APPDATA folder question
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From: Karl E. Peterson on 19 Dec 2008 16:54 Eduardo wrote: >> In some versions of Windows the folders aren't created automatically, so >> you have to use CSIDL_FLAG_CREATE(In shell32.dll version 5.00 or above). > > Did you mean shell32.dll version below 5.00? > What I understood so far is that with shell32.dll version 5.00 or above the > folder will exist for sure. Am I wrong? > > And seemingly, reading Karl's latest post in this thread, it existed in > Win95. Well, no, I don't have a totally "clean" Win95 machine to verify that on. It's possible that one of those few utility apps I installed might have triggered their creation. That said, there is no shell32 v5 on that box, either, because that came at a later version of IE, so there is no CSIDL_FLAG_CREATE option available. -- ..NET: It's About Trust! http://vfred.mvps.org
From: Karl E. Peterson on 19 Dec 2008 18:11 Eduardo wrote: >> In some versions of Windows the folders aren't created automatically, so >> you have to use CSIDL_FLAG_CREATE(In shell32.dll version 5.00 or above). > > Did you mean shell32.dll version below 5.00? > What I understood so far is that with shell32.dll version 5.00 or above the > folder will exist for sure. Am I wrong? > > And seemingly, reading Karl's latest post in this thread, it existed in > Win95. Here's an interesting datapoint. I just created a totally clean Windows ME virtual machine. Immediately following the initial boot, both CSIDL_APPDATA and CSIDL_COMMON_APPDATA existed, but CSIDL_LOCAL_APPDATA wasn't there. At that point, the API returns the following values: CSIDL_APPDATA: C:\WINDOWS\Application Data CSIDL_LOCAL_APPDATA: C:\WINDOWS\Application Data CSIDL_COMMON_APPDATA: C:\WINDOWS\All Users\Application Data But, as you saw, on my 95/98 VMs, that LOCAL_APPDATA folder definitely existed. So I'm thinking, you're pretty danged well off forcing the creation of the folder when you first create the INI file, otherwise you might have some real difficulties later when you come back to look for it. (Anyone think I'm reading that situation wrong?) None of these VMs specifically had multi-user support enabled, either. -- ..NET: It's About Trust! http://vfred.mvps.org
From: Eduardo on 19 Dec 2008 18:51 "Karl E. Peterson" <karl(a)mvps.org> escribi� en el mensaje news:e83hj8iYJHA.552(a)TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl... I have to say that I didn't understand this phrase: > you're pretty danged well off forcing the creation of the folder when you > first create the INI file, otherwise you might have some real difficulties > later when you come back to look for it. On other hand: I decided not to use the APPDATA folder in not NT systems (95/98/ME), and just to write to somewhere else on those O.S. versions as I used to do in the past. The other question is: do you think that now or in some future time it can be any trouble with it? I mean, do you think that some firewalls programs could do the same "nanny" work as Vista does on itself, but on 95/98/ME and disallow to write to "Programs files\appname" or "Windows\appname" or wherever? PS: I see that every time it is more difficult to keep an application compatible with all Win32 O.S. versions. PS2: This should be a so usual necessity (to know where to write for all O.S. versions), that I'm amazed that we are discussing it just now.
