Redundant folders

[Vic Baron]

I did a search for a specific file and one of the hits was in this path:

D:\ProgramData\Application Data\Application Data\Application
Data\Application Data\Application Data\Application Data\Application
Data\Application Data\Application Data\Application Data\Application
Data\Application Data\Application Data\Application Data

So I worked my way down the folder tree and each level contained everything
above it - all the files and folders were duplicated over and over.

This system is a fresh install of Home Premium and has just two users -
Administrator and myself.

Is this normal????

Thanx,

Vic

 

[dean-dean]

Did you move the ProgramData folder from its default location? That is,
from one drive to another? Or is D:\ the drive Windows is installed on?

 

[Saucy]

I did a search for a specific file and one of the hits was in this path:

D:\ProgramData\Application Data\Application Data\Application
Data\Application Data\Application Data\Application Data\Application
Data\Application Data\Application Data\Application Data\Application
Data\Application Data\Application Data\Application Data

So I worked my way down the folder tree and each level contained
everything above it - all the files and folders were duplicated over and
over.

This system is a fresh install of Home Premium and has just two users -
Administrator and myself.

Is this normal????

Thanx,

Vic

No, it's not normal.

Saucy

 

[Andrew McLaren]

I did a search for a specific file and one of the hits was in this path:
D:\ProgramData\Application Data\Application Data\Application
Data\Application Data\Application Data\Application Data\Application
Data\Application Data\Application Data\Application Data\Application
Data\Application Data\Application Data\Application Data
So I worked my way down the folder tree and each level contained
everything above it - all the files and folders were duplicated over and
over.
This system is a fresh install of Home Premium and has just two users -
Administrator and myself.

It depends on how you are examining the directory (and possibly, how it was
created in the first place).

"C:\ProgramData\Application Data" isn't actually a directory, as such. It is
an NTFS Junction Point:

C:\ProgramData>dir /a
Volume in drive C is System
Volume Serial Number is 7846-1538

Directory of C:\ProgramData

07/09/2007 12:36 PM <DIR> .
07/09/2007 12:36 PM <DIR> ..
01/04/2007 05:28 PM <DIR> Adobe Systems
08/07/2007 06:11 PM <DIR> Apple Computer
03/11/2006 01:41 AM <JUNCTION> Application Data [C:\ProgramData]
03/11/2006 01:41 AM <JUNCTION> Desktop [C:\Users\Public\Desktop]
03/11/2006 01:41 AM <JUNCTION> Documents [C:\Users\Public\Documents]
03/11/2006 01:41 AM <JUNCTION> Favorites [C:\Users\Public\Favorites]
13/07/2007 07:21 PM <DIR> Google
04/08/2007 12:33 PM <DIR> GPSoftware
07/09/2007 12:36 PM <DIR> InstallShield
.... etc ...

If you examine the directory with a utility which understands Junction
Points, it may appear correctly. An application or file utility which
pre-dates Vista might not be able to follow Junction Points correctly, and
so they can see recursive paths, were none actually exist.

By default, "ProgramData" is created on the C: drive. The only reliable and
supported way to move it to the D: drive it to use a Windows Automated
Installation Kit (WAIK), and create an unattend.xml file with a

<FolderLocations>
<ProgramData>D:\ProgramData</ProgramData>
</FolderLocations>

Using the WAIK isn't quite as much hassle as it might sound; it's actually
quite fun. The WAIK is a free download, from here:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...-15f3-4284-9123-679830d629f2&DisplayLang=enIf you tried to relocate the ProgramData directory manually, you'd need tomake sure it was copied with a utility which recognised and handled JunctionPoints appropriately. For example, if you used XCOPY, you would need tospecify the "/B" parameter. Otherwise, the utility copying the files mightrecursively follow the links, creating "Application Data" directory afterdirectory ... But, to be clear: merely copying the directory to a newlocation after installation is complete, is not tested, not supported andthe results are unpredictable. The only reliable way to relocate theProgramData directory is to use a unattend.xml, during the setup processitself.Hope it helps.--Andrew McLarenamclar (at) optusnet dot com dot au

 

[Vic Baron]

It's a dual boot with XP Pro and D; is the Vista system drive, C: is the XP
Pro drive. That's where the folder was installed.

