Nested Application Data directory

[Jeff]

Does anyone know why the Application Data folder is nested for what seems
like an infinite length. It is located at:

C:\Users\John\AppData\Local\Application Data\Application Data ... and on and
on.

 

[Doug]

Mine does not repeat in the way you describe (or at all) - Doug.

 

[Jeff]

The reason you probably don't see this is you do not have the "Hide
protected operating system files" option unchecked in the Organize | Folder
and Search Options | View tab.

Since posting I have learned that the Application Data folder is what is
called a junction in Vista apparently for older applications so they don't
get confused when looking for a place to store files. The problem is this
particular junction refers to the folder that it is within causing an
infinite loop which is a problem for virus scanners or backup programs which
will get caught into this loop. If anyone has any solutions to this, please
advise.

 

[Richard G. Harper]

I don't have it either, and I have set the same file and folder options you
have. I'd check any recently-installed programs, or especially any you
TRIED to install but failed, to see which one was the culprit.

--
Richard G. Harper [MVP Shell/User] (e-mail address removed)
* NEW! Catch my blog ... http://msmvps.com/blogs/rgharper/
* PLEASE post all messages and replies in the newsgroups
* The Website - http://rgharper.mvps.org/
* HELP us help YOU ... http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm

 

[Rock]

Does anyone know why the Application Data folder is nested for what seems
like an infinite length. It is located at:

C:\Users\John\AppData\Local\Application Data\Application Data ... and on
and on.

Did you change permissions on it to get into it? You shouldn't be able to
access that folder if the permissions were not changed. There is no need to
do so, because it doesn't contain data, it's a junction that points to
another folder where the actual data is kept. Restore the permissions to
what they were and don't change them for these junctions. These junctions
are set as access denied so legacy apps don't get confused by seeing the
recursive path that you are seeing.

Application Data is one of numerous folders carried over to Vista from XP
for compatibility for legacy apps but don't contain data. These folders are
displayed as dimmed with the shortcut error and give access denied when you
try to open them. To see the actual folder that contains the data and to
which the junction points, open an elevated command prompt, navigate to the
folder that holds the junction and give the command:
dir /al

Junctions are designated by <Junction> with the folder they point to in
brackets at the end of the line. From a post by Jimmy Brush here is a list
of these legacy folders that are junctions in Vista and the folders to which
they point.

Windows XP Location Windows Vista Location
\Documents and Settings \Users
\Documents and Settings\$USER$\My Documents \Users\$USER$\Documents
\Documents and Settings\$USER$\My Documents\My Music \Users\$USER$\Music
\Documents and Settings\$USER$\My Documents\My Pictures
\Users\$USER$\Pictures
\Documents and Settings\$USER$\My Documents\My Videos
\Users\$USER$\Videos
\Documents and Settings\$USER$\Application Data
\Users\$USER$\AppData\Roaming
\Documents and Settings\$USER$\Cookies
\Users\$USER$\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Cookies
\Documents and Settings\$USER$\Local Settings
\Users\$USER$\AppData\Local
\Documents and Settings\$USER$\NetHood
\Users\$USER$\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Network Shortcuts
\Documents and Settings\$USER$\PrintHood
\Users\$USER$\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Printer Shortcuts
\Documents and Settings\$USER$\Recent
\Users\$USER$\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Recent
\Documents and Settings\$USER$\SendTo
\Users\$USER$\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\SendTo
\Documents and Settings\$USER$\Start Menu
\Users\$USER$\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu
\Documents and Settings\$USER$\Templates
\Users\$USER$\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Templates
\Documents and Settings\$USER$\Local Settings\Application Data
\Users\$USER$\AppData\Local
\Documents and Settings\$USER$\Local Settings\History
\Users\$USER$\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\History
\Documents and Settings\$USER$\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files
\Users\$USER$\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files
\Documents and Settings\All Users \ProgramData
\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data \ProgramData
\Documents and Settings\All Users\Desktop \Users\Public\Desktop
\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents \Users\Public\Documents
\Documents and Settings\All Users\Favorites \Users\Public\Favorites
\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu
\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu
\Documents and Settings\All Users\Templates
\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Templates
\Documents and Settings\Default User \Users\Default "

