MATLAB Startup Folder
Default Startup Folder
By default, MATLAB® sets the startup folder based on the way you start MATLAB. To identify the startup folder, type pwd at the
command line immediately after starting MATLAB and before typing any other commands. You can change the startup
folder using the
General Preferences options in the Preferences Window. For
convenience, make this folder a folder that you frequently use.
Note
If a startup.m file changes the current folder, then this
value overrides the initial working folder value. Do not add
cd statements to startup.m. For more
information about user-defined options, see startup.
Default Folder on Windows Platforms
| How You Start MATLAB | Startup Folder |
|---|---|
Double-click the MATLAB icon on your Windows® desktop or in the Start menu | Last working folder from the previous MATLAB session or the custom path specified in the Initial working folder preference. The Initial working folder preference is located in the General Preferences page of the Preferences Window. |
From a Windows system prompt | Folder in which you run the |
From the MATLAB command prompt | Folder in which you run the
|
Double-click a file type associated with MATLAB | Folder containing the file |
Double-click the | Last working folder from the previous MATLAB session or the custom path specified in the Initial working folder preference |
For more information, see Start MATLAB on Windows Platforms.
If you start MATLAB by double-clicking the MATLAB shortcut icon and the startup folder is set to an unexpected location, follow these steps to ensure that the Start in field in the MATLAB shortcut icon is empty:
Right-click the shortcut icon for MATLAB
and select
Properties from the context menu. The
Properties dialog box for MATLAB opens to the Shortcut
pane.If the Start in field contains text, clear the text.
Click OK and try starting MATLAB again.
Default Folder on macOS Platforms
| How You Start MATLAB | Startup Folder |
|---|---|
Double-click the MATLAB application | Last working folder from the previous MATLAB session or the custom path specified in the Initial working folder preference, located in the General Preferences page of the Preferences Window |
Start MATLAB from a Terminal window | Folder in which you run the |
For more information, see Start MATLAB on macOS Platforms.
Default Folder on Linux Platforms
On Linux® platforms, the default startup folder is the folder from which you started MATLAB.
For more information, see Start MATLAB on Linux Platforms.
Change Startup Folder
Starting in R2014b, you can change the startup folder using the General Preferences options in the Preferences Window. On the Home tab, in the Environment section, click Preferences. Select MATLAB > General. Choose an option for the Initial working folder preference.
Alternatively on Windows platforms, specify the initial working folder in the MATLAB shortcut icon. For more information, see Select MATLAB Icon.
userpath as Initial Working Folder
Using userpath as the Initial working
folder value offers these benefits.
You can store the MATLAB files you work with in one folder, such as
Documents/MATLAB.You can always run your files because MATLAB automatically adds the
userpathfolder to the top of the search path.The first time you run a new version of MATLAB, the software automatically creates the
userpathfolder if it does not exist.When you upgrade to a newer version of MATLAB, the software automatically continues to use the same startup folder and your existing files.
The default
userpathuses the benefits provided by the standard location in the Windows and macOS environments for storing personal files. Files in theDocuments/MATLABfolder are available to you when you use other machines. Each user has an individualDocuments/MATLABfolder. Other users, even those using your machine, cannot access files in yourDocuments/MATLABfolder.