Yes. You just need to specify the userdir via the --userdir <path> option when starting NetBeans.

The <path> argument may refer to an existing or a new folder name. In the first case, the userdir will be reused. In the latter case, a new userdir will be created by NetBeans.

Running NetBeans with non-default userdir can be useful in various scenarios:

1. You want to temporarily run NetBeans with different settings (window layouts, font settings, etc.).
2. You want to run multiple instances of the same NetBeans version simultaneously.
3. You've run into problems and want to exclude the possibility of corrupted settings. NetBeans developers often ask if the problem is reproducible with a clean userdir when evaluating a bug report.

Examples

• Windows: netbeans.exe --userdir C:\MyOtherUserdir
• Unix: ./netbeans --userdir ~/my-other-userdir

Source: NetBeans User FAQ

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