What's the difference between AppData\Local and AppData\Roaming?

To misquote, I think, Philadelphia - explain it to me like I'm a 6-year-old.

What's the difference between the two locations?

Thanks!

Accessing Windows Vista Documents and Setting Folder
http://www.lancelhoff.com/2007/09/22...etting-folder/

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows Desktop Experience -
Windows Vista Enthusiast

---------------------------------------------------------------

"vandynd" <vandynd@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:97C4BD54-7A24-4B1D-A3CC-3CD3E55624E8@microsoft.com...
To misquote, I think, Philadelphia - explain it to me like I'm a 6-year-old.

What's the difference between the two locations?

Thanks!

Thanks for the post, Carey. Though I really do feel like a fool. . .I don't
have enough background knowledge about the structure of XP to interpret the
link. I'm wondering why Outlook outs the .pst under one location and other
user files under the other.


"Carey Frisch [MVP]" wrote:

> Accessing Windows Vista Documents and Setting Folder
> http://www.lancelhoff.com/2007/09/22...etting-folder/
>
> --
> Carey Frisch
> Microsoft MVP
> Windows Desktop Experience -
> Windows Vista Enthusiast
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------
>
> "vandynd" <vandynd@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:97C4BD54-7A24-4B1D-A3CC-3CD3E55624E8@microsoft.com...
> To misquote, I think, Philadelphia - explain it to me like I'm a 6-year-old.
>
> What's the difference between the two locations?
>
> Thanks!
>

Roaming folders copied to the server when the user logs off the client computer in a Domain environment.

<Q>

Windows uses the Local and LocalLow folders for application data that does not roam with the user. Usually this data is either machine specific or too large to roam. The AppData\Local folder in Windows Vista is the same as the Documents and Settings\username\Local Settings\Application Data folder in Windows XP.

Windows uses the Roaming folder for application specific data, such as custom dictionaries, which are machine independent and should roam with the user profile. The AppData\Roaming folder in Windows Vista is the same as the Documents and Settings\username\Application Data folder in Windows XP.
</Q>
--
Regards,

Ramesh Srinivasan, Microsoft MVP [Windows Shell/User]
Windows® Troubleshooting http://www.winhelponline.com
Winhelponline.com blog http://www.winhelponline.com/blog


"vandynd" <vandynd@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:97C4BD54-7A24-4B1D-A3CC-3CD3E55624E8@microsoft.com...
To misquote, I think, Philadelphia - explain it to me like I'm a 6-year-old.

What's the difference between the two locations?

Thanks!

On Sun, 4 May 2008 12:57:57 +0530, Ramesh, MS-MVP wrote:

> <Q>
>
> Windows uses the Local and LocalLow folders for application data that does not roam with the user. Usually this data is either machine specific or too large to roam. The AppData\Local folder in Windows Vista is the same as the Documents and Settings\username\Local Settings\Application Data folder in Windows XP.
>
> Windows uses the Roaming folder for application specific data, such as custom dictionaries, which are machine independent and should roam with the user profile. The AppData\Roaming folder in Windows Vista is the same as the Documents and Settings\username\Application Data folder in Windows XP.
> </Q>

So what's the LocalLow folder for?

And why can't Windows work out if you need a roaming profile or not?

--
Chris Game

"GoogleBar?? I could eat them all day !!" -- Grimly Fiendish

"LocalLow" is the low integrity folder which is used by Internet Explorer add-ons. When IE runs in protected mode, the extensions use the "LocalLow" folder for storing files/settings.

>> And why can't Windows work out if you need a roaming profile or not?

The Roaming folder is to preserve user data. Imagine a company with 1000 workstations, and employee use different workstations each day. By roaming the user profile data (copy to server), the custom data is always available regardless of any workstation the employee uses.

