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0 pointskibibu1y ago0 comments

I cannot stand AppData, specifically the way it's often used to store files that should be in Documents.

0 comments

That should be covered by the part about "best practices".

That said, I keep finding more AppData files in my Documents folders than the other way around. Linux software (especially legacy software that doesn't respect the XDG spec) is the worst for that, somehow spreading files and directories across my user profile directory and my documents directory.

Dennip1y ago

Probably just preference but I hate when apps put things in the documents folder, thats where I want to put the things I've created specifically, not automated config files etc. There should be a 'Preferences' folder or something to separate the chod in AppData from the useful stuff.

jamesfinlayson1y ago

I'd never heard of AppData until a few years ago when I went hunting for where some game config file was getting written to.

Seemed like a bunch of disparate things with the most common probably being a dumping ground for programming language library caches (Maven and NuGet and maybe another couple).

kibibuOP1y ago

I lost my kid's minecraft world because it stored everything under AppData/Local or some nonsense.

mattl1y ago

How did you lose it? That sounds super frustrating

kibibuOP1y ago

By backing up everything in important-looking folders (including My Documents, My Games, the Minecraft installation folder), and overlooking AppData as it is 99% download caches, tempfiles, and other garbage.

2 more replies

Suppafly1y ago

>I cannot stand AppData, specifically the way it's often used to store files that should be in Documents.

Which programs do that? Or do you think things like preferences for programs should live among your documents?

Gracana1y ago

A lot of games store save files in appdata. That’s the only thing I (not op) can think of, and one I regularly find annoying (if only slightly).

Suppafly1y ago

Yeah I suppose that's the only example I can think of, I noticed a comment later mentioning that that is where minecraft saves things, although I'm not sure I'd want those in with my documents either. They probably should live some place that the user has access to, so I guess that leaves app data or documents, neither feels like a great choice.

pjmlp1y ago

It is not meant for that, rather blame the developers.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

0 comments

jeroenhd1y ago

That should be covered by the part about "best practices".

Dennip1y ago

jamesfinlayson1y ago

I'd never heard of AppData until a few years ago when I went hunting for where some game config file was getting written to.

Seemed like a bunch of disparate things with the most common probably being a dumping ground for programming language library caches (Maven and NuGet and maybe another couple).

kibibuOP1y ago

I lost my kid's minecraft world because it stored everything under AppData/Local or some nonsense.

mattl1y ago

How did you lose it? That sounds super frustrating

kibibuOP1y ago

2 more replies

Suppafly1y ago

>I cannot stand AppData, specifically the way it's often used to store files that should be in Documents.

Which programs do that? Or do you think things like preferences for programs should live among your documents?

Gracana1y ago

A lot of games store save files in appdata. That’s the only thing I (not op) can think of, and one I regularly find annoying (if only slightly).

Suppafly1y ago

pjmlp1y ago

It is not meant for that, rather blame the developers.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse