AppData, Local, LocalLow, and Roaming Folders Explained
By Timothy Tibbettson 07/05/2023 |
If you have Show hidden items available, you may have noticed the Local, LocalLow, and Roaming folders under Quick access or Users > UserName > AppData and wondered what they're used for. Here's the story.
Each of these folders is used almost every time you install an application to protect these files. That's why the folders are hidden, to protect you and your programs. These folders are huge often containing gigabytes of data.
Local Folder
The Local folder cannot be moved and contains files including saved games, browser data, video card profiles, Microsoft history and more. If you look at the Local folder, odds are you'll see a folder for every program you've installed.
LocalLow Folder
The LocalLow folder also cannot be moved. LocalLow isn't used as much, has a lower integrity level and usually doesn't take up much space. The files found here are often used when running any sort of virtual machine or sandbox, including protected modes with your browsers.
Roaming Folder
The Roaming folder can be moved, and you'll notice that its contents are similar to the Local folder. This folder can be synced with a server and contains a lot of your browser settings, log files, and more. If you're looking to backup your application settings, this is the only folder of the three that's of any use to you.
Can I Delete the Local, LocalLow, and Roaming Folders?
Yes, but no. Deleting these folders can not only possibly break Windows, but they will also indeed remove most of your program settings. Since these folders are protected, you'd have to boot into safe mode, then delete them and immediately regret it.
If you're worried about drive space, then use a hard drive cleaner. Most drive cleaners know what can, and can't be deleted. CCleaner is safe and conservative. If you're looking to remove even more files, then we prefer Wise Disk Cleaner. We've found Wise Disk Cleaner consistently outperforms CCleaner and we're yet to have a problem. Here are video tutorials on both.
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Each of these folders is used almost every time you install an application to protect these files. That's why the folders are hidden, to protect you and your programs. These folders are huge often containing gigabytes of data.
Local Folder
The Local folder cannot be moved and contains files including saved games, browser data, video card profiles, Microsoft history and more. If you look at the Local folder, odds are you'll see a folder for every program you've installed.
LocalLow Folder
The LocalLow folder also cannot be moved. LocalLow isn't used as much, has a lower integrity level and usually doesn't take up much space. The files found here are often used when running any sort of virtual machine or sandbox, including protected modes with your browsers.
Roaming Folder
The Roaming folder can be moved, and you'll notice that its contents are similar to the Local folder. This folder can be synced with a server and contains a lot of your browser settings, log files, and more. If you're looking to backup your application settings, this is the only folder of the three that's of any use to you.
Can I Delete the Local, LocalLow, and Roaming Folders?
Yes, but no. Deleting these folders can not only possibly break Windows, but they will also indeed remove most of your program settings. Since these folders are protected, you'd have to boot into safe mode, then delete them and immediately regret it.
If you're worried about drive space, then use a hard drive cleaner. Most drive cleaners know what can, and can't be deleted. CCleaner is safe and conservative. If you're looking to remove even more files, then we prefer Wise Disk Cleaner. We've found Wise Disk Cleaner consistently outperforms CCleaner and we're yet to have a problem. Here are video tutorials on both.
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