The appdata file located on your PC system disk intrigues you? It plays a precious role for your applications by retaining important data. Explanations.
You have heard of the appdata file, but you do not know its usefulness, nor how it is possible to access it? Our guide explains everything you need to know! First, note that this folder is by default masked and for a good reason: it contains data and information that it is preferable not to delete or modify. Therefore, avoid making changes as much as possible to keep your system in good condition.
What is the appdata file for?
Present in Windows Vista, 7, 8 and now Windows 10, the Appdata folder is used to store data and application settings and programs on your computer. This file and all the documents it contains are necessary for the proper functioning of the system and the software you have installed.
Each Windows user account has its own appdata file: if you have several user accounts on your PC, you will have just as many Appdata folders.
What is the role of local, locallow and roaming files?
Each appdata file contains three subfolders, each having a specific role
- Local Contains the data specific to a single computer, which is not shared with other computers, even present on the same field or network. There are in particular cache files, local parameters or data that the developers of a program do not want to see synchronized. Note that if your computer does not belong to an area, there is no fundamental difference between Roaming and Local.
- Locallow is similar to the local file, but it mainly concerns applications which only need to write data apart or that run with more limited security parameters. For example, your browser can temporarily store data when it is in private navigation mode.
- Roaming Contains “itinerant” data from the user, that is to say information that can be synchronized between different computers connected by the same user account. For example, this is what allows you to start a document on your desktop computer and then find it later on your laptop.
Where to find the appdata file?
As mentioned above, there is an Appdata folder for each Windows user account. An appdata file is thus found in the file of each user account. In addition, the appdata file containing potentially sensitive folders, it is automatically hidden by Windows: it is therefore necessary to display the masked elements.
- Open the file explorer, either by clicking on his icon in the taskbar, by typing the keyboard shortcut Windows + E.
- To display masked folders like Appdata, click the tab Display in the explorer window, then check the box Masked elements in the game Show/hide of the options ribbon.
- In the side pane, click on This PCthen on your main disc – as a rule, it’s the disc (C :).
- At the disk root, click on the folder Users.
- Then click on the folder linked to your main user account.
- Finally open the file Appdata.
- You can then explore the three files contained in Appdata: Local, Locallow and Roaming.
Can we delete the Appdata file?
The Appdata folder and its subfolders contain files useful for the proper functioning of the entire system and software. It is therefore strongly not recommended to erase it entirely or in part. If you feel that it occupies too much space on your disk, you can try to lighten it by launching a disk cleaning with the dedicated Windows tool, by erasing the Windows update files (see our practical sheet), by emptying the cache of your Internet browser or uninstalling programs that you no longer use (see our practical sheet). Sure procedures for your system and which should have the Appdata file alleviates.
This folder being by default hidden and non-accessible, it is not necessarily useful to save the content because you are normally likely to erase it by mistake. However, the backup of the file is not contraindicated either and can always be used if you want to keep the data related to the configuration of a software, backups of a game, etc. However, it will be necessary to explore the subfolders to identify the elements you wish to copy.
The copy of a specific folder present in one of the appdata subfolders poses no problem: it is fundamentally a file like any other, and you can perfectly copy it with conventional methods on another partition, another disk, a USB key, a network player, an online storage service, etc. The only real difficulty lies in identifying the file and its original location. If some names are fairly clear, others are obscure. This is the case, for example, files related to Mozilla applications (such as Firefox or Thunderbird), which are composed of a cryptic suite of signs.
You can also add the Appdata folder to the automatic backup procedure via file history (see our practical sheet), but keep in mind that this folder often weighs several giga-octets.