What Are the Different Windows "AppData" Folders for, Anyway?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 31 ก.ค. 2024
- Now you'll finally know what the heck Roaming and Local means!
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Timestamps:
0:00 - Intro
0:43 - What is AppData?
3:37 - Roaming & Local Folders
7:31 - LocalLow Folder
8:50 - ProgramData Folder
10:17 - Why is Roaming the Default?
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#Windows #Computers #Tech #ThioJoe - วิทยาศาสตร์และเทคโนโลยี
I wouldn't be shocked if 99% of people who have ever accessed the AppData folder did so for Minecraft.
Of course
I did but now I use multimc which is a lot better
.minecraft homies
True
Yeah, even though I use it for lots of other things, I originally used it for minecraft.
AppData folder: **exist**
Games: I'll use Document folder instead
Locallow is default for unity games
especially steam games
Documents is older that AppData. Not as old as Games, but, well, older, so it is the classical solution. Also, before games became online focussed, if you wanted to take your save games with you, you would need to copy them into a floppy from the file explorer, and well, AppData is a HIDDEN FOLDER, so pretty hard to do for a kid, specially before internet, so you couldn't google it and watch a youtube video showing you exactly how to do it.
@@RubenMartinezCabello Internet existed long time already before the appdata folder came into existence though. I remember browsing the web on Windows 95 via dialup. Appdata appeared in Windows Vista, about a decade after win95.
Especially Terraria.
I love browsing these folders and discover software that I uninstalled years ago. It's like a historical record of my computer life. Filling up my drive with millions of files.
I really hate how windows apps throws garbage around like this. I want to back up saved games? Maybe it’s in program data, maybe it’s attached to the launcher, maybe it’s in your my documents folder under the game dev’s name. Maybe the “My Games” folder that not every game used. Maybe the setting you are looking for isn’t a file. But a registry value. I started to use Linux VMs for everything that isn’t gaming related just to keep my windows install fresh. Windows store apps did solve this problem but no dev is going to use it.
@@SeMr7en Yes that sucks. Both Microsoft and all Developers are to blame for this
@@SeMr7en Note that you have a similar situation on Linux, through.
%ProgramData% -> /var/local
%AppData% -> ~/.local, ~/.cache, ~/.config or some other random directory in your home directory starting with a dot
The directories are just named differently. At least on Gnome, you also have something very similar to the Registry of Windows. At least applications slowly adapt to the new standards, so we will get a more uniform experience over time.
@@JojOatXGME I'm pretty envious on how android does it. Just cache and data. The app can't save anywhere else unless you give permissions for it. Such a nice system they have in place. But then again they don't have to worry about compatibility dating back to the 90s
@@SeMr7en android directory is so simple I love it, so easy to mod, it's universal
Most apps: install settings to one of these folders.
Adobe: "We've got files in every directory and folder from here to the Sudan. We install a dozen languages and know every local custom. We'll blend in, disappear and you'll never see us again. With any luck we've got the grail already"
😂😂
What if you're located in Sudan? 😉
LMFAO yes
Note that there might be valid reasons to split the data between all these directories. For example caches are usually saved in %LocalAppData% while user configuration should be saved in %AppData%.
Madobeus
The point of the Roaming folder is to store your Minecraft saves.
Or install mods.
So is Local
@@railroading Since when has anyone ever entered local via %appdata% to get to Minecraft?
@@Leekodot15 Bedrock
@@Leekodot15 tell me you play the Bedrock version without telling me you play the Bedrock version...
I was a developer for a drawing app and I chose to use the roaming folder to store the user's app settings. If the user uses a Microsoft account for logging into the computer, their settings get synched across all computers that they use with the same login credentials. So if they defined a custom color on one machine it would be available on all the other machines they login to.
That's awesome! Gotta love having your settings synced! As a business software developer, I'm glad I finally know what Roaming is for so I can sync settings across the domain now
Thanks for doing this, I wish more developers will take advantage of this and have user app settings synced with their MSA. It is just a huge improvement to the user experience.
Funny how many devs crack their head trying to sync app data when is can be solved just this way :)
@@leoncitoamx It won't happen in most organizations, because I don't know any company that really has a setup that syncs that folder through the domain. There would have to be some server storage configured somewhere because the sync can't happen while the client is offline.
@@gameplayfirst6548 there was this system in my university. But not just the prefences, my whole files is carried around, like folders i created etc.
%APPDATA% is roaming, because it was so in Windows NT 4/2000 times, and the Local came later inside that folder as "application data\local" with the rule to not sync. At first NT4 synced everything even the users temp folder, and then they realized it was a bad idea, so local and some domain settings were added to exclude the Local folder. The really clear seperation with Roaming and Local then came with the so-called "User Profiles V2", which came with Vista and Windows Server 2008.