 

[Jeff]

Yes, I may have changed permissions on my user directory on down awhile back
when I was frustrated about not being able to access some of my own files
and that would explain why I can access it. I did the dir /al as you
suggested and got the following:

C:\Users\John\AppData\Local>dir /al

Directory of C:\Users\John\AppData\Local

04/12/2007 06:33 PM <JUNCTION> Application Data
[C:\Users\John\AppData\Local]

As you can see it points to itself which is the problem. The list of
junctions you copied for me from Jimmy Brush and other lists I have since
found indicate that it should not even be in there. It is strange though
because yet others have reported it as well, for example the person who did
this article on junctions lists it:

http://www.svrops.com/svrops/articles/jpoints.htm

So do you think the loop could be related to my changing the permissions or
some dumb program I installed put it in there? BTW, I deleted it and my
virus and backup program now run fine but I am still curious.

I wish I could find an official list of all junctions in Vista or a list on
a newly installed version of Vista rather than just what people have
reported on there own PCs as they may or may not be accurate if programs are
installing these themselves as I sure did not put it there.

 

[Jeff]

Interesting, I have read that some have it and some don't. Since it points
to itself it seems it should not be there. I deleted it and it solved the
problem. What do you mean by check recently installed programs exactly? Is
there some installation log in Vista where I can see what directories where
created when programs are installed or do you mean I should delete the
junction and reinstall some programs I might suspect to find which one did
it?

 

[Rock]

Yes, I may have changed permissions on my user directory on down awhile
back
when I was frustrated about not being able to access some of my own files
and that would explain why I can access it. I did the dir /al as you
suggested and got the following:

C:\Users\John\AppData\Local>dir /al

Directory of C:\Users\John\AppData\Local

04/12/2007 06:33 PM <JUNCTION> Application Data
[C:\Users\John\AppData\Local]

As you can see it points to itself which is the problem. The list of
junctions you copied for me from Jimmy Brush and other lists I have since
found indicate that it should not even be in there. It is strange though
because yet others have reported it as well, for example the person who
did
this article on junctions lists it:

http://www.svrops.com/svrops/articles/jpoints.htm

So do you think the loop could be related to my changing the permissions
or
some dumb program I installed put it in there? BTW, I deleted it and my
virus and backup program now run fine but I am still curious.

I wish I could find an official list of all junctions in Vista or a list
on
a newly installed version of Vista rather than just what people have
reported on there own PCs as they may or may not be accurate if programs
are
installing these themselves as I sure did not put it there.

Yes it's due to you changing the permissions. You changed the permissions
on C:\Documents and Settings\Application Data.

Reset the permissions to what they were.

 

[Jeff]

Yes it's due to you changing the permissions. You changed the permissions

on C:\Documents and Settings\Application Data.

Reset the permissions to what they were.

Actually I only changed the ownership of C:\Users\John to my user name and
gave myself full control permissions from that directory on down.

C:\Documents and Settings\Application Data is the same as
C:\Users\Application Data as C:\Document and Settings is a junction to
C:\Users right?

In any case, I do not have an Application Data directory or junction in that
directory to change the permissions on and the problem directory
(C:\Users\John\AppData\Local\Application Data) is not beneath it anyways so
I don't understand how that would have helped if it were there to try it on.
Did you mean change the permissions on the problem junction,
C:\Users\John\AppData\Local\Application Data?

BTW, do you also have a junction at
C:\Users\[USER]\AppData\Local\Application Data pointing to the parent
directory? I am still unclear if it is even supposed to be there and if so
what purpose it serves?

 

[Rock]

Actually I only changed the ownership of C:\Users\John to my user name and
gave myself full control permissions from that directory on down.

