Solved Application Data folder inside Application Data folder

[BlessYahowah]

I am running Windows 8 Pro 64-bit. In the hidden folder "All Users" is a folder named "Application Data". Inside it is a folder named "Application Data". Inside that is yet another folder named "Application Data". This nonsense repeats itself to a depth of 16 folders, all named "Application Data". I cannot remove them. Windows tells me that I have to have permission from myself.

Norton 360 finds no risks or suspicious files on my computer.

Has anyone else had this idiotic problem? What causes it? More importantly, how do I get rid of that "All Users" directory tree altogether? I am the only user on my computer, so I don't need templates or anything else like that.

Thank you in advance for your helpful responses.

Richard

 

[kingtez]

Never seen that before!! judging by the lack of response sounds like its a new one!

It does definatly sound virus related in some way.

Malwarebytes in Safemode would find anything there, but wont undo the damaged caused assuming it is a virus of course. The folders would still be there!!

Suppose only way to fully sort that would be a refresh/reset.

Refresh - Maybe
Reset - Defo!

 

[Ztruker]

Application Data is a Junction or Hard Link. It points to AppData. Trying to view it just takes you in a spiral down to nowhere.

This started with Vista ad continues through Windows 8.1 Preview.

 

[arachnaut]

Yes, the links are made to support some older stuff, I think.

Here is an example of the issue:

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.2.9200]
(c) 2012 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.


C:\Windows\system32>streams /?


Streams v1.56 - Enumerate alternate NTFS data streams
Copyright (C) 1999-2007 Mark Russinovich
Sysinternals - www.sysinternals.com


usage: streams [-s] [-d] <file or directory>
-s     Recurse subdirectories
-d     Delete streams




C:\Windows\system32>streams -s -d c:\Users\jim\.


Streams v1.56 - Enumerate alternate NTFS data streams
Copyright (C) 1999-2007 Mark Russinovich
Sysinternals - www.sysinternals.com


Error opening c:\Users\jim\AppData\Local\Temporary Internet Files:
The system cannot find the file specified.


Error opening c:\Users\jim\AppData\Local\Application Data\Temporary Internet Files:
The system cannot find the file specified.


Error opening c:\Users\jim\AppData\Local\Application Data\Application Data\Temporary Internet Files:
The system cannot find the file specified.


Error opening c:\Users\jim\AppData\Local\Application Data\Application Data\Application Data\Temporary Internet Files:
The system cannot find the file specified.


Error opening c:\Users\jim\AppData\Local\Application Data\Application Data\Application Data\Application Data\Temporary I
nternet Files:
The system cannot find the file specified.

...

 

[BlessYahowah]

Jim, that is exactly what I encountered! Moreover, I was unable to delete anything in the bottom-most directory because the path name was too long for Windows.

So here is what I did to resolve the problem:

• 
  [*=1]Beginning with the first "Application Data" sub-directory, I renamed it "1"
  [*=1]I renamed the next "Application Data" sub-directory below that "2"
  [*=1]Continuing that process, I renamed all the "Application Data" sub-directories
  [*=1]Now Windows could swallow the path without throwing up all over itself
  [*=1]I opened the bottom-most directory, "16", reset all the file attributes, and deleted all the files
  [*=1]I moved up a directory and removed the now empty "16" subdirectory
  [*=1]I continued doing that until all the offending directories were gone

Problem solved!

Thank you guys for pitching in! Yahowah bless you.

Richard

 

[arachnaut]

Well, I don't think I would delete anything here.
The All Users application data is used when you add a new account and may be used by the current user account.
These junctions are a nuisance, but I think they are harmless.
Perhaps you can safely delete some of them if you are using all-new 64-bit apps, but if you are using a mix of old and newI would just leave this stuff alone.
As an example of something similar, Office 2010 still installs lots of things using the old 8.3 shortnames, for example, the ones that look like this 'C:\Proga~1\Name~2'.
I think when the new OS (ReFS) becomes more popular all these old relics will go away (because some of these are not supported).