This is a video I never knew I needed.
Same here, great stuff. 👍
Not all heroes wear capes
I’m a reasonably proficient technical computer user. But, never had a clue about those local/locallow/roaming folders. Or why there was ProgramData in addition to AppData. So, I learned a lot here. Thanks.
"And installer, which is beyond the scope of this video"
... I am intrigued.
Well how it is written on the Microsoft website it is "levels of permission" not "levels of integrity". Unless they went up and changed terms for no reason at all. There are 8 or so levels that a developer can use with 1 above what he called "installer". Usually the one that i know how to use above installer is flashing the hardware which overwrites everything with the version being flashed on to it. Most users never do this. Most users shouldn't ever do this. You do need hardware access on a powered off state of the hardware at the start of it to do it. It also can screw over the entire machine if it goes bad or if you put the 1 into the place of a 0.
The level of permission he is most likely talking about is when you get into scripting then ask for and have the correct permission level to be granted internal system configurations. I am unsure why you would need permission above system and you rarely need to use system as admin is able to do most and usually you want to use user if you can. Using below user is a pain but in scripts you can do that on an account with less permissions than user level access has. You also want to have the least access granted that you need to run.
Adobe: let's put our folder everywhere.
Oh yes! and lets rename the JSON File type to "Adobe After Effects JSON File". HUR HUR HUR we own JSON files cause we said so!
Ah I just hate adobe... and autodesk, I really hope change will happen at some point but I'm stuck using their shit cause I've tried other programs but they just aren't any good.
There's also a folder in the Local folder of AppData called VirtualStore that's used for legacy programs that try to save their configuration/preference files to Program Files (or any other non user directory) when the program doesn't have administrator privileges.
Fuct fact: When i first read your comment i read VirtualStore as VirusStore.
@William yes
Isn't it the one that was made as a temporary fix on early Windows 7 for backwards compatibility?
@@masansr Windows Vista, and I think it still exists. It's just that most things don't need it anymore.
Gotta love how Microsoft names folders and directories.
The %APPDATA% variable used to point to just the AppData folder back in XP days, when there was only one AppData folder for everything. So in a way Roaming is also treated as a backwards compatibility folder.
When I first discovered the appdata folder looking for my minecraft install when I was 9, I read 'LocalLow' as 'LocalCow' the first time, it kinda stuck and to this day I ironically read 'LocalLow' with the 'low' pronounced like cow
Ok
LocalCows need to be milked on thursday
*cow*
69 op
Now I call it LocalCow lmao
Minecraft modding is how I learned about the appdata folders. Then I modded other games and beta test others and now that folder is used almost every day for me.
well my pc can't run 1080p yet so i cant even do this,
Speaking of, Joe actually has a .minecraft folder. The guy plays Minecraft! (see 10:23)
The Appdata folder is where many of my gaves save data is , because for some reason it can't be in documents or in "my games" folder.
It is where my minecraft mods
Hate it
Maybe there's a reason but it should be in your game file
That's because you play the wrong games.
@@htcmlcrip TEARDOWN?
Ubisoft are so big brained they use C:\Users\*blank*\AppData\Local\My Games
Within a Windows domain network, you can have two types of users - standard user and roaming user.
The idea is that you are either someone working from within your machine that is specifically assigned to you or you are someone who frequently has to login on a bunch of different machines.
For that, you have the Local and Roaming folders - the Roaming folder gets synced across the domain to every computer you log in, if you are a roaming user.
This is a practice many businesses have, even though it is deprecated.
A great example of a roaming user could be that you are logging into your university's or work's Remote Desktop Services machines, where there are multiple identical servers and you get assigned one randomly to log in to. You would prefer your programs to behave in the same manner all the time, wouldn't you?
But I stress this again - roaming users are a deprecated feature, and as for Remote Desktop Services, there is software solution called FSLogix that makes sure that your user profile behaves nicely with all the RD servers.
Depreciated? So that's why the Army does it. Great.
@@dIancaster Deprecated, not depreciated 😂 as in, "fallen out of fashion / no longer current". Typically businesses use a third-party solution to make roaming users to work, because the built-in roaming user functionality in Windows doesn't work well.
@ further, it is also discouraged by Microsoft.
Microsoft now recommends using folder redirection to put %appdata% (i.e. roaming) on a network share so that reads / writes go out across the network to the filestore as needed rather than everything in the user profile¹ at login / logoff (which is a significant issue for any organisation with a bulk of users doing a 9-5 day).
