Solved How to save software data?


dedq

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Hey!

This may be a little bit off topic but I know lots of people here have helped me a lot so far.
Where is application data stored? I know where it is for Android but I cannot find it for Windows. I want to uninstall software and then install it again. I want to restore the data.

Thank you for reading!
 

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Hi dedq

Application data may be stored in %appdata% file location. Type %appdata% into the address bar of file explorer and explorer will take you to the location.
%appdata% has been available to Windows since Windows Vista. The folder is a hidden folder by default, so you have to enable show hidden files and folders in file explorer.
 
Last edited:

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System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11
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    PC/Desktop
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    AMD Ryzen 5 5600
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    MSI B550-A Pro
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    Acer A114
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    Intel Celeron N4020
It depends on which software programs you have, too. I have some programs that offer the option of exporting a settings file or copying back a settings file from another folder, and that allows you to uninstall a program, install a new copy, and import the old settings. Check your programs for a "Save Settings" option, and Google the program's name with "how to save the settings of <name of program>?".
 

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System One System Two

  • OS
    11 Pro 23H2 22631.3296
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    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo ThinkCentre M920S SFF
    CPU
    i7-9700 @ 3.00GHz
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    Lenovo 3132
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    32GBDDR4 @ 2666MHz
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    LG E2442
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    1920x1080
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    1 x Samsung 970 EVO PLUS 500GB NVMe SSD, 1 x WD_BLACK SN770
    250GB NVMe SSD (OS and programs), 1 x WD_BLACK SN770
    500GB NVMe SSD (Data)
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    LogiTech M510 wireless
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  • Operating System
    11 Pro 23H2 22631.3374
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    32GB DDR4 @ 2600MHz
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    Case
    Lenovo Think Centre SFF
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    LogiTech M510 wireless
    Keyboard
    Cherry Stream TKL JK-8600US-2 Wired
    Internet Speed
    Fast (for fixed wireless!)
    Browser
    Chrome
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    Malwarebytes Premium and MS Defender, beautiful together
It depends on which software programs you have, too. I have some programs that offer the option of exporting a settings file or copying back a settings file from another folder, and that allows you to uninstall a program, install a new copy, and import the old settings. Check your programs for a "Save Settings" option, and Google the program's name with "how to save the settings of <name of program>?".
That's definitely happens with some programs but that is not a case. Thank you!
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    AMD Athlon X4 860K
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte F2A58M-S1
    Memory
    8 gigabytes DDR3
    Graphics Card(s)
    AMD Radeon R7200 Series
    Hard Drives
    SSD.
Hi dedq

Application data may be stored in %appdata% file location. Type %appdata% into the address bar of file explorer and explorer will take you to the location.
%appdata% has been available to Windows since Windows Vista. The folder is a hidden folder by default, so you have to enable show hidden files and folders in file explorer.
Thanks! I will give it a try.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    AMD Athlon X4 860K
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte F2A58M-S1
    Memory
    8 gigabytes DDR3
    Graphics Card(s)
    AMD Radeon R7200 Series
    Hard Drives
    SSD.
Don't forget C:/ProgramData (another 'hidden folder'); and additionally some software will save data/templates/settings etc. in User/Documents and Windows Registry. Some software also, of course, installs other necessary dependency files which are not included in a native Windows installation. So there is a variety of places where you might find "application data". It's very much dependent on the application and what settings, data and 'helpers' it needs to be in place; and also whether the developer sticks to using the conventional/recommended locations.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    macOS (plus VMs: Windows XP, 7, 10 Home/Pro, 11 Home/Pro, Linux Distros)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    a) Apple MacBook Pro (Intel) - 2019 b) Apple MacBook Pro M1 MAX - 2021
    CPU
    a) Intel i9 b) M1 MAX (ARM)
    Memory
    a) 16GB b) 32GB
    Hard Drives
    a) 1TB SSD + 256GB SD Card b) 1TB SSD (+ 1TB SD Card)
    Browser
    a) Safari/Vivaldi/DuckDuckGo b) Safari/DuckDuckGo
    Antivirus
    -
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro (plus VirtualBox VMs: Windows 11 Pro & Linux Distros)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    a) Microsoft Surface Book 2, b) HP Spectre X360
    CPU
    a) i7, b) i7
    Memory
    a) 16GB, b) 16GB
    Hard Drives
    a) 1TB SSD, b) 1TB SSD
    Browser
    a) MS Edge, b) MS Edge
    Antivirus
    a) Defender, b) Defender
Don't forget C:/ProgramData (another 'hidden folder'); and additionally some software will save data/templates/settings etc. in User/Documents and Windows Registry. Some software also, of course, installs other necessary dependency files which are not included in a native Windows installation. So there is a variety of places where you might find "application data". It's very much dependent on the application and what settings, data and 'helpers' it needs to be in place; and also whether the developer sticks to using the conventional/recommended locations.
Whoa! Thanks!
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    AMD Athlon X4 860K
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte F2A58M-S1
    Memory
    8 gigabytes DDR3
    Graphics Card(s)
    AMD Radeon R7200 Series
    Hard Drives
    SSD.

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