KiCAD 5.0.2 Win10 x64 fresh install... Empty libraries? Clean install?

Software
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I installed KiCAD 5.0.2 and started following a tutorial for making a schematic. I didn’t get very far because the component/symbol libraries are completely missing (dialog is unpopulated/empty). I can’t place a symbol/component or a power port.

I tried completely uninstalling it and reinstalling it but it doesn’t seem to have thoroughly removed itself since KiCAD remembers the last project I had open. This is frustrating because, no doubt, this is allowing the problem to persist.

How can I ensure a clean install? What else can I try if that does not work? I’ve seen people suggest that having older versions of KiCAD previously installed can cause a similar issue but I have never had KiCAD installed on this computer.

Thanks!

2

Just delete kicad folder in %APPDATA%\Roaming, kicad will start as if after a clean install.
I don’t remember what should happen after clean install, you either get default lib table or get a dialog that offers to create one from default or empty.

1 Like
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Installing libraries is a setting in the installer. So it could be that you did not install them.

This might help: Library management in KiCad version 5

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This did the trick! I believe I bypassed that dialog the first time because I launched two instances: One from KiCad’s project manager and the other by double-clicking an sch file from someone else’s KiCad project (likely made with an older version of KiCad).

I’d uninstalled again but the KiCad folder was still there. Win+R then %APPDATA% alone opens the Roaming directory where Shift + Delete on the KiCad directory took care of that pesky prior-installation remnant. After reinstalling I was prompted again to build my libraries. Thanks!

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Thanks, but that was selected by default and I accepted it both times. My only deviation from defaults was when I opted to set the environment variables the second time I installed it.

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Check if the files are on your pc locally. (should be in the installation directory. Somewhere under c:/programs/kicad or similar.)
Make sure the path variables point to that place.

That might bite you in the long run. With this option set you can no longer change the path settings from within kicad. You first need to somehow remove the operating system settings for them (I have no expirience with windows so i really am of no use here.)

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