--
Regards,

Ramesh Srinivasan, Microsoft MVP [Windows Shell/User]
Windows® Troubleshooting http://www.winhelponline.com
Winhelponline.com blog http://www.winhelponline.com/blog


"Chris Game" <chrisgame@example.net> wrote in message news:11d8lx2gaqtof.dlg@example9876.com...
On Sun, 4 May 2008 12:57:57 +0530, Ramesh, MS-MVP wrote:

> <Q>
>
> Windows uses the Local and LocalLow folders for application data that does not roam with the user. Usually this data is either machine specific or too large to roam. The AppData\Local folder in Windows Vista is the same as the Documents and Settings\username\Local Settings\Application Data folder in Windows XP.
>
> Windows uses the Roaming folder for application specific data, such as custom dictionaries, which are machine independent and should roam with the user profile. The AppData\Roaming folder in Windows Vista is the same as the Documents and Settings\username\Application Data folder in Windows XP.
> </Q>

So what's the LocalLow folder for?

And why can't Windows work out if you need a roaming profile or not?

--
Chris Game

"GoogleBar?? I could eat them all day !!" -- Grimly Fiendish

On Mon, 5 May 2008 00:56:14 +0530, Ramesh, MS-MVP wrote:

> The Roaming folder is to preserve user data. Imagine a company
> with 1000 workstations, and employee use different workstations
> each day. By roaming the user profile data (copy to server), the
> custom data is always available regardless of any workstation the
> employee uses.

Why would that not be true for anyone? Why have separate Local and
Roaming sections for AppData? There seems to be stuff in my Local
folder that I certainly would need if I moved to another machine
down the hall. I wonder if the applications or the OS decide which
folder should be used?

--
Chris Game

"Common sense is that layer of prejudices which we acquire before
we are six****." -- Albert Einstein

"Chris Game" <chrisgame@example.net> wrote in message
news:1ncthnm9rry8o.dlg@example9876.com...
> On Mon, 5 May 2008 00:56:14 +0530, Ramesh, MS-MVP wrote:
>
>> The Roaming folder is to preserve user data. Imagine a company
>> with 1000 workstations, and employee use different workstations
>> each day. By roaming the user profile data (copy to server), the
>> custom data is always available regardless of any workstation the
>> employee uses.
>
> Why would that not be true for anyone? Why have separate Local and
> Roaming sections for AppData? There seems to be stuff in my Local
> folder that I certainly would need if I moved to another machine
> down the hall. I wonder if the applications or the OS decide which
> folder should be used?
>

Roaming profiles are only available in a Domain environment AFAIK....

"Gordon" <gbplinux@gmail.com.invalid> wrote in message
news:fvnr2d$f0m$1@news.mixmin.net...
>
>>> The Roaming folder is to preserve user data. Imagine a company
>>> with 1000 workstations, and employee use different workstations
>>> each day. By roaming the user profile data (copy to server), the
>>> custom data is always available regardless of any workstation the
>>> employee uses.
>>
>> Why would that not be true for anyone? Why have separate Local and
>> Roaming sections for AppData? There seems to be stuff in my Local
>> folder that I certainly would need if I moved to another machine
>> down the hall. I wonder if the applications or the OS decide which
>> folder should be used?
>>
>
> Roaming profiles are only available in a Domain environment AFAIK....

You can set up Roaming Profiles on a workgroup environment, and you do not
need a domain, on 2000/XP, although I have never tried on Vista.

ss.

On Mon, 5 May 2008 21:35:26 +0100, Gordon wrote:

>> Why would that not be true for anyone? Why have separate Local
>> and Roaming sections for AppData? There seems to be stuff in my
>> Local folder that I certainly would need if I moved to another
>> machine down the hall. I wonder if the applications or the OS
>> decide which folder should be used?
>>
>
> Roaming profiles are only available in a Domain environment
> AFAIK....

So why does the system use the AppData/Roaming folder in a workgroup
machine?

--
Chris Game

"If at first the idea is not absurd, then there is no hope for it."
-- Albert Einstein