Where are "virtualized" folders in Vista?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Dan
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Dan

I thought I knew but I just installed build 5536 (Vista "Ultimate"?) and for
the life of me I can't find it. Looking in Windows Explorer I can see a
total of THREE folders: "Program Files", "Users" and "Windows". Under
"c:\Users\[my user name]\" there is "Contacts, Desktop, Documents,
Downloads, Favorites, Links, Music, Pictures, Saved Games, Searches and
Videos. It isn't under any of those. My app writes to a log file in the
application folder under Program Files (I'll be changing that) but of course
due to UAC it doesn't
end up there. It should be someplace like "c:\Documents and Settings\[my
user name]\Application Data\" but there is no such directory tree.
 
You have to turn on show hidden files in order to see the folders
(Organize -> Folder and Search Options -> View Tab from an explorer window).

(Note that the old Windows XP folders that are ghosted out with a shortcut
icon are junctions that point to replacement folders in Vista, not real
folders, and you can't double-click on them in explorer).

I believe the virtualized area is here:

c:\users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\
 
Jimmy Brush said:
You have to turn on show hidden files in order to see the folders
(Organize -> Folder and Search Options -> View Tab from an explorer
window).

(Note that the old Windows XP folders that are ghosted out with a shortcut
icon are junctions that point to replacement folders in Vista, not real
folders, and you can't double-click on them in explorer).

I believe the virtualized area is here:

c:\users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\
Click to expand...

Found it. Thanks for you help. I find much of the changes made in the name
of security to be a royal pain in the butt. Vista seems to throw up more
obstacles for the user than any previous version of Windows. All in the
name of security. Kind of like how my wife couldn't bring a three inch pair
of cross-stitching scissors onto an airplane (the blades themselves were
less than an inch) in the name of "security".

Microsoft's slogan used to be "Where do you want to go today?" Now it seems
to be "You can't go there!"
 
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