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windowswinapivbscriptwindows-shellspecial-folders

CommonAppData in vbscript

A customer's application "AppName" has its configuration files stored in CommonAppData.

  • Under Windows XP that is C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\AppName
  • Under Windows Vista that is C:\ProgramData\AppName

How do I get the correct foldername with VBScript?

Solution 
  • Const CommonAppData = &H23&  ' the second & denotes a long integer '

Set objShell  = CreateObject("Shell.Application")
Set objFolder = objShell.Namespace(CommonAppData)

Set objFolderItem = objFolder.Self

MsgBox objFolderItem.Name & ": " & objFolderItem.Path

    The MSDN holds a page that lists the other Shell Special Folder Constants.

    This page is nice, too: Enumerating Special Folders, part of the Microsoft Windows 2000 Scripting Guide. (Link is now defunct, but the Internet Archive still has a copy.)