C:\Documents and Settings\Application Data is the same as
C:\Users\Application Data as C:\Document and Settings is a junction to
C:\Users right?

C:\Documents and Settings points to C:\Users. I don't know about
C:\Documents and Settings\Application Data because it's access denied for
C:\Documents and Settings on this system and I'm not about to change the
permissions to look. From an elevated command prompt I can navigate to
C:\Documents and Settings but a dir /al gives File not Found.

I don't have a C:\Users\Application Data

In any case, I do not have an Application Data directory or junction in
that directory to change the permissions on and the problem directory
(C:\Users\John\AppData\Local\Application Data) is not beneath it anyways
so I don't understand how that would have helped if it were there to try
it on. Did you mean change the permissions on the problem junction,
C:\Users\John\AppData\Local\Application Data?

BTW, do you also have a junction at
C:\Users\[USER]\AppData\Local\Application Data pointing to the parent
directory? I am still unclear if it is even supposed to be there and if so
what purpose it serves?

Yes I do. It point to C:\Users\<Username>\AppData\Local

Change whatever permissions you changed on whatever you changed them on back
to what they were. There may be a way to go back to the default
permissions. I don't know. Maybe Jesper will see this thread and jump in.

 

[Jeff]

Change whatever permissions you changed on whatever you changed them on

back to what they were. There may be a way to go back to the default
permissions. I don't know. Maybe Jesper will see this thread and jump
in.

Ok, I had previously deleted the junction thinking it was not supposed to be
there since some others reported not having it. While that prevented the
looping, I have since come to learn that it is supposed to be in there after
all so I restored the junction and its default permissions and it no longer
loops. Thanks for your help.

 

[Rock]

Ok, I had previously deleted the junction thinking it was not supposed to
be there since some others reported not having it. While that prevented
the looping, I have since come to learn that it is supposed to be in there
after all so I restored the junction and its default permissions and it no
longer loops. Thanks for your help.

Great, glad you got things fixed.

 

[Lou]

Actually I only changed the ownership of C:\Users\John to my user name
and gave myself full control permissions from that directory on down.

C:\Documents and Settings\Application Data is the same as
C:\Users\Application Data as C:\Document and Settings is a junction to
C:\Users right?

C:\Documents and Settings points to C:\Users. I don't know about
C:\Documents and Settings\Application Data because it's access denied for
C:\Documents and Settings on this system and I'm not about to change the
permissions to look. From an elevated command prompt I can navigate to
C:\Documents and Settings but a dir /al gives File not Found.

I don't have a C:\Users\Application Data

In any case, I do not have an Application Data directory or junction in
that directory to change the permissions on and the problem directory
(C:\Users\John\AppData\Local\Application Data) is not beneath it anyways
so I don't understand how that would have helped if it were there to try
it on. Did you mean change the permissions on the problem junction,
C:\Users\John\AppData\Local\Application Data?

BTW, do you also have a junction at
C:\Users\[USER]\AppData\Local\Application Data pointing to the parent
directory? I am still unclear if it is even supposed to be there and if
so what purpose it serves?

Yes I do. It point to C:\Users\<Username>\AppData\Local

Change whatever permissions you changed on whatever you changed them on
back to what they were. There may be a way to go back to the default
permissions. I don't know. Maybe Jesper will see this thread and jump
in.

I printed, read and understood the article about junction points in Vista.

I erroneously took ownership of a number of junction points about a month
ago. I would be able to clean up the problem if only I knew what the
default for each junction point should be.

Do you or anyone else knows what the permissions should be?

Thanks.

 

[Rock]

"Lou" <123fourATbishopDOTcom> wrote

I printed, read and understood the article about junction points in Vista.

I erroneously took ownership of a number of junction points about a month
ago. I would be able to clean up the problem if only I knew what the
default for each junction point should be.

Do you or anyone else knows what the permissions should be?

Thanks.

I suggest you post to the microsoft.public.windows.vista.security newsgroup
with this question. Maybe Jesper or one of the other regulars might know.