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Difference between revisions of "Glossary:Game data"

From PCGamingWiki, the wiki about fixing PC games
(→‎Appdata: noted XP %LOCALAPPDATA% equivalent)
m (→‎Appdata: noted XP LocalLow location)
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<code>%APPDATA%</code> and <code>%LOCALAPPDATA%</code> contain application settings for the current user profile.
 
<code>%APPDATA%</code> and <code>%LOCALAPPDATA%</code> contain application settings for the current user profile.
  
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Some games use <code>%USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow</code>; this location does not have a short environmental variable so must be specified in this longer form.
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Some games use <code>%USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow</code>; this location does not have a short environmental variable so must be specified in this longer form. For Windows XP use <code>%APPDATA</code>.
  
 
For Windows XP the <code>%LOCALAPPDATA%</code> files are stored in <code>%USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\Application Data</code>.
 
For Windows XP the <code>%LOCALAPPDATA%</code> files are stored in <code>%USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\Application Data</code>.

Revision as of 21:27, 11 May 2014

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Installation folder

The game's installation folder is where the game's files are stored. Save files are sometimes stored here as well but many newer games will put them in a different location.

Windows

  • For non-Steam games right click the shortcut and choose Open file location.
  • For Steam games right-click the game in the Steam library and choose Properties, then go to the Local files tab and click Browse local files.
  • Changes to %PROGRAMFILES%, %PROGRAMFILES(X86)% and %WINDIR% are redirected to %LOCALAPPDATA%\VirtualStore on Windows Vista and newer when the process is not running as an administrator; Steam and most MMOGs change folder permissions to save directly into the installation folder.

OS X

  • For non-Steam games open Finder and click Applications on the side. Some games will be in folders.
  • For Steam games right-click the game in the Steam library and choose Properties, then go to the Local files tab and click Browse local files.

Linux

  • For Steam games right-click the game in the Steam library and choose Properties, then go to the Local files tab and click Browse local files.

Data paths (Windows)

%USERPROFILE%

%USERPROFILE% points to the current user's profile folder.

Appdata

%APPDATA% and %LOCALAPPDATA% contain application settings for the current user profile.

Some games use %USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow; this location does not have a short environmental variable so must be specified in this longer form. For Windows XP use %APPDATA.

For Windows XP the %LOCALAPPDATA% files are stored in %USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\Application Data.

%PUBLIC%

%PUBLIC% points to the Public user profile folder shared between all users.

%PROGRAMDATA%

%PROGRAMDATA% contains program data shared between all users; for Windows XP use %ALLUSERSPROFILE%.

Windows registry

  1. Open the Registry Editor:
    • Vista and newer: open the Start screen/Start menu, type regedit, press ↵ Enter.
    • Windows XP: press ⊞ Win+R, type regedit, press ↵ Enter.
  2. Go to the folder named.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER

32-bit programs writing to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software are redirected to a Wow6432Node folder there; omit Wow6432Node if you are using a 32-bit version of Windows.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE

Programs writing to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE without administrator elevation are redirected to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\VirtualStore\MACHINE on Windows Vista and newer.
32-bit programs writing to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE are redirected to a Wow6432Node folder there; omit Wow6432Node if you are using a 32-bit version of Windows.