¹ Not explicit in this video is all the other user folders that synced at login / logoff for roaming domain profiles: Documents, Videos, Music, Favourites etc.
Ahh Terminal Services
Program files: Store files' programs
App data: store file apps
Local: local data
Roaming: minecraft data i mean unlocal data
Locallow: *_welcome to downtown coolsville_*
Well yes I go there everyday
WOW! Early in the morning I had this exact question and was trying to figure it out myself! Now I see you have uploaded a video. Amazing work as always!!!!
One of the most useful and informative videos on TH-cam, congratulations dude!
It still feels weird that nowadays I come to your channel for accurate information.
Hey Joe, this was a truly informative video. 11 minutes zipped by like a great movie. Thank you for your great service.
This video is a life saver for someone like me who never played minecraft but has more than one user on pc.
I wondered so much about how and where a program stores files and folders that also for different users.
Great video as always👍
Great that there are NO ads!!
Thanks for sharing your knowledge to all of us👍😀
"see, it's all starting to come together now" I wish my life was.
Oh wow
Oh, crap, Joe, I'm so sorry! I accidentally smashed the Like button...
Aww, man! Why'd you do that? Other people might have wanted to use it!
@@ReverendTed I didn't mean to...
@@Shiny_Hunter_Rob Now Joe is going to have to collab with Stuff Made Here so they can fix that button...
You SMASHED it awww
Try not to delete files unless you know it’s not going to be used. I did that once and the program couldn’t find a certain file to continue.
Wow, you did well on questions I had but could not find the answer. I like this series.
one of the most interesting videos i've seen in a long time with stuff i never really thought about too much but am very glad i know now.
also would like to know more about integrity levels! sounds interesting
How about understanding Disk Manager. I got no idea what these values are or do
Nit hard to grasp what's what but yeah video explaining it would be appreciated.
Your channel is a blessing.
This is really good content. I'm glad that @ThioJoe is moving in this direction versus pranks. I resubbed to the channel, because this is stuff that I can benefit from.
Finally someone who talks of the AppData folder. 🤩 It’s been almost a decade since I found out about it and the Local and Roaming folders - in a tutorial that showed how to get rid of the “hidden” files and folders left behind after you unistall a program.
For applications that elect to use both Local and Roaming, the typical layout is to put disposable "cache" type data in Local, and to use Roaming for actual explicit program settings/information that the user themselves might care about. This has the added benefit of not bloating out Roaming with data that can be safely discarded when synchronizing between machines.
I worked for an international company with 65k users and they used roaming profiles. This was back in early when Windows 2000 was new. While convenient when it works it also caused lots of issues. Sometimes the profile would become corrupt and had to be reset. But the biggest issue was that it could increase logon times significantly. Basically the roaming profile is stored on a network share and then pulled down to the client they are login on to. Some times users profiles were HUGE and it could literally take two hours before they were logged on, especially on remote offices with slow WAN-links. Fun times.
That's why there are two types of people: Those who hate computers and those who use Linux.
I learned a trick back then, where I would unplug the ethernet port to force it to let me finish logging in.
I later figured out that it was because a cloud syncing software stored all its data in my Roaming folder.
Its really cool to see how you changed your content around, from trolling to having actual informative videos about stuff you otherwise would be too lazy to learn. Thanks Thio!
You make awsome videos on computers and tech stuff. You're the best!
Don't forget there's a system profile appdata folder in C:\Windows :)
There's actually two of them: one under System32\config\systemprofile and one under SysWOW64. They're used by the SYSTEM account or, I think, any system account without a profile. I generally regard it as a dumping ground for apps installing or running in this profile-less context.
Thank you, after all these years I now finally know!
Thank you so much for being one of the only youtuber a that records camera video at 60fps. it looks so smooth and nice in my opinion. So many people say they prefer the cinematic look of 24 and 30, but not me. I love the 60fps
As a normal person, I don't see any difference at all until it drops below 20.
As usual, very thorough, intuitive and informative. ThioRulez!!
Thank you! I was wondering about this for many years! Searching for game save files in all these hidden lairs...
You should use the correct API-Calls to get the folder as it may be changed with some MS version or installation settings.
It's in the msdn-manual since the ancient time to not use any folder directly and instead call the windows api to get the folder-name.
In a domain the admins change the file dirctory in the domain settings.
I've read in the "The old new thing blog" that in the early days, developers reverse engineered an internal windows struct to grab some data. When Microsoft changed the layout of that struct, programs stopped working. So they made a workaround. This mess is both the fault of Microsoft being too tolerant with them and *** developers who are unable to read the documentation.
