safe to delete AppData/Local?

G

Gizzo

Is it safe to delete or change the location of AppData/Local and its
subdirectories? I'm trying to regain space in C:

Thanks
 
S

Synapse Syndrome

Gizzo said:
Is it safe to delete or change the location of AppData/Local and its
subdirectories? I'm trying to regain space in C:

No. That's where all your programs store their settings. Run the Disk
Cleanup Wizard and delete all but last Restore Point if you are so short of
space.

ss.
 
R

Rainer Meier

Synapse said:
No. That's where all your programs store their settings. Run the Disk
Cleanup Wizard and delete all but last Restore Point if you are so short of
space.

Well, this is only partially true. The AppData\Local and
AppData\LocalLow folders are the folders where applications store their
"local machine only" settings. This means that these files are by
default not synchronized to the roaming profile share (usually only in
use for corporate users).
The AppData\Roaming folder contains the settings for the applications
(at least according to the guidelines). The AppData\Local folder should
actually only contain volatile data or data which can be re-generated
easily such as caches.

In case you use roaming profiles you sign off at one machine then the
AppData\Roaming tree is synchronized to the roaming profile share. When
you log in on another machine your profile gets pulled from the roaming
profile server. This by definition does not include the AppData\Local
folder. Therefore on this machine this folder is basically empty.
Windows will then create some default structures like Temp or Temporary
Internet Files folders automatically (empty). Applications which do not
respect the volatile nature of the AppData\Local folder do not respect
the guidelines (I usually try to avoid using such programs).

Therefore it is theoretically safe to remove all files from
AppData\Local\*\** folders. However I am quite sure you cannot delete it
entirely as Windows will complain that it needs it (at run time).

In case the OP likes to free some space he should clean
AppData\Local\Temp\* and look out for some large folders to clean up
selectively. For example Outlook tends to write the mail archive folder
there (AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook\Archive.pst. Just note that this
is entirely correct from my point of view. This makes the Archive local.
If I roam to another PC I don't need the archive. In case my HDD dies I
just lose the archive (ie old e-mail). As the archive is usually growing
quite fast it would be very bad to store it within the AppData\Roaming
and synchronize it to the server at each login/logoff.

br,
Rainer
 
G

Gizzo

Well, this is only partially true. The AppData\Local and
AppData\LocalLow folders are the folders where applications store their
"local machine only" settings. This means that these files are by
default not synchronized to the roaming profile share (usually only in
use for corporate users).
The AppData\Roaming folder contains the settings for the applications
(at least according to the guidelines). The AppData\Local folder should
actually only contain volatile data or data which can be re-generated
easily such as caches.

In case you use roaming profiles you sign off at one machine then the
AppData\Roaming tree is synchronized to the roaming profile share. When
you log in on another machine your profile gets pulled from the roaming
profile server. This by definition does not include the AppData\Local
folder. Therefore on this machine this folder is basically empty.
Windows will then create some default structures like Temp or Temporary
Internet Files folders automatically (empty). Applications which do not
respect the volatile nature of the AppData\Local folder do not respect
the guidelines (I usually try to avoid using such programs).

Therefore it is theoretically safe to remove all files from
AppData\Local\*\** folders. However I am quite sure you cannot delete it
entirely as Windows will complain that it needs it (at run time).

In case the OP likes to free some space he should clean
AppData\Local\Temp\* and look out for some large folders to clean up
selectively. For example Outlook tends to write the mail archive folder
there (AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook\Archive.pst. Just note that this
is entirely correct from my point of view. This makes the Archive local.
If I roam to another PC I don't need the archive. In case my HDD dies I
just lose the archive (ie old e-mail). As the archive is usually growing
quite fast it would be very bad to store it within the AppData\Roaming
and synchronize it to the server at each login/logoff.

br,
Rainer

Thanks for all the replies. I've decided to just buy a new HD. I
backed up my entire PC. Problem is Windows Complete PC Restore can't
even find the image DVD but that should be another thread. Thanks.
 
S

Synapse Syndrome

sarahk said:
Hi, I found 12.6GB of data in my TEMP directory in my AppData folder...

Can I delete the whole TEMP directory? or at least the biggest files
there?

Yes. Type %temp% into an address bar (or the Start Menu?) select everything
by pressing CTRL+A and then press DEL.

ss.
 
S

Synapse Syndrome

sarahk said:
Hi, I found 12.6GB of data in my TEMP directory in my AppData folder...

Can I delete the whole TEMP directory? or at least the biggest files
there?


BTW, your apps or the OS must have crashed many times to build up so many
unpurged temp files!

ss.
 
J

Jim

Sorry for hijacking an old thread, but it seems very relevant.
On start-up I always have to acknowledge two separate warnings that
wvwxut.dll and urpqpo.dll are missing from appdata\local\temp, and
Googling these offers me no guidance.


They`re bugs .
 
M

Michael

Hazzer said:
Sorry for hijacking an old thread, but it seems very relevant.
On start-up I always have to acknowledge two separate warnings that
wvwxut.dll and urpqpo.dll are missing from appdata\local\temp, and
Googling these offers me no guidance.


--
Hazzer
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hazzer's Profile: http://forums.techarena.in/members/257351.htm
View this thread: http://forums.techarena.in/vista-help/938607.htm

http://forums.techarena.in
You're replying to a TWO YEAR OLD post.
Oh. Forgive me. I see you're another techarena moron who can't read,
doesn't realize he/she/it is posting to a Usenet newsgroup, and has no idea
how to start a new thread.
MORON!
 
M

Michael

Hazzer said:
Oh you know me!

