Skip to content


The differences between XP and Vista folder locations

Windows

So you’ve upgraded to Vista. Now you’re wondering where exactly your files and folders went. This chart breaks down the differences between where Windows XP kept files and where Windows Vista keeps files.

Windows XP         Windows Vista
 
C:\Documents and Settings\         C:\Users\
C:\Documents and Settings\your-username\My Documents\         C:\Users\your-username\Documents\
C:\Documents and Settings\your-username\My Documents\My Pictures\         C:\Users\your-username\Pictures\
C:\Documents and Settings\your-username\My Documents\My Music\         C:\Users\your-username\Music\
C:\Documents and Settings\your-username\Local Settings\         C:\Users\your-username\AppData\Local\
C:\Documents and Settings\your-username\Local Settings\Temp\         C:\Users\your-user-name\AppData\Local\Temp\
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\         C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\

Posted in Windows.

Get Simple Help tutorials just like this one in your email inbox every day - for free! Just enter your email address below:

 

You can always opt out of this email subscription at any time.

16 Responses

Stay in touch with the conversation, subscribe to the RSS feed for comments on this post.

  1. Colin says

    Windows 7 will introduce a new shorthand for your home directory: ~/
    ;)

  2. Don White says

    And C:\Users\ will simply become /home/

  3. linuxamp says

    If you can’t find your data in the expected directory check the ‘low’ directories. Low integrity apps which write to the directories above in XP may be redirected to write to the ‘low’ directory in Vista.

  4. Bobkat says

    No I haven’t upgraded to Vista … I’ve upgraded to UBUNTU.
    no problem its all in my Home folder

  5. Xenomorph says

    C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\ is the shortcut for ALL USERS Start Menu, NOT the “your username” location.

  6. Ross McKillop says

    @Xenomorph:

    You’re absolutely right, I’ll fix that right now. Cheers!

    Ross

  7. L3kris says

    Does anybody know where the XP location C:\Documents and Settings\username\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Feeds
    has moved to in Vista?

  8. Abhinav K says

    the XP location C:\Documents and Settings\username\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Feeds has moved to

    C:\Users\\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Feeds

  9. Abhinav K says

    the XP location C:\Documents and Settings\username\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Feeds has moved to

    C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Feeds

  10. L3kris says

    Thanks!

  11. CNV says

    А где на Висте лежат инет страницы, которые в автономном режиме загружаются?! Где они сохраняются?

  12. The Dark says

    How do I find the control path for the following in Windows Vista Home Premium Edition? I have the 32 bit version, if that makes a difference. I tried typing in the “gpedit.msc” in the Run field and was told it wasn’t a valid command. Any help is greatly appreciated as I’m having some difficulty navigating around Vista to make it operate to my liking.

    Click Start–>Run–>type “gpedit.msc” without the ”

    This opens the group policy editor. Then go to:

    Local Computer Policy–>Computer Configuration–>Administrative Templates–>Network–>QOS Packet Scheduler–>Limit Reservable Bandwidth

  13. MaUiMaUL3r says

    Does anyone know where the XP location C:\Documents and Settings\Username\Local Settings\Temp
    In Vista?

  14. Gouda says

    Hi 13 MaUiMaUL3r,
    This is the location in Vista ,C:\Users\your-user-name\AppData\Local\Temp\

  15. Marc K says

    I think #1 is a good joke, unless MS finally saw the sense in following a Unix-like directory structure with / not \, and a root?

Continuing the Discussion



Some HTML is OK

or, reply to this post via trackback.