Endless Application Data folders in Windows Explorer
When I browse to C:\Users\myuserid\AppData\Local\Application Data, there are endless Application Data folders shown under it. This just started so I'm going to try a System Restore but thought I would post this here in case anyone else has seen it and if so, knows what caused it and how to fix it. http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b5/ztruker/EndlessApplicationData.png Windows 7 RC1 build 7100
September 15th, 2009 3:38am

System Restore failed. I was hoping Windows 7 had made it more robust than it was in XP and Vista but apparently not. The only improvement is that it now tells you what failed, but you have no way to correct it.
Free Windows Admin Tool Kit Click here and download it now
September 15th, 2009 4:23am

I seem to have found the problem but I don't understand it. I had previously unchecked Hide protected operating system files (Recommended) in Folder Options / View tab. I just now checked it again and the endless Application Data folders are gone. Win 7 has something weird going on in Windows Explorer when it was unchecked. Can anyone else reproduce this?
September 15th, 2009 4:28am

Hi The Application Data folder in that location is not a normal folder. It is a folder Junction and is normally hidden, by default. The only reason that the junction exists is to redirect legacy applications, that are hard coded to look for that folder, to the new location in Windows 7. The new location is the C:\Users\myuserid\AppData\Local folder. It sounds like the permissions on that Application Data junction may have been changed. The permissions on all Junctions and Symbolic Links should be set to Everyone/Access Denied. I'm not sure why all of those sub-folders are being created, but you can experience some very unexpected behaviors when you change the default permissions on some folders.Hope this helps.Thank You for testing Windows 7 Ronnie Vernon MVP
Free Windows Admin Tool Kit Click here and download it now
September 15th, 2009 4:34am

Ronnie, this minor bug in Vista and up can be eliminated by deleting the junction "AppData\Local\Application Data", since legacy applications won't be looking there anyway.It is there so that the legacy apps can find the redirected location "AppData\Local" under the legacy path "Local Settings\Application Data", since "Local Settings" is also redirected to "AppData\Local".Instead, I like to delete the junctions "AppData\Local\Application Data" and "Local Settings", create a new "Local Settings" folder, and put reparse points in it. E.g.C:\Users\Brian>dir "Local Settings"Volume in drive C is 150g Dynamic IDEVolume Serial Number is 764A-8A32 Directory of C:\Users\Brian\Local Settings 08/31/09 05:48 PM <DIR> .08/31/09 05:48 PM <DIR> ..08/31/09 05:48 PM <SYMLINKD> Application Data [..\AppData\Local]08/31/09 01:14 PM <SYMLINKD> Temp [..\AppData\Local\Temp] 0 File(s) 0 bytesWith such a layout, the legacy paths still work:C:\Users\Brian>dir "Local Settings\Application Data\Temporary Internet Files"Volume in drive C is 150g Dynamic IDEVolume Serial Number is 764A-8A32 Directory of C:\Users\Brian\Local Settings\Application Data\Temporary Internet Files 03/25/09 01:42 PM <DIR> .03/25/09 01:42 PM <DIR> ..03/25/09 01:41 PM <DIR> AntiPhishing03/25/09 01:42 PM <DIR> Content.IE502/22/09 06:07 PM <DIR> Content.MSO09/14/09 08:24 PM <DIR> Content.Outlook09/14/09 08:32 PM <DIR> Content.Word09/14/09 07:00 PM <DIR> Low05/13/09 11:24 PM <DIR> Sqm03/25/09 01:42 PM <DIR> Virtualized09/13/09 11:12 PM 67 desktop.ini 1 File(s) 67 bytes
September 15th, 2009 5:11am

That particular Application Data Junction is very odd. It points at the Local folder that contains it. Since it's pointing at its own container, if you ever managed to view it with W.Explorer, it would expand-out recursively (indefinitely until it exceeds the 256 char path limit). The illustration appears to show exactly that.As Ronnie said, to fix it,restore itssecurity Special Permissions setting for Everyone in the field List folder / read data to Deny.If that Everyone entry is absent altogether, then it will need to be replaced (added).
Free Windows Admin Tool Kit Click here and download it now
September 15th, 2009 5:38am

Ronnie, this minor bug in Vista and...Directory of C:\Users\Brian\Local Settings\Application Data\Temporary Internet Files 03/25/09 01:42 PM <DIR> .03/25/09 01:42 PM <DIR> ..03/25/09 01:41 PM <DIR> AntiPhishing03/25/09 01:42 PM <DIR> Content.IE502/22/09 06:07 PM <DIR> Content.MSO09/14/09 08:24 PM <DIR> Content.Outlook09/14/09 08:32 PM <DIR> Content.Word09/14/09 07:00 PM <DIR> Low05/13/09 11:24 PM <DIR> Sqm03/25/09 01:42 PM <DIR> Virtualized09/13/09 11:12 PM 67 desktop.ini 1 File(s) 67 bytes Well bnb, it's just a coincidence that today I did a Vista Searchfor the folder named Virtualized. No matter what I tried, it just wouldn't find it. What gives?Like you, I also have an easy link set up for Temporary Internet Files, so I knew where it was. But that's not the point. Now I want to try it with Win7, but I just reloaded Vista. Partly because I couldn't stand Win7 Search. Yet ironically Vista just failed me here. Duh. I originally wanted to install Win7 (at least the beta or RC) on aUSB drive. You know, for convenient testing. But the installer said it was unable to support doing that, which I take it really meant it wasn't permitted.So, in passing, are you able to Search and find that folder with Win7 ?
September 15th, 2009 7:02am

derosneC:No, I can't find any using Windows Search.Yes, I can using a command line:C:\>dir/a/ad/s VirtualizedVolume in drive C is 150g Dynamic IDEVolume Serial Number is 764A-8A32 Directory of C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files 07/05/09 03:27 PM <DIR> Virtualized 0 File(s) 0 bytes Directory of C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\AppData\Local\Temporary Internet Files 07/05/09 03:27 PM <DIR> Virtualized 0 File(s) 0 bytesand so on, including,Directory of C:\Windows\System32\config\systemprofile\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files 07/05/09 11:27 PM <DIR> Virtualized 0 File(s) 0 bytesNote, many of the ones found are duplicates, listed under the reparse points in question.Btw, if you do this with the default, recursive links, it will take a long time.
Free Windows Admin Tool Kit Click here and download it now
September 16th, 2009 2:24am

Sure enough, the Everyone entry was missing. I had to uncheck Hide protected operating system files (Recommended), then I checked Security and it was not there. Added it with Deny and now when I try to expand Application Data I get Access denied. I suspect I may have shot myself in the foot on this one as I vaguely remember deleting Everyone on a few folders because I was getting Access denied, which I should be getting with this and a few other folders. I'm learning though. Thanks everyone for the information and help.
September 16th, 2009 3:24am

This topic is archived. No further replies will be accepted.

Other recent topics Other recent topics