Windows 10 "Infinite" Application Data folders and subfolders

James Anning

Senior Member
"Infinite" Application Data folders and subfolders (screen shots attached and/or via WEB links)

I have an issue in my "C:\Users\All Users\Application Data\Application Data\Application Data"
folder. I believe its loosely called "Infinite" Application Data folders and subfolders

C:\Users\All Users\Application Data\Application Data\Application Data\Application Data\Application Data

see:

http://www.aanning.com/ajissues/Windows_errors/Infinite_folders/ss1.jpg

This has not caused any issues, I just stumbled on it. Google provides many hits,
but, lots of talk, no solutions. The closest I've found is an app called
junctionbox I installed, it will back up and restore, but not fix the issue.
Screenshot shows the app and its options. I backed up, then tried "Delete
all standard junctions in the selected profile"
This only brought me to an option to open a backup. Either the app is useless
or I am not using it correctly.

http://www.aanning.com/ajissues/Windows_errors/Infinite_folders/ss3.jpg

Using dir /a I can see one:

http://www.aanning.com/ajissues/Windows_errors/Infinite_folders/ss2.jpg

I believe I got this issue when adjusting permissions on these folders,
which I did over 2-3 years ago, so its likly been this way a long time.
As I said, I have had no issues so far, so its been this way a long time
and all is fine. Being its been in place for so long, a restore is out
of the question.

Part of me says "If its not broken do not fix it" However, the other part
of me says, its an issue...fix it before it becomes and issue. I have several
PC on a network, and at least 3 of them also have this issue, and likely more
of my 9 to 10 PC. (Again, all of which have no issue and likely had this a long
time now)

Does anyone have a solution for this?
 

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If everything is in the first 'Application Data' directory, just delete the first junction
 
If everything is in the first 'Application Data' directory, just delete the first junction

Hmm? Is hat a hunch or known to be true (delete after first dir?) being these are recursive it would be like deleting itself?
I figured out how to use the junction box. They hide the manual, I found it. You must first BACKUP, the junction list. This gives you a backup in case, and provides a "list" for he delete (remember I said, the delete asked to open a file, which is confusing). Now it makes sense, open the "list to delete". It did resolve the recursive dirs, but disables the "all users" - user
 
Junctions are just pointers they contain no real data.
Right, but these point to itself? I guess as long as I don't delete the root one I'm good. All the googleing I did no one said to do something so simple. Lots of talking in circles no solution. Except for the junctionbox app. I'm not sure what it did to my all users dir
 
It appears for the PC I ran juntionbox, the user > "All Users"...is gone. ..not hidden...gone. Keeping in mind, I have about 10 physical PC and just as many virtual. I ran Junctoinbox on 3 of the PC that had the issue, all 3, the user > "All Users"...is gone. On a couple of other PC, User > All users exist, but says "not accessible - access denied" from file explorer. I assume this is normal, and for whatever reason I initially changed the permissions on the others, is What caused the infinite dir issue. IfI remember correctly, I changed the permissions so that a script I wrote in a DOS batch file, could go in and clean up temp directory's of jpg and .mov files (from WEB cams I have with motion sensors).
Guessing now, that all users is only a symbolic link used for multiple users on one PC...I don't do multiple users anywhere, however, I know every PC has the hidden administrator user.
Bottom line, junctionbox deleted my all users, what will be the effect? (I'm hoping nothing, and it would be recreated, if I ever setup a second user)
 
No, a pointer just points to another location. You can delete junctions without deleting the data. It's the same concept as a shortcut. They point to an application and deleting them does nothing to the application'
 
'All Users' itself is a junction to C:\ProgramData. The only purpose of 'All Users' is to support legacy applications.
You can re-create the link by typing the following from an elevated command prompt mklink /J "C:\Users\All Users" "C:\ProgramData"
 
'All Users' itself is a junction to C:\ProgramData. The only purpose of 'All Users' is to support legacy applications.
You can re-create the link by typing the following from an elevated command prompt mklink /J "C:\Users\All Users" "C:\ProgramData"
Is there a need to recreate it? If not, I'm leaving it be.
 
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