Application Data object: what is this folder and why is it needed?

Probably, almost all users working with Windows operating systems, when installing a serious software product, noticed that some files are copied to the Application Data folder for OS versions of the seventh version and higher. What kind of object is it, present not only in desktop, but also in mobile "operating systems", now it will be told.

Main directory: why it is needed

To begin with, we should concentrate on some theoretical questions. Let's outline the main points about understanding what the Application Data folder is used for in any system.

Note immediately that in older versions of Windows the folder name may differ, but this will be discussed a little later.

The directory itself is designed to save non-core, and accompanying files of installed programs, which should be out of user's intervention. To make it clear, some of the settings files of games or soundbanks of virtual synthesizers (as well as configuration files) are stored here. Thus, the Application Data folder is, roughly speaking, a repository of information about all installed applications in the system, not counting the standard ones that are included in the set of "Windows" itself.

How do I find the Application Data folder (Windows 7)?

Some meticulous users try to find this directory through the standard "Explorer" or some other file manager. Unfortunately (and the disappointment of many), this proves to be a difficult task. The folder is a system folder, and because of the presence of such properties is hidden from the user's eyes.

However, the most important thing is that there may be several Application Data folders attached to a specific user in the system. If you really need to find this directory, you should use the file and folder display properties menu, which is called when executing the corresponding "Explorer" command. Here, a check mark is simply removed from the barring of displaying hidden objects, and that's all.

Windows OS: possible problems with searching, renaming and moving

Not everyone, of course, accesses when cleaning the system to the Application Data folder, especially since it is hidden. But searching by object name does not always produce the desired result.

This is the only reason that in some versions of Windows this directory is called AppData. By the way, on many mobile devices it is called exactly the same.

Is it worth changing the directory itself and its location

Now a few words about the cardinal changes. First, if you delete something from the folder, it's not a fact that an application that has been mapped to the corresponding files in that directory will start at startup.

No, of course, some of the simplest programs are launched, but most of the basic functions are unavailable, resulting in an appropriate type of error.

Naturally, it is not recommended to rename or relocate this folder (otherwise, you can disrupt the work of all the programs installed by the user). However, there is a way out, for example, when there is simply not enough space on the hard drive. Let's talk at once: from the location of this directory in the settings of the local user Local Settings / Application Data, the object's movement must be fixed in the system registry, otherwise Windows will not see this folder and the settings stored in it.

So, first, copy the folder to a different location, and then call the Registry Editor (regedit). Here we find the Shell Folders section, in which you have to specify a new location of the object to be searched for manually (for example, D: \ Application Data.

Among other things, it should be said that few users know how to find this folder, even if it is hidden. The capabilities of the standard "Explorer" make it possible, as they say, simply.

At the top right there is a search bar. It is on it that we will be guided. Enter the entry "% USERPROFILE% \ AppData" (of course, without quotes), after which the system displays the presence of the desired directory and its location, indicating that the object is hidden. But here you can get access to the folder only after activating the display of hidden files and folders.

Mobile Data Monitoring Application: what is it?

With regard to mobile systems, they also provide for the presence of folders that store the configuration settings of the installed applications. True, the directory itself is called somewhat differently (on Android systems, these are usually folders on the internal Android drive and DCIM).

Speaking of the concept of Mobile Data Monitoring Application, it is, in fact, a monitoring program (as the name suggests), focused on tracking the signal power in 3G / 4G networks and controlling the parameters of routers like fixed modems. So do not confuse the data needed to run the mobile application, and this utility. In the best case, it is useful only when working with programs that download content from the Internet during operation, in extreme cases - to monitor outgoing and incoming traffic, but no more.

The overall result

As you can see, basically only general questions about what the Application Data directory is, what is stored in it, and how it is used by the system in terms of installed programs and applets are discussed here. The conclusion is only one: it is better not to touch the folder. The maximum that can be done is to manually delete unused objects that remain after uninstalling some applications.

But even then it's better not to engage in amateur activity, but use professional utilities to remove programs like iObit Unistaller, which not only physically delete program files from the hard disk, but also erase all the "junk" entries in the system registry. In addition, such a statement of the question is the most safe from the point of view of the operability of the entire system as a whole.