I never knew the reason for those folders, but knew that I could find certain information in those folders though. Thanks for explaining all the reasons for those folders and I will try to remember them.
I like this kind of informative video in the era of Unboxing & first impression.
I only use %appdata% when I'm playing minecraft maps or datapacks
Me too
I put mods there
Thanks! This video really explained this simply and thoroughly. I had been wondering what the different appdata folders are for. Just like probably so many others, I encountered them due to Minecraft (e.g. my daughter wanted to move her Minecraft installation and maps to another computer, and they were hidden under appdata).
Excellent Explaination.... It solves a lot of confusions in my mind for many years. Thanks
Nice that’s a great explanation! As a game user and also being developer I moved the mods folder to Documents for all my projects. Really better in this use case.
I've always treated the local folder as "disposable or easily replaceable stuff." Browser cache, Outlook OST file, etc. Roaming is often user custom stuff that would suck if it were lost.
Back in my QA and Tech Support days, I worked with a few developers that didn't know what the different AppData folders were for.
TBF, it's not like a lot of this stuff is abundantly clear. MS has grand visions, sometimes, and unless you know to go looking for documentation that explains it, you just kinda follow whatever interpretation makes sense to you. (Or what you read second-hand on a forum post somewhere.)
@@nickwallette6201 Not helped by the fact that Microsoft constantly changes their vision for Windows every few years, leaving an inconsistent mess.
ThioJoe
I really enjoy your uploads. You dumb it down so that even I can understand it. You recently did an upload of the processes your computer goes through when it starts up. Can you do one of what occurs when you close it down?
Thank you for this very insightful and quite informative video. I like it all.
Just want to say, I'm a big fan of "lightly tap the like button"
"Gently caress the Like button."
@@ReverendTed "Tenderly stroke the Like button."
@@IceMetalPunk Dude, I was thinking my "gently caress" might be a bit much, but that takes the cake!
@@ReverendTed I mean, I could certainly take it further, but then it gets into actually explicit territory 😂
Like button: "This is my first time. Be gentle."
FUNFACT @ThioJoe there is a shortcut for the appdata top appdata folder (time: 10:48 ) it is "appdata" instead of "%appdata%"
Amazing Video Thio! this is something that always ask myself!
Can I say I love you? I've learned so much from your meaty informative videos.
Thanks for making me a folders expert.
I started my journey with Windows 1.0 and have used every single version till today. So many weird things of Windows are just relics of backwards compatibility as skimmed in this video. Just like the evolution.
5:26 I recall if you're not part of a domain, the roaming folder is still there, the domain is just set to your microsoft account.
thats how some windows 10 settings are carried, for example, if you set a wallpaper while logged in to your microsoft account on your desktop, the wallpaper image is put in the roaming folder of your desktop which is linked to your microsoft account. Then when you setup a new windows 10 installation, and login to your microsoft account, that roaming folder is carried from your old pc and copied to the roaming folder on your new pc.
Very interesting! Keep it up, your channel is great
Every Minecraft Player knows that %appdata% is god
Yup
Y E S
Yas
Even launcher launches from there
i have my minecraft files on my d: drive
3:00 Just like Minecraft, except that most of the files are in "C:/Users/[Name]/Appdata/Roaming/.minecraft" while the Minecraft Launcher is located in "C:/Program Files (x86)/Minecraft Launcher"
yes
Speaking of, Joe actually has a .minecraft folder. The guy plays Minecraft! (see 10:23)
@@BellCube Who doesn’t play Minecraft?
I'm not sure why you guys are using forward slashes for the file paths. Windows uses backslashes for object identification to include folder paths
@@greglir Still works if you type it in to Explorer tho
I liked this video so much i actually double clicked the like button to make sure!
THIS is why I subscribe to this channel. Thanks for the information!
So basically from what i understood from this vid
AppData = ~/.config + ~/.local
I understand. Windows it's a really mess. In the next 10 year's windows will have tons of folder's with tons of files with pentabytes of really mess of nothing!!!
Yeah, you often see in Programs for Linux and Windows, that files in .local will go to %LocalAppData% and .config to %AppData%. (But of course there are exceptions)
@sazanlip i hate non standard XDG apps
can you make what happens if you stop all windows processes?
Hm maybe
You will get a BSOD if you kill a critical process and the erorr code will be CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED
@@binku09 link?
@@ThioJoe it would be hard cause some just BSOD with CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED . it would be cool to see what happens if you avoid the BSOD ones
@@autogreen2k519 Yeah
Incredibly well explained. Thank you.
Great video, I’ve always wondered about the different folders in windows.
