It’s not uncommon for people setting up Reaper for the first time to run into trouble — maybe a computer crash, or an accidental change, or an import of someone else’s configuration. If that happens, you might want to reset Reaper back to its factory default settings so you can start fresh.

Uninstalling and reinstalling Reaper does not reset its preferences, because Reaper stores its settings separately in a configuration file called reaper.ini.

Here’s how to reset Reaper’s preferences safely, step by step.

What does “factory reset” mean in Reaper?

In Reaper, the file called reaper.ini holds your preferences: options, toolbar layout, track settings, and so on. By renaming or deleting this file, you force Reaper to create a brand-new default version the next time it starts.

Method 1: If Reaper still opens

If you can launch Reaper:

1. Open Reaper normally.

2. Go to the top menu:
   Options → Show REAPER resource path in Explorer/Finder

3. This will open the folder where Reaper keeps its settings.

4. Find the file named:

   reaper.ini 
   

5. Right-click on reaper.ini and choose Rename. Change the name to something like reaper.ini-old. You can really call it anything as long as it no longer says exactly reaper.ini.

6. Close Reaper and then re-open it.

When Reaper sees that there is no reaper.ini, it will create a brand-new one with all default settings.

Method 2: If Reaper won’t open

If Reaper crashes on startup or refuses to launch, you’ll have to find its settings folder manually.

On Windows

1. Press Windows key + R on your keyboard to open the Run dialog.

2. Type this exactly:

   
   %appdata%\REAPER 
   

   and click OK.

3. This will open Reaper’s resource folder in File Explorer.

4. Look for:

   reaper.ini 
   

5. Right-click reaper.ini, choose Rename, and give it a new name like reaper.ini-old.

6. Close File Explorer and then try opening Reaper again.

On macOS

macOS hides its application support folders by default, so you’ll have to dig a little:

1. In Finder, click Go in the top menu, then Go to Folder

2. In the box that appears, paste this:

   
   /Users/<your username>/Library/Application Support/REAPER 
   

   (replace <your username> with the name you see when you log in)

3. Click Go

4. In the folder that opens, find:

   reaper.ini 
   

5. Right-click, choose Rename, and change it to something like reaper.ini-old.

6. Close Finder, then restart Reaper.

Portable Install Considerations

If you installed Reaper in portable mode, your settings (including reaper.ini) will live inside the folder where you put the portable Reaper app, usually in a subfolder called REAPER or ReaperPortable.

Look in there for reaper.ini and rename it the same way.

What happens after the reset?

When you relaunch Reaper after renaming reaper.ini, you’ll get a brand-new, default configuration just like a fresh install.

If you customized toolbars or extensions, you may have to reconfigure those by hand.

Still having trouble?

If Reaper still won’t open even after resetting reaper.ini, there could be:

• a corrupted plugin crashing on startup

• a hardware driver issue

• a damaged installation

I hope this guide helps you get Reaper back to a clean state and working again.