Most of the fourth dimension, regular users practise non scavenge the system drive. All the same, sometimes, in an attempt to make clean a computer and repossess storage, users visit the drive C: and first removing apps and folders with various degrees of success. Thus, a user can find the hidden AppData folder. What is the AppData folder in Windows x (and 11)? How to open the AppData folder in Windows? Tin can you remove the AppData binder? This article will answer all your questions.

Microsoft introduced the AppData folder in Windows 7 in 2009. Since then, it is an integral part of the operating system. The AppData folder lives in a profile folder for each Windows user. Apps on your figurer salve various user-specific files and settings. For case, Minecraft, one of the near popular games in the globe, stores worlds and saves in the AppData folder.

It is worth mentioning that apps with global settings (settings that utilize to each user on a single computer) keep their files the C:\ProgramData folder.

How to Open the AppData Binder in Windows x/xi?

Windows hides the AppData folder by default. Also, hidden files and folders are not visible past default (hence the name). Here is how you tin find the AppData folder on Windows 10 and 11.

Open AppData Binder on Windows 10

  1. Open up File Explorer and click the View tab.
  2. Place a checkmark adjacent to the Hidden items pick. how to clean appdata folder windows 10
  3. At present go to the C:\Users\Your username folder and open the subconscious AppData binder (it has a transparent icon).

Open AppData binder on Windows xi

  1. To open the AppData binder in Windows 11, open File Explorer and click View > Prove > Hidden Items. That makes hidden files and folders visible. clean appdata
  2. Go to the C:\Users\Your username binder.

There is some other way to open the AppData binder in Windows 10 and 11. You tin can press Win + R and enter %USERPROFILE%\AppData. Alternatively, paste %USERPROFILE%\AppData into the address bar in File Explorer. Note that that action does non require enabling hidden files and folders every bit the control gets you directly to the needed directory. clean appdata windows 10

What is AppData folder?

The AppData folder on Windows 10 and 11 has three boosted folders: Local, LocalLow, and Roaming. Hither is what do they do:

  • Local. This folder stores device-specific settings and temporary files. There is a carve up environment variable %LOCALAPPDATA% for this binder that you lot can apply in your batch files and scripts.
  • LocalLow. Hither Windows stores mainly buffer data generated by various apps (Internet Explorer, Coffee, Adobe, etc.). It is also used by depression-level admission systems, for example, for temporary files of your browser when working in protected mode. This directory also cannot exist moved to another computer.
  • Roaming. You can transfer files in this folder to some other calculator. The Roaming binder stores browser information, bookmarks, etc. This directory allows users to always work with a familiar environs on whatever server in the Remote Desktop Services subcontract when using roaming profiles or User Profile Disks. The environment variable for this directory is %APPDATA%.

How to Clean AppData Folder?

The AppData directory over time accumulates quite a lot of files and other garbage, which takes a lot of disk space. You can clean the AppData\Local\Temp directory without any harm to Windows.

The AppData folder becomes larger with each new app yous install. The more programs and games on your estimator, the larger the size of the AppData folder. Windows itself doesn't control the size of this binder, which means its growth is totally uncontrolled and is not limited. how to clean appdata

More importantly, uninstalling a program or game usually does non remove files in the AppData folder. As a issue, the AppData folder becomes filled with files and folders you no longer need or use.

Important. Do not Shift + Delete the app binder. Such a barbarian method will damage other apps on your computer. There is a dedicated tool for cleaning the AppData folder in Windows.

A standard disk cleanup utility in Windows 10 and 11 is what you need to clean the AppData folder.

  1. Printing Win + I and go to System > Storage. clean appdata folder
  2. Click your organization bulldoze, then select Temporary files.
  3. On the next screen, select Temporary Internet Files and Temporary Files. appdata folder cleanup
  4. Click the Remove Files push button and wait for Windows to delete all unnecessary files.

To salve space on the system drive, y'all can also motility the Roaming folder to another partition or drive. That will aid yous if the AppData cleanup did not solve the trouble.

  1. Open the AppData binder on the system drive and right-click the Roaming folder.
  2. Click the Location tab and specify a new location for the folder. windows appdata cleanup
  3. Click the Movement push.

In a similar fashion, you tin can specify a new location for the Temp folder. That volition help y'all make clean the AppData folder on Windows 10 and xi.

  1. Create a new Temp folder on a non-arrangement drive. For example, on a drive D.
  2. Printing Win + R and enter the sysdm.cpl.
  3. In the System Properties window, click the Avant-garde tab.
  4. Click the Environment Variables button. appdata cleanup
  5. Select TEMP and click the Edit push button. clean up appdata
  6. Specify the path to the previously created folder on another drive. windows clean appdata
  7. Repeat the aforementioned for the TMP variable.

Every bit an pick, launch Command Prompt with elevated privileges and execute the post-obit control to create an AppData directory junction (symbolic link):

mklink /d C:\Users\%UserName%\AppData X:\username\appdata

Replace X with appropriate drive letter. Next, sign in with a new contour with administrative privileges and move the binder to the new location.

  • Author
  • Recent Posts

Cyril Kardashevsky

I savor technology and developing websites. Since 2022 I'thousand running a few of my own websites, and share useful content on gadgets, PC administration and website promotion.

Cyril Kardashevsky