From: expvb on 19 Dec 2008 19:19 "Karl E. Peterson" <karl(a)mvps.org> wrote in message news:eDaks5gYJHA.3808(a)TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl... > For curiosity sake, I just fired up a Win95 (950b; build 1111) VM that's > *almost* pure. The API returns these folders: > > CSIDL_APPDATA: C:\WINDOWS\Application Data > CSIDL_LOCAL_APPDATA: C:\WINDOWS\Local Settings\Application Data > CSIDL_COMMON_APPDATA: C:\WINDOWS\All Users\Application Data You must have installed something that updated the shell, or you are using a different function. I have the same Windows 95 version that you have 4.00.1111, and the only thing that I installed on it is my standard EXE application which uses the VB6 runtime and two OCX files: MSCOMCTL.OCX and MSWINSCK.OCX. The shell version is 4.00, which is what comes with Windows 95. All of the CSIDL values above generate error &H80070057. Here are the constants and what they returned, followed by the VB6 source I used. To try the sample, add a TextBox and set MutiLine property to True, and ScrollBar to Both: Shell32.dll version: 4.00 CSIDL_DESKTOP: C:\WINDOWS\DESKTOP CSIDL_INTERNET: SHGetSpecialFolderLocation failed with error code(hex): 80070057, LastDllError = 0 CSIDL_PROGRAMS: C:\WINDOWS\Start Menu\Programs CSIDL_CONTROLS: CSIDL_PRINTERS: CSIDL_PERSONAL: SHGetSpecialFolderLocation failed with error code(hex): 8007000E, LastDllError = 0 CSIDL_FAVORITES: C:\WINDOWS\Favorites CSIDL_STARTUP: C:\WINDOWS\Start Menu\Programs\StartUp CSIDL_RECENT: C:\WINDOWS\Recent CSIDL_SENDTO: C:\WINDOWS\SendTo CSIDL_BITBUCKET: CSIDL_STARTMENU: C:\WINDOWS\Start Menu CSIDL_DESKTOPDIRECTORY: C:\WINDOWS\DESKTOP CSIDL_DRIVES: CSIDL_NETWORK: CSIDL_NETHOOD: C:\WINDOWS\NetHood CSIDL_FONTS: C:\WINDOWS\FONTS CSIDL_TEMPLATES: C:\WINDOWS\ShellNew CSIDL_COMMON_STARTMENU: SHGetSpecialFolderLocation failed with error code(hex): 80070057, LastDllError = 0 CSIDL_COMMON_PROGRAMS: SHGetSpecialFolderLocation failed with error code(hex): 80070057, LastDllError = 0 CSIDL_COMMON_STARTUP: SHGetSpecialFolderLocation failed with error code(hex): 80070057, LastDllError = 0 CSIDL_COMMON_DESKTOPDIRECTORY: SHGetSpecialFolderLocation failed with error code(hex): 80070057, LastDllError = 0 CSIDL_APPDATA: SHGetSpecialFolderLocation failed with error code(hex): 80070057, LastDllError = 0 CSIDL_PRINTHOOD: SHGetSpecialFolderLocation failed with error code(hex): 80070057, LastDllError = 0 CSIDL_LOCAL_APPDATA: SHGetSpecialFolderLocation failed with error code(hex): 80070057, LastDllError = 0 CSIDL_ALTSTARTUP: SHGetSpecialFolderLocation failed with error code(hex): 80070057, LastDllError = 0 CSIDL_COMMON_ALTSTARTUP: SHGetSpecialFolderLocation failed with error code(hex): 80070057, LastDllError = 0 CSIDL_COMMON_FAVORITES: SHGetSpecialFolderLocation failed with error code(hex): 80070057, LastDllError = 0 CSIDL_INTERNET_CACHE: SHGetSpecialFolderLocation failed with