The AppData Directory in Windows and How to Keep it Clean

The AppData directory is Windows is a dumping ground for applications to store data. You can access it from cmd.exe using %appdata%.  Sometimes stuff you have uninstalled leaves stuff here so review it periodically and clean it up.

The AppData folder uses three locations for settings data:

• Local
• LocalLow
• Roaming

Roaming profiles are typically (not always) copied from a central server to the Roaming subdirectory in AppData. Local is for local profiles, and LocalLow is for less trusted applications running on local profile. An example of something which might be in LocalLow includes JREs, Apple QuickTime and Adobe Acrobat.

The annoying thing is that the AppData directory is typically hidden on Windows, and even once you've located it, there are many hidden subdirectories.

Media files take up the most memory. Here are some typical offenders:

• FLVService is one application that can rapidly occupy space in AppData.
• AppData\Local\Microsoft\Media Player\Transcoded Files Cache: you'll be surprised how many tmp files get created here