Good day to you too.

I must confess that your reply isn't quite as constructive and helpful
as I might have wished, but still, just being acknowledged is a boost
for my self-esteem!


--
Hazzer
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hazzer's Profile: http://forums.techarena.in/members/257351.htm
View this thread: http://forums.techarena.in/vista-help/938607.htm

http://forums.techarena.in
Turn off your computer and go out and meet some real people for a change.
 
S

St

Hazzer said:
On start-up I always have to acknowledge two separate warnings that
wvwxut.dll and urpqpo.dll are missing from appdata\local\temp

Those are viruses. Check your registry for those names and remove every link
you're coming across.
 
R

R. C. White

Hi, Hazzer.

It's not your fault. Techarena doesn't bother to tell its "members" that
their posts are not kept within the Techarena family but are broadcast to
the world via Usenet and the Microsoft public news server - which is where
I'm reading your post. I am NOT a member of Techarena.

A major part of the problem is that Techarena doesn't bother to send the
whole thread. Just your bare-naked post. So we readers outside Techarena
have no idea what was discussed in the "old thread" that you hijacked. :>(

Maybe this won't be as much of a problem soon because Microsoft has
announced that it will close its public news server by October. But
Microsoft can't close the whole Usenet, so I suppose Techarena's "members"
will continue to get replies from non-members who will see their posts on
Usenet and will wonder what was discussed before they got into the middle of
the conversation. And those "outsiders" might be irritated enough to post
abusive responses. :>(

Please protest to Techarena about this. Since I'm not a member, my protests
don't matter much to Techarena. :>(

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
(e-mail address removed)
Microsoft Windows MVP
Windows Live Mail Version 2011 (Build 15.4.3002.0810)) in Win7 Ultimate x64

"Hazzer" wrote in message
Oh you know me!

Good day to you too.

I must confess that your reply isn't quite as constructive and helpful
as I might have wished, but still, just being acknowledged is a boost
for my self-esteem!
 
M

Michael

R. C. White said:
Hi, Hazzer.

It's not your fault. Techarena doesn't bother to tell its "members" that
their posts are not kept within the Techarena family but are broadcast to
the world via Usenet and the Microsoft public news server - which is where
I'm reading your post. I am NOT a member of Techarena.

A major part of the problem is that Techarena doesn't bother to send the
whole thread. Just your bare-naked post. So we readers outside Techarena
have no idea what was discussed in the "old thread" that you hijacked.
:>(

Maybe this won't be as much of a problem soon because Microsoft has
announced that it will close its public news server by October. But
Microsoft can't close the whole Usenet, so I suppose Techarena's "members"
will continue to get replies from non-members who will see their posts on
Usenet and will wonder what was discussed before they got into the middle
of the conversation. And those "outsiders" might be irritated enough to
post abusive responses. :>(

Please protest to Techarena about this. Since I'm not a member, my
protests don't matter much to Techarena. :>(

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
(e-mail address removed)
Microsoft Windows MVP
Windows Live Mail Version 2011 (Build 15.4.3002.0810)) in Win7 Ultimate
x64

"Hazzer" wrote in message
Oh you know me!

Good day to you too.

I must confess that your reply isn't quite as constructive and helpful
as I might have wished, but still, just being acknowledged is a boost
for my self-esteem!


--
Hazzer
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hazzer's Profile: http://forums.techarena.in/members/257351.htm
View this thread: http://forums.techarena.in/vista-help/938607.htm

http://forums.techarena.in
Dammit R.C.!!! You're trying to take my fun away!
 
R

R. C. White

Hi, Michael.

Sorry 'bout that. I sure hope you're not an old man who'll just kill me!
:>(

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
(e-mail address removed)
Microsoft Windows MVP
Windows Live Mail Version 2011 (Build 15.4.3002.0810)) in Win7 Ultimate x64

"Michael" wrote in message

R. C. White said:
Hi, Hazzer.

It's not your fault. Techarena doesn't bother to tell its "members" that
their posts are not kept within the Techarena family but are broadcast to
the world via Usenet and the Microsoft public news server - which is where
I'm reading your post. I am NOT a member of Techarena.

A major part of the problem is that Techarena doesn't bother to send the
whole thread. Just your bare-naked post. So we readers outside Techarena
have no idea what was discussed in the "old thread" that you hijacked. :>(

Maybe this won't be as much of a problem soon because Microsoft has
announced that it will close its public news server by October. But
Microsoft can't close the whole Usenet, so I suppose Techarena's "members"
will continue to get replies from non-members who will see their posts on
Usenet and will wonder what was discussed before they got into the middle
of the conversation. And those "outsiders" might be irritated enough to
post abusive responses. :>(

Please protest to Techarena about this. Since I'm not a member, my
protests don't matter much to Techarena. :>(

RC

"Hazzer" wrote in message
Oh you know me!

Good day to you too.

I must confess that your reply isn't quite as constructive and helpful
as I might have wished, but still, just being acknowledged is a boost
for my self-esteem!


--
Hazzer
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hazzer's Profile: http://forums.techarena.in/members/257351.htm
View this thread: http://forums.techarena.in/vista-help/938607.htm

http://forums.techarena.in
Dammit R.C.!!! You're trying to take my fun away!
 
M

Michael

R. C. White said:
Hi, Michael.

Sorry 'bout that. I sure hope you're not an old man who'll just kill me!
:>(

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
(e-mail address removed)
Microsoft Windows MVP
Windows Live Mail Version 2011 (Build 15.4.3002.0810)) in Win7 Ultimate
x64


I've personally never killed anyone. I just make the phone call. ;-)
 

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