The uploader forgot to mention the Windows Registry in this video. Some applications could also store settings in the registry (regedit.exe). In fact, the list of installed programs in Control Panel actually comes from the registry!
Yeah, the registry is more for Windows OS settings rather than application settings. A few do utilise the registry though, you're right.
Appdata is for all the times you've dated an app
Change my mind
To be fair, I probably have a better chance of dating an app than a woman at this point in my sad, lonely life >_>
@@IceMetalPunk Rip for you my friend
Good stuff as always! Keep up theincredible work.
Excellent! Info I didn't know and will make (some parts) of life more easy.
I get really annoyed when programs put files into my documents folder, especially large files, as these get synced up to my OneDrive and take up space.
People who mod minecraft: _I'm 4 parallel universes ahead of you_
My library of installed mods is starting to grow exponentially
Love your content Thio
This is very well explained, thank you!!
Malware can get into these folders. I had something really nasty that kept coming back and I had to clean it out manually. There was always something in these folders. Can't remember the exact one offhand.
Was it presenoker?
Advantage of putting the Config files in the Programm Folder:
You can make the Program Portable, eg installing it on a USB drive and use it somewhere else
You mean, saving the config files in the installation directory?
In modern Windows editions, trying to write into Program files with write into Virtual Store instead, because the app directories are restricted by default.
@@leoncitoamx a USB Stick is clearly not in the Program Files directory... or restricted in such a way by Windows afaik.
With Programm Directory i reffered only to the Path the Programm was started from, not any specific Folder in particular...
@@unitrader403 that's actually common. A lot of apps provide an installer and also a zip file for a USB memory, for example. There are even apps whose settings let you choose where to store the settings.
This was great! Subscribed!
Excellent video! Thank you! Liked and subscribed.
Yeah, we were never supposed to write stuff into the program folder.
NTFS/Windows XP was just the first tine that rule was enforced.
How many OGs here have had OTJ experience modifying the permissions of someone's Program Files\app folder to allow the program to write its INI file without crashing? haha
@@nickwallette6201 I have no idea what any of those Acronyms mean.
@@christopherg2347 OG=old people. OTJ=on-the-job.
@@nickwallette6201 Never: scripted login / logoff scripts, with elevated privilege, to change permissions of the file in question, but never the app's containing folder; and never permanently - always via login / logoff script.
I use the AppData folder when I want to install new texture packs for minecraft xD
ECKS DEE
Only reason to go in there
AND MODS
@@hippugamer6689 True
@@hippugamer6689 My god curseforge has become too useful to me
nailed the lightning, awesome video
Even though I understand very little about computers, this was easy to follow.
Thanks!
This is exactly why I like dockers, as you can easily set the location where each docker container saves their files to, and they don't have access to other locations if you don't give them permission. Meanwhile Windows programs save their files all over the place, some to the AppData folder, some to the Documents folder, some to the ProgramData folder, some to the user's home directory, some even in their installation directory. Even after uninstalling, many applications will have leftover files all over the place.
Docker is all fine and good, until you are in a corporate network, behind a firewall, and acccess only to a private registry, then you have to edit all dockerfiles and compose files to add the url of private registry in the name of the package.
And docker dev team is super pissy about allowing to change the default registry to anything other than docker hub
Those files are left behind on purpose in case you decide to reinstall the application. Same deal with the current user registry. When you reinstall, your settings and data are still there.
@@mazessj But this is not what I want if I uninstall a program. Programs should stop to try being smarter than me. May be they can ASK ME, if I want to keep settings.
@@tomkohler1609 This is a valid concern. Some (but very few) programs will ask you on uninstall whether you want to delete the application data/settings. Most don't. But most also default to not deleting this data, which is the safer assumption.
Greetings from Belém Brazil 🙂😎👊👍
Good video/information Joe!
I actually learn something new, thanks joe, very informative
This video immediately reminds me of Minecraft.
Well I already know the difference between the "AppData" and the "ProgramData" folders. And the 2 Program Files.
Quality video. I understood some but not all of this before. This was informative.
This is really insightful!
You can type %appdata%/.. to get into the AppData folder.
And %appdata%/../locallow folder
@@abdulelahfallatah yes, but it also works with win+r
I really want to comment something about that python screen, but I can't think of anything lolll
Genuinely useful information.
I have always wondered why the app data folder on old PCs is always full of gigabytes of random crap and why that stuff is there in the first place
Great video! Thanks for sharing!
So basically Windows is absolutely shitty designed? Got it
Now just imagine this 🙏 how many people were born 🙏 while you watch the video 🙏
Lol your intro is actually good unlike some other youtube videos
Very informative and right to the point.