error code(hex): 80070057, LastDllError = 0 CSIDL_COOKIES: SHGetSpecialFolderLocation failed with error code(hex): 80070057, LastDllError = 0 CSIDL_HISTORY: SHGetSpecialFolderLocation failed with error code(hex): 80070057, LastDllError = 0 CSIDL_COMMON_APPDATA: SHGetSpecialFolderLocation failed with error code(hex): 80070057, LastDllError = 0 CSIDL_WINDOWS: SHGetSpecialFolderLocation failed with error code(hex): 80070057, LastDllError = 0 CSIDL_SYSTEM: SHGetSpecialFolderLocation failed with error code(hex): 80070057, LastDllError = 0 CSIDL_PROGRAM_FILES: SHGetSpecialFolderLocation failed with error code(hex): 80070057, LastDllError = 0 CSIDL_MYPICTURES: SHGetSpecialFolderLocation failed with error code(hex): 80070057, LastDllError = 0 CSIDL_PROFILE: SHGetSpecialFolderLocation failed with error code(hex): 80070057, LastDllError = 0 CSIDL_SYSTEMX86: SHGetSpecialFolderLocation failed with error code(hex): 80070057, LastDllError = 0 CSIDL_PROGRAM_FILESX86: SHGetSpecialFolderLocation failed with error code(hex): 80070057, LastDllError = 0 CSIDL_PROGRAM_FILES_COMMON: SHGetSpecialFolderLocation failed with error code(hex): 80070057, LastDllError = 0 CSIDL_PROGRAM_FILES_COMMONX86: SHGetSpecialFolderLocation failed with error code(hex): 80070057, LastDllError = 0 CSIDL_COMMON_TEMPLATES: SHGetSpecialFolderLocation failed with error code(hex): 80070057, LastDllError = 0 CSIDL_COMMON_DOCUMENTS: SHGetSpecialFolderLocation failed with error code(hex): 80070057, LastDllError = 0 CSIDL_COMMON_ADMINTOOLS: SHGetSpecialFolderLocation failed with error code(hex): 80070057, LastDllError = 0 CSIDL_ADMINTOOLS: SHGetSpecialFolderLocation failed with error code(hex): 80070057, LastDllError = 0 ' Form1 code ====================== Option Explicit Private Const CSIDL_DESKTOP = &H0 Private Const CSIDL_INTERNET = &H1 Private Const CSIDL_PROGRAMS = &H2 Private Const CSIDL_CONTROLS = &H3 Private Const CSIDL_PRINTERS = &H4 Private Const CSIDL_PERSONAL = &H5 Private Const CSIDL_FAVORITES = &H6 Private Const CSIDL_STARTUP = &H7 Private Const CSIDL_RECENT = &H8 Private Const CSIDL_SENDTO = &H9 Private Const CSIDL_BITBUCKET = &HA Private Const CSIDL_STARTMENU = &HB Private Const CSIDL_DESKTOPDIRECTORY = &H10 Private Const CSIDL_DRIVES = &H11 Private Const CSIDL_NETWORK = &H12 Private Const CSIDL_NETHOOD = &H13 Private Const CSIDL_FONTS = &H14 Private Const CSIDL_TEMPLATES = &H15 Private Const CSIDL_COMMON_STARTMENU = &H16 Private Const CSIDL_COMMON_PROGRAMS = &H17 Private Const CSIDL_COMMON_STARTUP = &H18 Private Const CSIDL_COMMON_DESKTOPDIRECTORY = &H19 Private Const CSIDL_APPDATA = &H1A Private Const CSIDL_PRINTHOOD = &H1B Private Const CSIDL_LOCAL_APPDATA = &H1C Private Const CSIDL_ALTSTARTUP = &H1D Private Const CSIDL_COMMON_ALTSTARTUP = &H1E Private Const CSIDL_COMMON_FAVORITES = &H1F Private Const CSIDL_INTERNET_CACHE = &H20 Private Const CSIDL_COOKIES = &H21 Private Const