How to Reset Windows Terminal to Default Settings in Windows 11

This article explains how to reset the Windows Terminal app to its default settings in Windows 11.

Windows Terminal is a modern app for command-line shells. It includes Command Prompt, Windows PowerShell, and bash (via Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL)). It supports multiple tabs, panes, Unicode and UTF-8 character encoding, a GPU-accelerated text rendering engine, and theme customization with text, colors, backgrounds, and shortcuts.

Why would you reset Windows Terminal? When you customize the app and things stop working the way you want, resetting brings it back to normal.

What happens when you reset? All your custom settings are deleted. The app goes back to how it was when you first installed it.

The settings file is stored here:

%LocalAppData%\Packages\Microsoft.WindowsTerminal_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalState\settings.json

There are three ways to reset Windows Terminal. Pick the method that works best for you.

Method 1: Use the Settings App

First, open the Settings app. Click the Start menu and select Settings. Or press Windows key + I.

When Settings opens, click the Apps button on the left side.

On the right side, select Installed apps to expand the list.

Find Terminal in the list. Click the three dots next to it, then select Advanced options.

On the Windows Terminal settings page, click the Reset button. This restores all default settings.

When you’re done, close the Settings app.

Method 2: Use Command Prompt or PowerShell

You can delete the settings file using the command line. This step requires admin privileges.

Using Command Prompt:

Open Command Prompt as an administrator. Run this command:

del /f /s /q /a "%LocalAppData%\Packages\Microsoft.WindowsTerminal_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalState\settings.json"

Using PowerShell:

Open PowerShell as an administrator. Run this command instead:

Remove-Item -Path "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\Packages\Microsoft.WindowsTerminal_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalState\settings.json" -Force

Method 3: Use File Explorer

You can also browse to the file and delete it manually using File Explorer.

Open File Explorer. Click the address bar at the top and type this path:

%LocalAppData%\Packages\Microsoft.WindowsTerminal_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalState

Press Enter to go to that folder.

Find the file named settings.json. Right-click it and select Delete.

That’s it! Windows Terminal is now reset to default.

Summary

Resetting Windows Terminal is easy. You have three choices: use the Settings app, use Command Prompt or PowerShell, or use File Explorer. The Settings app method is the simplest for most users. The command-line methods work faster if you use the terminal often. File Explorer is good if you prefer clicking and dragging. All three methods delete your custom settings and bring Windows Terminal back to normal. Pick the method you’re most comfortable with.