Stop Application Data folder replicating?

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  1. Posts : 4
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit
       #1

    Stop Application Data folder replicating?


    Hello!

    Anyone know how to stop this:

    C:\Users\J\AppData\Local\Application Data\Application Data\Application Data\Application Data\Application Data\Application Data\Application Data\Application Data\Application Data\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\K130UVXF\mini_30CANJ0PFK.gif

    (This is an example file. For some reason, the Application Data folder keeps replicating itself as a subfolder within the directory. And the "thread" is getting longer and eating up GBs. Is there something I can check to fix this?

    VR/Lost
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 5,642
    Windows 10 Pro (x64)
       #2

    You altered permissions correct? Gave yourself full permissions for everything in your User folder, right?
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  3. Posts : 8
    Windows 7 Professional x64
       #3

    The "Application Data" Folder is actually a Junction, and it points back to the parent folder.

    "C:\Users\J\AppData\Local\Application Data\" => "C:\Users\J\AppData\Local\"

    My guess is that the Permissions for the "Application Data" were changed. There should be a Permission:

    Deny - Everyone - List folder / read data - <not inherited> - This folder only

    This is to prevent recursion when an application is scanning the "Application Data" folder, and this is the reason for the "Access is denied" message on certain folders. If this Permission is missing, you will need to re-create it. To make sure it is a Junction, open a Command Prompt at "C:\J\AppData\Local", and enter "dir /a". You should see:

    <JUNCTION> - Application Data - [C:Users\J\AppData\Local]

    If not, you will need to recreate it. For more info, Google "Windows 7 junctions symbolic hard links syntax". You can also enter "mklink /?" at a Command Prompt. Hope this helps.
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  4. Posts : 4
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit
    Thread Starter
       #4

    All,

    That is exactly what I did. Awhile ago, I was doing something and kept getting the "Access is denied" message when I was working with a particular folder.

    I believe my thought was "It's my computer and I am the only user. I decide who denies access!" (I may have even beat my chest and roared. I wasn't going to let some computer get over me!)

    Anyway, I went to Windows Explorer, right-clicked the c:\, chose Properties>Security. Clicked the Advanced Button, and changed all the permissions to:

    Allow Authenticated Users Full Control <not inherited> Apply to this folder, subfolders, and files

    I did the same thing for SYSTEM, Administrators (J-PC\Administrators), and Users (J-PC\Users).


    So, in my zeal, I succeeded in giving everyone full control to everything on the c:\ drive (and not getting that error message anymore), but I also gave programs free access to everything, too.

    I can go to "C:\Users\J\AppData\Local\" as suggested and fix that one permission, but the problem is originating way upstream at the root (c:) directory.

    What is the best sequence of steps I can take to undo what I have done so that all the junctions are working like they should and all of the cascading duplicate subdirectory junction things are removed?

    I appreciate everyone's help in pulling me out of this mess I got myself into.

    VR/Lost
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 8
    Windows 7 Professional x64
       #5

    Personally, I would re-install if I did not have a backup image.

    Otherwise, I would accept a potentially flaky system. I do not know what problems this may have caused. It may not be causing any real problems, but I am not an expert. I think the size growth is caused by the same files being read multiple times. Unless you deleted the "Application Data" folder, it is still a Junction, and it is only a pointer to another folder.

    You cannot be the only one who has done this, and you may want to search for a utility or procedure to re-set things. System File Checker (sfc) may help, but I do not know enough about it. You could also try to Repair Windows, but you would probably trash your installed applications.

    Before making any changes, the first thing I would do is to image your hdd / system partition. I use BartPE & DriveImageXML, but there are a number of applications.

    Manually recreating the Permissions is not difficult, but you will need to find them all. But, not all Junctions need these Permissions. Some may need to be able to walk the directories. I know about Junctions, Symbolic Links, and Hard Links because I wanted to move the Profiles folder. Not easy, but doable.

    If you decide to do it manually, you will need to find the Junctions and fix the Permissions. At the command prompt, "dir /a" will include a list of Junctions for that directory. If you have another Windows 7 system, you could compare the two, but it will still be a pain.

    Good Luck.
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 4
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit
    Thread Starter
       #6

    All,

    Thanks for all your help and knowledge. Here is what I ended up doing and it only took a few minutes.

    a) Download a program called JunctionBox
    b) Extract
    c) Run JunctionBox.exe
    d) Select "All Profiles and System Junctions" from dropdown.
    d) Click "Backup Junctions" button.
    e) Name the backup file whatever and let it do its thing.
    f) Click "Restore Junctions" button.
    g) Select "DefaultJunctions.ntj"
    h) Let it do its thing.
    i) When you look in Windows Explorer, some of your folders will have little arrows on them that look like the "Shortcut to.." arrows. Those are the junctions that have been restored.
    j) When you click on them, you get the "Access is denied" error message that I hate.
    k) That was easy and it all looks good now. I'll post if I find out otherwise.

    Thanks again!

    VR/Lost
    Last edited by leaning; 15 Apr 2011 at 09:22. Reason: Delete unnecessary steps. (Thanks, MacGyvr!)
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 12
    Windows 7 Home Premium
       #7

    Junction Box


    Thank you Thank you Thank you (replication pun not intended!). That worked perfectly! :)

    Allofus
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 1,326
    Windows 7 Ultimate RTM (Technet)
       #8

    leaning said:
    All,

    Thanks for all your help and knowledge. Here is what I ended up doing and it only took a few minutes.

    a) Download a program called JunctionBox
    b) Extract
    c) Run JunctionBox.exe
    d) Select "All Profiles and System Junctions" from dropdown.
    d) Click "Backup Junctions" button.
    e) Name the backup file whatever and let it do its thing.
    f) Click "Restore Junctions" button.
    g) Select "DefaultJunctions.ntj"
    h) Let it do its thing.
    i) When you look in Windows Explorer, some of your folders will have little arrows on them that look like the "Shortcut to.." arrows. Those are the junctions.
    j) When you click on them, you get the "Access is denied" error message that I hate.
    k) If you right-click those junctions, and click "Take Ownership", you can expand the files and see that all the duplicate folders (in my case, many Application Data's) are gone now.
    l) After I did the take ownership thing, I redid steps c) through h) above to make sure everything was still good.
    m) That was easy and it all looks good now. I'll post if I find out otherwise.

    Thanks again!

    VR/Lost
    Why would you fix it and then go take ownership again? That's what caused this in the first place. Eliminate K-M and your instructions look good. You do not need to look inside these junction points. You can access those locations from elsewhere in the file system!
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 4
    windows 7 home premium 64 bit
       #9

    JunctionBox


    Hi,

    Where can I download the program called JunctionBox?

    Thanks,

    Dick
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 352
    Windows Home Premium 64bit
       #10

    You will find a link here.

    Junction Box Download - Junction Box Review

    Regards
    JohnnyA
      My Computer


 
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