A Gazillion Sub-directories!

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  1. Posts : 571
    Windows 7 Home Premium x64
       #1

    A Gazillion Sub-directories!


    Hi All!

    System Drive c:\Program Data\Application Data\...

    I don't know how deep this directory goes but the snapshot should give you an idea of what's going on here.

    Is this normal?

    Other than the Hex numbers, they appear to be replications, ad infinitum...

    TIA!
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails A Gazillion Sub-directories!-2010-12-27_200914.png  
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  2. Posts : 6,349
    Windows7 Pro 64bit SP-1; Windows XP Pro 32bit
       #2

    c:\Program Data\Application Data\...

    I don't find anything like that. I have no C:\Program Data that I can find.
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 5,642
    Windows 10 Pro (x64)
       #3

    It is because you altered permissions.
    A thousand times I've said not to mess with them.
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  4. Posts : 571
    Windows 7 Home Premium x64
    Thread Starter
       #4

    Well, Hopalong X, what do you think about me deleting that directory? After a full backup, of course?

    It looks to me that the sub-directories go on forever! Weird, huh?

    I've run chkdsk and it comes up with no errors on that drive.

    I don't know what to make of it.
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  5. Posts : 571
    Windows 7 Home Premium x64
    Thread Starter
       #5

    @logicearth

    If I changed permissions, I'm not aware of it.

    What I have done, is move User's folder to another drive; perhaps I inadvertently changed permissions then?

    The question remains; what do I do with this directory? Ignore it? Delete it? Change permissions back to original? If so, how?

    This comes from one of the links you suggested:
    Junction points can be identified as follows :

    • They have the FILE_ATTRIBUTE_REPARSE_POINT, FILE_ATTRIBUTE_HIDDEN, and FILE_ATTRIBUTE_SYSTEM file attributes set.
    • They also have their access control lists (ACLs) set to deny read access to everyone.

    Applications that call out a specific path can traverse these junction points if they have the required permissions. However, attempts to enumerate the contents of the junction points will result in failures. It is important that backup applications do not traverse these junction points, or attempt to backup data under them, for two reasons:

    • Doing so can cause the backup application to back up the same data more than once.
    • It can also lead to cycles (circular references).

    ---
    Since Acronis is showing up in all those sub-directories, could it be a source of the situation?

    TIA
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 5,642
    Windows 10 Pro (x64)
       #6

    It is a Junction one that is set to DENY, EVERYONE from reading the contents to prevent this exact thing. I am assuming you moved the whole Users folder? That is the same thing as changing permissions.
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  7. Posts : 571
    Windows 7 Home Premium x64
    Thread Starter
       #7

    Yep- I'm afraid so.
    Not certain about this, but i think it's in one of the tutorials on this site?

    My goal was to eliminate as much writing and clutter on my new SSD as possible; maybe I opened a can of worms.

    Please don't tell me I should re-install Win7
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  8. Posts : 5,642
    Windows 10 Pro (x64)
       #8

    You can either reset the required permission which is "EVERYONE, DENY List folder / read data"
    Or if you are sure none of your applications use the older paths, the junctions can be deleted.
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 571
    Windows 7 Home Premium x64
    Thread Starter
       #9

    OK- I changed the permissions to what you said. Nothing broken as far as I can tell.

    All the directories with the little 'shortcut' icon- are they Junctions? Should they all be changed, too?

    As it is, I have access to them.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails A Gazillion Sub-directories!-capture.png  
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  10. Posts : 259
    Windows 10 Home
       #10

    Hopalong X said:
    c:\Program Data\Application Data\...

    I don't find anything like that. I have no C:\Program Data that I can find.
    Hoppy, you should have that folder, if you choose to "Show hidden files and folders."
      My Computer


 
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