Extract text from Visual Studio settings files (VSSETTINGS)
To convert VSSETTINGS settings files to another format, you need Visual Studio or other Settings software.
To convert other file formats to the "IDE Configuration File" file type, you need software like Visual Studio or a similar tool.
The .vssettings file is an XML-formatted configuration file created by Microsoft Visual Studio to store user IDE preferences. Developers use these files to back up, share, or transfer custom workspace layouts, syntax highlighting colors, text editor options, and keyboard shortcuts between different machines or team members.
While you can import these files directly into Microsoft Visual Studio, working with them outside the IDE presents challenges. The .vssettings format is essentially raw XML, meaning it is heavily cluttered with verbose tags and Microsoft-specific namespaces. It is not easily readable by non-developers, and attempting to merge two different settings files manually often leads to syntax errors or corrupted configurations. You cannot easily view the settings on a mobile device or a standard office computer without Visual Studio installed.
If you need to review or parse the contents, the best approach is to convert .vssettings to standard XML, JSON, or TXT. This makes the data easier to process with standard text editors or automated scripts. However, be aware that converting it to another format means it can no longer be imported back into Visual Studio unless converted back to the exact XML schema.
Because .vssettings is tightly coupled with the Visual Studio ecosystem, standard document converters usually fail to process it. Our platform will inspect the underlying XML structure, extract the raw configuration text, and allow you to safely convert it into a more accessible generic developer format.
Convert.Guru analyzes your VSSETTINGS file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
If you want to convert VSSETTINGS file to INI, CFG, CONF, CONFIG, JSON, XML, YAML, YML, TOML, ENV, PROPERTIES or RC, you can use Visual Studio or similar software from the "Visual Studio IDE Configuration" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert ZSHRC, CONF, RCFILE, GITCONFIG, RC, PLIST, BASHRC, CONFIG, PROFILE, INI, PREFS or CFG files to VSSETTINGS, try Visual Studio or another comparable tool in the "Visual Studio IDE Configuration" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our VSSETTINGS converter.