Did you move the ProgramData folder from its default location? That is,
from one drive to another? Or is D:\ the drive Windows is installed on?

 

[Vic Baron]

I did a search for a specific file and one of the hits was in this path:
D:\ProgramData\Application Data\Application Data\Application
Data\Application Data\Application Data\Application Data\Application
Data\Application Data\Application Data\Application Data\Application
Data\Application Data\Application Data\Application Data
So I worked my way down the folder tree and each level contained
everything above it - all the files and folders were duplicated over and
over.
This system is a fresh install of Home Premium and has just two users -
Administrator and myself.

It depends on how you are examining the directory (and possibly, how it
was created in the first place).

"C:\ProgramData\Application Data" isn't actually a directory, as such. It
is an NTFS Junction Point:

C:\ProgramData>dir /a
Volume in drive C is System
Volume Serial Number is 7846-1538

Directory of C:\ProgramData

07/09/2007 12:36 PM <DIR> .
07/09/2007 12:36 PM <DIR> ..
01/04/2007 05:28 PM <DIR> Adobe Systems
08/07/2007 06:11 PM <DIR> Apple Computer
03/11/2006 01:41 AM <JUNCTION> Application Data [C:\ProgramData]
03/11/2006 01:41 AM <JUNCTION> Desktop [C:\Users\Public\Desktop]
03/11/2006 01:41 AM <JUNCTION> Documents
[C:\Users\Public\Documents]
03/11/2006 01:41 AM <JUNCTION> Favorites
[C:\Users\Public\Favorites]
13/07/2007 07:21 PM <DIR> Google
04/08/2007 12:33 PM <DIR> GPSoftware
07/09/2007 12:36 PM <DIR> InstallShield
... etc ...

If you examine the directory with a utility which understands Junction
Points, it may appear correctly. An application or file utility which
pre-dates Vista might not be able to follow Junction Points correctly, and
so they can see recursive paths, were none actually exist.

By default, "ProgramData" is created on the C: drive. The only reliable
and supported way to move it to the D: drive it to use a Windows Automated
Installation Kit (WAIK), and create an unattend.xml file with a

<FolderLocations>
<ProgramData>D:\ProgramData</ProgramData>
</FolderLocations>

Using the WAIK isn't quite as much hassle as it might sound; it's actually
quite fun. The WAIK is a free download, from here:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...-15f3-4284-9123-679830d629f2&DisplayLang=enIf
you tried to relocate the ProgramData directory manually, you'd need
tomake sure it was copied with a utility which recognised and handled
JunctionPoints appropriately. For example, if you used XCOPY, you would
need tospecify the "/B" parameter. Otherwise, the utility copying the
files mightrecursively follow the links, creating "Application Data"
directory afterdirectory ... But, to be clear: merely copying the
directory to a newlocation after installation is complete, is not tested,
not supported andthe results are unpredictable. The only reliable way to
relocate theProgramData directory is to use a unattend.xml, during the
setup processitself.Hope it helps.--Andrew McLarenamclar (at) optusnet dot
com dot au

It's a dual boot system and D: is where the folder was created by Vista. C:
is the XP drive. I consider the Windows Explorer version in Vista to be
adequate to traverse a Junction Point with no problem.

Since all are copies of the original folder I guess I could try deleting all
of them but the original and see what happens.

Puzzled as to how it could have been created in the first place.

 

[Andrew McLaren]

It's a dual boot system and D: is where the folder was created by Vista.
C: is the XP drive. I consider the Windows Explorer version in Vista to be
adequate to traverse a Junction Point with no problem.

Vista, yes. Explorer from XP - no. Likewise, any other file utilities which
aren't aware of recursive Junction Points (pretty well anything, which
predates Vista). In a dual-boot confiuration, you would need to be careful
that file system utilities running on XP never manipulate the Vista
directory tree. Weird stuff could result; like ... oh, I dunno, a deeply
recursed "Application Data" directory for example

It could also be cause by applications which attempt to use the Common Data
directory by opening a literal "C:\Documents and Settings\All
Users\Application Data" path, instead of calling
SHGetFolderPath(CSIDL_COMMON_APPDATA). That would probably qualify as a bug
in the application responsible.

Cheers,