Access Windows 7 And Windows 8 Local Settings Folder

By Nakodari on Jan 01 2010 11 Comments

A short tip for Windows XP users who have migrated to Windows 7 or Windows 8, the local settings folder has been moved. If you are trying to access the Local Settings folder at the following destination:

C:\Users\<User Name>\Local Settings

then you are looking at the wrong place. You will get the following error message, “Location is not available” or “Access Is Denied”.

Local Settings

This post has been updated to explain how to find Local Settings Folder in Windows 8. It was last updated on March 26, 2012.

In Windows 7 and Windows 8 the Local Settings is a junction point, i.e, a hidden and protected OS system file that is not meant to be accessed by the users. Instead it points to a user-accessible folder at the following destination:

C:\Users\<user name>\AppData\Local

If you are trying to find some files saved in Local Folder, make sure you are looking in the right place.

Update: As the reader points out below, the quickest way to access the Local Folders in Windows 7 and Windows 8 is to type %localappdata% in Windows Explorer and hit Enter. Thanks Wander!

  • Wander

    Just always use %localappdata%, i believe that works in all latest windows versions

    • http://maitapi.com martin atanasov

      Wander you are so right.

  • http://www.touchofwhitesmile.com matt

    yes that works great! again microsoft tries to make it difficult for the basic user, but the hackers still know how to work around anything

  • jack

    thanks, it works. i am a MCITP certificate holder yet i don’t know this. thanks anyway.

  • brian

    thanks!

  • peter brady

    click right on the folder “local settings”, in properties\security tab\, everyone has a restriction, simply take off that restriction, and you will can access the content, but, i don’t know why you want to go there

    • kokot

      @peter brady: hey lamer – no, you are wrong: even when you set those acceesses you still won’t be able to open that folder(s), moron :P

  • Sohrab

    Great,
    Thanks.

  • James

    Yeah, it’s because there’s a “deny list permission” on local data by default.

  • Guest

    Thank you brother

  • Fei Yan

    Really great, it helps!