CSIDL_HISTORY = &H22 Private Const CSIDL_COMMON_APPDATA = &H23 Private Const CSIDL_WINDOWS = &H24 Private Const CSIDL_SYSTEM = &H25 Private Const CSIDL_PROGRAM_FILES = &H26 Private Const CSIDL_MYPICTURES = &H27 Private Const CSIDL_PROFILE = &H28 Private Const CSIDL_SYSTEMX86 = &H29 Private Const CSIDL_PROGRAM_FILESX86 = &H2A Private Const CSIDL_PROGRAM_FILES_COMMON = &H2B Private Const CSIDL_PROGRAM_FILES_COMMONX86 = &H2C Private Const CSIDL_COMMON_TEMPLATES = &H2D Private Const CSIDL_COMMON_DOCUMENTS = &H2E Private Const CSIDL_COMMON_ADMINTOOLS = &H2F Private Const CSIDL_ADMINTOOLS = &H30 Private Const CSIDL_FLAG_CREATE = &H8000& Private Const CSIDL_FLAG_DONT_VERIFY = &H4000 Private Const CSIDL_FLAG_MASK = &HFF00 Private Const SHGFP_TYPE_CURRENT = &H0 Private Const SHGFP_TYPE_DEFAULT = &H1 Private Const MAX_PATH As Long = 260 Private Const S_OK = 0 'Converts an item identifier list to a file system path. Private Declare Function SHGetPathFromIDList Lib "shell32" Alias _ "SHGetPathFromIDListA" (ByVal pidl As Long, _ ByVal pszPath As String) As Long Private Declare Function SHGetSpecialFolderLocation Lib "shell32" ( _ ByVal hwndOwner As Long, ByVal nFolder As Long, pidl As Long) As Long Private Declare Sub CoTaskMemFree Lib "ole32" (ByVal pv As Long) Private Declare Function GetFileVersionInfoSize Lib "version.dll" Alias _ "GetFileVersionInfoSizeA" (ByVal lptstrFilename As String, _ lpdwHandle As Long) As Long Private Declare Function GetFileVersionInfo Lib "version.dll" Alias _ "GetFileVersionInfoA" (ByVal lptstrFilename As String, _ ByVal dwHandle As Long, ByVal dwLen As Long, lpData As Any) As Long Private Declare Function VerQueryValue Lib "version.dll" Alias _ "VerQueryValueA" (pBlock As Any, ByVal lpSubBlock As String, _ lpBuffer As Any, nVerSize As Long) As Long Private Declare Sub CopyMemory Lib "kernel32" Alias "RtlMoveMemory" ( _ Destination As Any, Source As Any, ByVal Length As Long) Private Type TCSIDL lCSIDL As Long sCSIDL As String End Type ' Array to hold CSIDL values and text Dim CSIDL(100) As TCSIDL Dim CSIDLCount As Long Private Sub AddCSIDL(ByRef lCSIDL As Long, sCSIDL As String) CSIDLCount = CSIDLCount + 1 CSIDL(CSIDLCount).lCSIDL = lCSIDL CSIDL(CSIDLCount).sCSIDL = sCSIDL End Sub Private Sub Form_Load() Dim i As Long ' Fill CSIDL array AddCSIDL CSIDL_DESKTOP, "CSIDL_DESKTOP" AddCSIDL CSIDL_INTERNET, "CSIDL_INTERNET" AddCSIDL CSIDL_PROGRAMS, "CSIDL_PROGRAMS" AddCSIDL CSIDL_CONTROLS, "CSIDL_CONTROLS" AddCSIDL CSIDL_PRINTERS, "CSIDL_PRINTERS" AddCSIDL CSIDL_PERSONAL, "CSIDL_PERSONAL" AddCSIDL CSIDL_FAVORITES, "CSIDL_FAVORITES" AddCSIDL CSIDL_STARTUP, "CSIDL_STARTUP" AddCSIDL CSIDL_RECENT, "CSIDL_RECENT" AddCSIDL CSIDL_SENDTO, "CSIDL_SENDTO" AddCSIDL CSIDL_BITBUCKET, "CSIDL_BITBUCKET" AddCSIDL CSIDL_STARTMENU, "CSIDL_STARTMENU" AddCSIDL CSIDL_DESKTOPDIRECTORY, "CSIDL_DESKTOPDIRECTORY" AddCSIDL CSIDL_DRIVES, "CSIDL_DRIVES" AddCSIDL