AppData is a hidden folder on Windows where programs store your settings, logins, and temporary files

AppData is a folder buried deep in your Windows user account that holds data belonging to the programs you install. It is not the program itself — it is the stuff the program remembers about you: your saved passwords, your preferences, your browsing history, your game progress, temporary files it needs to run. Windows hides this folder by default because most people do not need to look inside it, and accidentally deleting something there can break a program.

The full path on most Windows computers is C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData. You will not see it in File Explorer unless you turn on the option to show hidden files. The folder has three sections: Roaming (syncs across devices if you use a Microsoft account), Local (stays on this computer only), and LocalLow (for programs that run with lower permissions, like some web browsers in sandbox mode).

Key Takeaways

  • AppData is hidden by default; you must turn on "Show hidden files" in File Explorer settings to see it.
  • Programs store passwords, settings, cache, and temporary files in AppData, not in the Program Files folder where the program itself lives.
  • Deleting AppData for a program usually resets it to factory defaults, which can be useful for troubleshooting but will erase saved logins and preferences.
  • AppData\Roaming syncs to other devices if you sign into Windows with a Microsoft account; AppData\Local stays only on that computer.

How to find and open your AppData folder

The quickest way is to open File Explorer and paste the path directly into the address bar. Click the address bar at the top (where it shows "This PC" or your current folder), type %appdata%, and press Enter. This takes you straight to AppData\Roaming. If you need AppData\Local instead, use %localappdata%.

If you prefer to navigate manually, open File Explorer and go to your user folder (usually shown as your username under "This PC"). Then click the View tab at the top and check the box for "Hidden items". Now you will see the AppData folder. Double-click it to open it, and you will see the three subfolders: Roaming, Local, and LocalLow.

Once you are inside AppData, you will see folders named after the programs installed on your computer — Google, Microsoft, Discord, Steam, and so on. Each program stores its own data in its own folder. Opening one of these folders shows you the settings files, cache, and temporary data that program uses.

What different programs store in AppData and why it matters

Web browsers like Chrome and Firefox store your browsing history, saved passwords, bookmarks, and cached web pages in AppData. This is why your passwords and bookmarks follow you if you sign into your browser account on a different computer — they are synced from AppData\Roaming. If you clear your browser cache, you are deleting files from AppData\Local.

Games store your save files, game settings, and controller preferences in AppData. Uninstalling a game does not always delete these files, which is why you can sometimes reinstall a game and pick up where you left off. Some games let you back up your saves by copying the AppData folder to another location.

Office programs like Word and Excel store your recent documents list, custom templates, and AutoRecover files in AppData. If Word crashes and offers to recover your unsaved document when you restart it, that recovery file came from AppData. Messaging apps like Discord and Slack store your login tokens (the thing that keeps you signed in) in AppData, which is why logging out on one device does not automatically log you out everywhere.

When you might need to access AppData yourself

The most common reason is troubleshooting. If a program is behaving strangely — crashing on startup, showing old settings, or refusing to log you out — deleting its AppData folder and restarting the program often fixes it. The program will rebuild its AppData folder from scratch with default settings the next time it runs.

Another reason is backup and recovery. If you want to keep your game saves or your browser bookmarks before reinstalling Windows, you can copy your AppData folder to an external drive. Later, you can copy it back and your programs will remember everything. Some people do this when switching to a new computer.

You might also need to access AppData if a program is storing files you want to delete but cannot find through the program itself. For example, some programs cache large temporary files in AppData\Local that pile up over time. Deleting them frees up disk space without affecting the program.

The privacy and security side of AppData

AppData contains sensitive information: saved passwords, authentication tokens that keep you logged in, browsing history, and sometimes personal documents. If someone gains access to your user account, they can access your AppData and see all of this. This is one reason why using a strong Windows password matters — it is the lock on your AppData folder.

If you share a computer with other people, each user account has its own AppData folder. Your AppData is not visible to other users unless they have administrator access. However, if someone knows your password or has physical access to the computer, they can see what is in your AppData.

Some programs store passwords in plain text in AppData files, which is not find. Others encrypt them. You cannot control this — it depends on how the program was built. If you are concerned about a program storing your password, you can delete the AppData folder for that program, which will log you out and force you to enter your password again the next time you use it.

How to safely delete AppData without breaking your computer

Deleting the entire AppData folder is not a good idea — it will break many programs at once. Instead, delete only the folder for the specific program you want to reset. For example, to reset Chrome, you would delete C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome (or the Roaming version if you want to reset your synced data too).

Before you delete anything, close the program completely. Some programs lock their AppData files while they are running, and you will not be able to delete them. After you delete the AppData folder, restart the program. It will create a new AppData folder with default settings.

If you are not sure which folder belongs to which program, you can search online for "[Program Name] AppData folder" to find the exact path. Do not delete a folder unless you are certain what it is for.

AppData and cloud sync: what happens when you sign into Windows with a Microsoft account

If you sign into Windows with a Microsoft account (rather than a local account), your AppData\Roaming folder syncs to Microsoft's servers. This means your settings, passwords, and preferences follow you to other computers where you sign in with the same Microsoft account. Your browser bookmarks, Office settings, and some game saves can sync this way.

AppData\Local does not sync — it stays only on that computer. This is why some programs store data in Local instead of Roaming if they want settings to be specific to each device.

If you do not want your AppData to sync, you can turn off sync in Windows Settings under "Accounts" and "Sync your settings". You can also choose which categories to sync — for example, you might sync passwords but not browsing history. Turning off sync does not delete the data already on your computer; it just stops new changes from uploading.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it safe to delete AppData?

It is safe to delete the AppData folder for a single program you want to reset. Close the program first, delete its folder, then restart the program. It will rebuild its AppData folder. Do not delete the entire AppData folder at once — that will break many programs. If you are unsure, back up your AppData folder to an external drive first.

Why is AppData hidden by default?

Windows hides AppData because most people do not need to look inside it, and accidentally deleting something there can break programs. Hiding it reduces the chance of accidental damage. You can still access it anytime by typing %appdata% in File Explorer or turning on "Show hidden files".

Can I move AppData to a different drive to save space?

Some programs allow you to change where they store data, but most do not. You cannot safely move the entire AppData folder to a different drive — Windows expects it to be in the user account folder. If a program is using too much space in AppData, you can delete its cache files or uninstall the program.

Will deleting AppData log me out of everything?

Deleting AppData for a specific program will log you out of that program, yes. You will need to sign in again the next time you use it. If you delete the entire AppData folder, you will be logged out of all programs at once. This is actually useful if you want to clear all your saved passwords from a shared computer.

What is the difference between AppData\Roaming and AppData\Local?

Roaming syncs across devices if you use a Microsoft account; Local stays only on that computer. Programs that want your settings to follow you everywhere use Roaming. Programs that need settings specific to one device use Local. Most programs use both — Roaming for preferences and Local for cache.