles
   In the Work Environment dialog box, click Work Environment Profiles in the left-hand column.
3. Create a new profile
   In the saved profiles area, click New Profile to save the current settings.
4. Name the profile
   Enter a name for the profile and click OK.
5. Export the profile
   Select the profile and click Export.
6. Save the exported file
   Choose a safe location to save it and click Export again.

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Cleaning up preferences on macOS

Delete the following items, where xx is the Archicad version number and yyy is the locale (SPA, INT or another version):

• ~/Library/Preferences/Graphisoft/AC xx.0.0 yyy v1
• ~/Library/Preferences/com.Graphisoft.AC xx.0.0 yyy v1.plist
• ~/Library/Caches/Graphisoft
• ~/Library/Application Support/Graphisoft

Note: The ~/Library/Application Support/Graphisoft folder may contain autosave data, templates, DXF-DWG translators, IFC preferences, logs and the local cache of Teamwork projects.

Back up any data you need before deleting it.

If there are unsent changes in Teamwork projects, do not delete ~/Library/Application Support/Graphisoft/TW Data.

If the user’s Library folder is hidden, open it from Finder with Go > Go to Folder and enter ~/Library.

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Cleaning up preferences on Windows

Step 1: Delete these folders

Delete the following folders:

• C:\Users\<Username>\AppData\Roaming\Graphisoft\
• C:\Users\<Username>\AppData\Local\Graphisoft\
• C:\Users\<Username>\Graphisoft\

Note: Roaming\Graphisoft contains the main preference and Work Environment files.

Local\Graphisoft contains library cache files, the local cached copy of network libraries and IFC settings.

Users\<Username>\Graphisoft contains Archicad templates, crash logs, Publisher logs, IFC and DXF-DWG translator files, and the local cache of Teamwork projects.

If there are unsent changes in Teamwork projects, do not delete <userhome>\Graphisoft\TW Data.

If the AppData folder is hidden, turn on the display of hidden files and folders in File Explorer before continuing.

Step 2: Delete the Graphisoft registry key

1. Run REGEDIT.
2. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\
3. Delete the Graphisoft entry.

Warning: Editing the Windows Registry should only be done by a user familiar with this procedure. Skip this step if you are not.

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After cleaning up

1. Start Archicad.
2. Check whether the original problem persists.
3. If you use Teamwork, log back in to BIMcloud or BIM Server with the address and credentials you noted down earlier.

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Result

After cleaning up preferences, Archicad will recreate the deleted data with the default settings on startup. If necessary, restore your exported Work Environment.