When Windows 95 was released, and touted as a 32-bit OS, there was still quite a lot of 16-bit thunking going on.
We should all have 64-bit only apps in our 64-bit Windows, but take a look...

I'm not a Windows programmer, so I don't know how hard it is to port a 32-bit app to a 64-bit app, but I suppose there are a lot of issues...

 

[Ztruker]

I suspect you will end up with problems at some point. As mentioned, Application Data is no longer directory structure (folder tree). Now it simply a link or junction to AppData.

Why do you feel the need to remove them? Ignore Application Data, look in AppData for things.

 

[dbltapp]

I found this in Win 8.1. The system seems to install copies of program files at each "application data\". A new user profile is just over 2GB. After installing some programs it's over 70GB.

 

[jaxx0rr]

use
rmdir "Application Data"
it will remove the simlink/hardlink only and keep the original folder (appdata)

 

[Lifewalker]

This post is a little dated but putting this out again for clarity! Believe it or not the "infinite" recursion of Application Data folders are by design. They are not folders but junctions and should be left alone! This has being going on since Vista. It can be a nightmare when the permissions get changed. The JunctionBox application really works.
Here:

Stop Application Data folder replicating? - Windows 7 Help Forums

Whooboy! JunctionBox rocks! Fixed the many levels of duplicate folders in a flash. MANY THANKS. Regards, Dick

www.sevenforums.com

And here:

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/infinite-application-data-folders-and-subfolders/e5c13e20-2271-4329-bde8-c93cb1988139

I wouldn't use that Softoxi site mentioned

Junction Box - Browse Files at SourceForge.net

Provides a means to backup, transfer or restore the special filesystem 'junctions' within Windows Vista/7/8/10 user-profiles and system folders.…

sourceforge.net

 

[rcjr]

I know this is old but I was searching on the same issue and came across this post. I pulled the drive from the bluescreening computer and was backing up the user profile when I saw this. Each Application Data folder had a Outlook.ost file. Seems more then just a junction. This was a hard drive that was pulled for data backup.

 

[TechnoMage]

Life is so much simpler, when y'all just stay out of the inner workings of Windows. Old saying: "if it's working, don't mess with it!"
Digging in to Windows, and trying to fix something that ain't broken will usually result in a broken OS.
Just believe, that the people who initially wrote Windows, actually knew what they were doing. I know.....sometimes it's hard to believe.

The things in Windows, that we can actually change, were put there on purpose, by the authors. Many fall under the heading of "Safe Defaults". Like, the 30 second delay in boot time. They left an opening (in MSCONFIG) where we can reduce that to just 3 seconds, for a faster boot-up.

Also by default, the registry is left on the hard drive, but, there is a Registry Tweak that will cause the registry to load into RAM on Boot, for a much faster and more efficient running PC. Not necessary if the HD is actually an SSD.

And, the list goes on.

 

[rcjr]

Life is so much simpler, when y'all just stay out of the inner workings of Windows. Old saying: "if it's working, don't mess with it!"
Digging in to Windows, and trying to fix something that ain't broken will usually result in a broken OS.
Just believe, that the people who initially wrote Windows, actually knew what they were doing. I know.....sometimes it's hard to believe.

The things in Windows, that we can actually change, were put there on purpose, by the authors. Many fall under the heading of "Safe Defaults". Like, the 30 second delay in boot time. They left an opening (in MSCONFIG) where we can reduce that to just 3 seconds, for a faster boot-up.

Also by default, the registry is left on the hard drive, but, there is a Registry Tweak that will cause the registry to load into RAM on Boot, for a much faster and more efficient running PC. Not necessary if the HD is actually an SSD.

And, the list goes on.

Your post adds nothing of value but some random rambling.

Actually the system I was working on was broken. I didn't go in there looking to speed up or maximize performance. Those nestled application folders had ost files in them. They filled the drive and it crashed Windows.