CSIDL_NETWORK, "CSIDL_NETWORK" AddCSIDL CSIDL_NETHOOD, "CSIDL_NETHOOD" AddCSIDL CSIDL_FONTS, "CSIDL_FONTS" AddCSIDL CSIDL_TEMPLATES, "CSIDL_TEMPLATES" AddCSIDL CSIDL_COMMON_STARTMENU, "CSIDL_COMMON_STARTMENU" AddCSIDL CSIDL_COMMON_PROGRAMS, "CSIDL_COMMON_PROGRAMS" AddCSIDL CSIDL_COMMON_STARTUP, "CSIDL_COMMON_STARTUP" AddCSIDL CSIDL_COMMON_DESKTOPDIRECTORY, _ "CSIDL_COMMON_DESKTOPDIRECTORY" AddCSIDL CSIDL_APPDATA, "CSIDL_APPDATA" AddCSIDL CSIDL_PRINTHOOD, "CSIDL_PRINTHOOD" AddCSIDL CSIDL_LOCAL_APPDATA, "CSIDL_LOCAL_APPDATA" AddCSIDL CSIDL_ALTSTARTUP, "CSIDL_ALTSTARTUP" AddCSIDL CSIDL_COMMON_ALTSTARTUP, "CSIDL_COMMON_ALTSTARTUP" AddCSIDL CSIDL_COMMON_FAVORITES, "CSIDL_COMMON_FAVORITES" AddCSIDL CSIDL_INTERNET_CACHE, "CSIDL_INTERNET_CACHE" AddCSIDL CSIDL_COOKIES, "CSIDL_COOKIES" AddCSIDL CSIDL_HISTORY, "CSIDL_HISTORY" AddCSIDL CSIDL_COMMON_APPDATA, "CSIDL_COMMON_APPDATA" AddCSIDL CSIDL_WINDOWS, "CSIDL_WINDOWS" AddCSIDL CSIDL_SYSTEM, "CSIDL_SYSTEM" AddCSIDL CSIDL_PROGRAM_FILES, "CSIDL_PROGRAM_FILES" AddCSIDL CSIDL_MYPICTURES, "CSIDL_MYPICTURES" AddCSIDL CSIDL_PROFILE, "CSIDL_PROFILE" AddCSIDL CSIDL_SYSTEMX86, "CSIDL_SYSTEMX86" AddCSIDL CSIDL_PROGRAM_FILESX86, "CSIDL_PROGRAM_FILESX86" AddCSIDL CSIDL_PROGRAM_FILES_COMMON, "CSIDL_PROGRAM_FILES_COMMON" AddCSIDL CSIDL_PROGRAM_FILES_COMMONX86, _ "CSIDL_PROGRAM_FILES_COMMONX86" AddCSIDL CSIDL_COMMON_TEMPLATES, "CSIDL_COMMON_TEMPLATES" AddCSIDL CSIDL_COMMON_DOCUMENTS, "CSIDL_COMMON_DOCUMENTS" AddCSIDL CSIDL_COMMON_ADMINTOOLS, "CSIDL_COMMON_ADMINTOOLS" AddCSIDL CSIDL_ADMINTOOLS, "CSIDL_ADMINTOOLS" ' Show the shell version Text1.Text = "Shell32.dll version: " & Format(GetShellVersion(), _ "0.00") & vbCrLf & vbCrLf ' Call SHGetSpecialFolderLocation for every CSIDL and fill the textbox For i = 1 To CSIDLCount Text1.SelStart = 32767 Text1.SelText = CSIDL(i).sCSIDL & ": " & GetSpecialFolderLocation( _ CSIDL(i).lCSIDL) & vbCrLf Next End Sub Private Function GetSpecialFolderLocation(CSIDL As Long) As String Dim sPath As String Dim pidl As Long Dim ret As Long ' Fill the idl structure with the specified folder item ret = SHGetSpecialFolderLocation(Me.hWnd, CSIDL, pidl) If ret = S_OK Then ' If the pidl is returned, initialize ' and get the path from the id list sPath = Space$(MAX_PATH) If SHGetPathFromIDList(ByVal pidl, ByVal sPath) Then ' Return the path GetSpecialFolderLocation = Left(sPath, InStr(sPath, _ Chr$(0)) - 1) End If ' Free pidl Call CoTaskMemFree(pidl) Else ' SHGetSpecialFolderLocation failed GetSpecialFolderLocation = _ "SHGetSpecialFolderLocation failed with error code(hex): " & Hex( _ ret) & ", LastDllError = " & Err.LastDllError End If End Function ' Returns the Shell version (shell32.dll) Public Function GetShellVersion() As Double Dim nBufferSize As Long Dim nUnused As Long Dim lpBuffer As Long Dim nVerMajor As Integer Dim nVerMinor As Integer Dim bBuffer() As Byte Const sDLLFile As String = "shell32.dll" nBufferSize = GetFileVersionInfoSize(sDLLFile, nUnused) If nBufferSize > 0 Then ReDim bBuffer(nBufferSize - 1) As Byte Call GetFileVersionInfo(sDLLFile, 0&, nBufferSize, bBuffer(0)) If VerQueryValue(bBuffer(0), "\", lpBuffer, nUnused) <> 0 Then CopyMemory nVerMajor, ByVal lpBuffer + 10, 2 CopyMemory nVerMinor, ByVal lpBuffer + 8, 2 GetShellVersion = Val(nVerMajor & "." & nVerMinor) End If End If End Function
