On first use KiCad creates the C:\Users\User\Documents\KiCad\6.0 folder

Software
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I am new to KiCad. Running KiCad 6 on Windows 10. KiCad is installed in the (default location) C:\Program Files\KiCad\6.0 folder.

The first time (following installation) I run KiCad it creates the C:\Users\User\Documents\KiCad\6.0 folder. This folder has the following subfolders in it: 3dmodels, 3rdparty, footprints, plugins, projects, scripting, symbols and template. Two of these subfolders have subfolders of their own. No files in any of them.

What is the purpose of the C:\Users\User\Documents\KiCad\6.0 folder and its subfolders? Are they for me to use or for KiCad to use?

I have worked through a few simple KiCad projects and developed a few symbols and footprints in the process. I have stored my projects-symbols-footprints in subfolders in the same C:\Users\User\Documents\KiCad folder where KiCad created its 6.0 folder. I am just coming to realize that I am sharing that folder with KiCad.

Is it OK to share that folder with KiCad? Good idea? Bad idea? Present problems? Future problems? Do I need to move my projects-symbols-footprints to a folder that KiCad does not use?

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Yes all those folders are for you to use, except 3rdparty. That one is where packages installed from plugin manager go, don’t put your stuff there.

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The key information is that these folders are not deleted when you uninstall KiCad and install its new version.
Also if (from any reason) you need/want to start everything from beginning the simplest way to have clear installation of KiCad it to delete this folders.
I don’t know if such solution is useful in KiCad 6 but I remember some situations when in KiCad 4 or KiCad 5 the advice to delete that directory was what helped someone who asked here for help.
Since ‘always’ I work that way that all my files are at D: while all not my files are at C:. Because of this I didn’t even considered to use this directory for my files.
During last 40 years it happened for me once that the system (Windows) was broken and I had to format C: and reinstall the system. During that I had to not worry about my files at D:

1 Like
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It’s actually not :smiley: you are mixing up previous posts.

The files that actually impact kicad settings are buried in appdata and not user documents.

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You are right. I didn’t read it thoroughly and I thought that the question is about directory at Appdata.
I didn’t know about User\Documents\ directory.
Probably it is because when updating form V5 to V6 KiCad already knew where my data are so I have never seen User\Documents\KiCad.

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This path and the folders are for your personal symbol/footprint/3D libraries and templates. With KiCAD, you’ll need to create such libraries at some point, as the standard libraries cannot be edited. Please check the FAQs for more information (link at top of page).

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Using the KiCad provided folder structure at C:\Users\User\Documents\KiCad\6.0 seems like a good idea. But bear in mind that I’m a newbie so what do I know . . . .

If I were to endeavor to use that folder structure, how do I relocate a KiCad 6 project from one folder to another folder? Likewise, how do I move symbols and fooprints from one folder to another?

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In KiCAD 6, used symbols and footprints are stored with the project. No problem

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My projects have one page schematic. I move them by copying (with file manager) to new folder and renaming files.
As I have read if your schematic has more pages it is not so simple, but I have never had to do it so don’t know. I think KiCad V6 has something like ‘Save project as’ but not sure now.
KiCad footprints are files and directories with this files are libraries. When I want to use any KiCad footprint I copy it from its libraries to my library. When I open footprint editor it simply is in my library and there I can edit it and with right mouse key (don’t know why but not at the footprint name but to the right of it) I can ‘Save as’ with new name. You can simply delete the old file with file manager (I don’t know if there is ‘Delete’ in KiCad and can’t check now (I write from Win7 PC so no KiCad V6)).
Symbols are not simply files. I have made my symbol libraries with KiCad V4 and the methods used for it are certainly not valid now. When I want a new symbol I find (in symbol editor) one close to it and ‘Save as’ with new name (and may be to other library) and edit it.

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A project is just one independent folder. If you don’t use relative path names, i.e. “../..” or “..\..” in the project where it refers to some resource, you can move the folder freely.

Libraries common to projects can be moved, but you have to change the path variables. Actually that’s in the heart of the library reference system in KiCad: you can locate the libraries anywhere and point to them by using path variables. That way you can share a project between machines or users and it works automatically as long as the variables have been defined locally to point to the identical libraries.

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