From: expvb on 19 Dec 2008 19:40
"Karl E. Peterson" <karl(a)mvps.org> wrote in message news:e83hj8iYJHA.552(a)TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl... > Eduardo wrote: >>> In some versions of Windows the folders aren't created automatically, so >>> you have to use CSIDL_FLAG_CREATE(In shell32.dll version 5.00 or above). >> >> Did you mean shell32.dll version below 5.00? >> What I understood so far is that with shell32.dll version 5.00 or above >> the >> folder will exist for sure. Am I wrong? >> >> And seemingly, reading Karl's latest post in this thread, it existed in >> Win95. > > Here's an interesting datapoint. I just created a totally clean Windows > ME virtual machine. Immediately following the initial boot, both > CSIDL_APPDATA and CSIDL_COMMON_APPDATA existed, but CSIDL_LOCAL_APPDATA > wasn't there. At that point, the API returns the following values: > > CSIDL_APPDATA: C:\WINDOWS\Application Data > CSIDL_LOCAL_APPDATA: C:\WINDOWS\Application Data > CSIDL_COMMON_APPDATA: C:\WINDOWS\All Users\Application Data > > But, as you saw, on my 95/98 VMs, that LOCAL_APPDATA folder definitely > existed. So I'm thinking, you're pretty danged well off forcing the > creation of the folder when you first create the INI file, otherwise you > might have some real difficulties later when you come back to look for it. > (Anyone think I'm reading that situation wrong?) None of these VMs > specifically had multi-user support enabled, either. In MSDN help for CSDIL values, some of the constants require specific versions of Shell32.dll. When you click on the version number, you get a page describing several DLL's, such as Comctl32.dll and Shlwapi.dll. Only Shell32.dll is important. CSIDL_APPDATA requires version 4.71 of Shell32.dll, Windows 98 came with version 4.72, so it supports it. Windows 95 shell could be updated with IE4, but only if the user installed it with the integrated shell option. IE5 and later don't update the shell, so checking IE version doesn't tell which shell version the user has. All of this is mentioned in the help page for version numbers. I think the integrated shell option adds the Quick Launch toolbar, but I am not sure. The version of IE that came with Windows 95 4.00.1111 is IE 3.0(4.70.1158). Windows ME/2000 came with Shell version 5.00, so they support many constants. However, in ME, there is no NTFS security, so you can use the program folder for Windows 9x, and usually CSIDL_APPDATA for Windows 2000 and after. |