SysWin System Folders

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System folders

Returns the paths of the Windows, system and temporary folders and of known folders.

Never write C:\Windows or C:\Users\... into a program: Windows can be installed on another drive, and the user's folders can be moved or redirected. Ask for the folder instead.

Folders that belong to the user (Documents, the desktop, application data) are known folders, each named by a FOLDERID_* constant; GetKnownFolderPath returns their paths. The older CSIDL_* numbers still work through GetSpecialFolderLocation.

Every path comes back as a ustring without a trailing backslash, except the temporary folder, which has one.

Importing

#import "sys/win"
using win

Example

A console program that prints where Windows keeps things on this computer:

#import "sys/win"
using win

function main() as long
    print "Windows:      "; GetWinDir()
    print "system:       "; GetSystemDirectory()
    print "system drive: "; GetSystemDrive()
    print "temporary:    "; GetTempPath()
    print "documents:    "; GetKnownFolderPath( @FOLDERID_Documents )
    print "fonts:        "; GetSpecialFolderLocation( CSIDL_FONTS )
    print "user32.dll:   "; GetSystemDllPath( "user32.dll" )
    return 0
end function

end main()

On a typical installation it prints C:\Windows, C:\Windows\system32, C:, C:\Users\<name>\AppData\Local\Temp\, C:\Users\<name>\Documents, C:\Windows\Fonts and C:\Windows\System32\USER32.dll.

Functions

Function	Does
GetWinDir	Returns the Windows folder.
GetTempPath	Returns the folder for temporary files, with a trailing backslash.
GetSystemDrive	Returns the drive Windows is installed on, such as C:.
GetSystemDirectory	Returns the Windows system folder.
GetSystemWow64Directory	Returns the folder of the 32-bit system files on a 64-bit Windows.
GetSystemDllPath	Returns the full path of the DLL Windows loads for a name.
GetKnownFolderPath	Returns the path of a known folder, named by a FOLDERID_* constant.
GetSpecialFolderLocation	Returns the path of a special folder, named by a CSIDL_* value.

Reference

GetWinDir

function GetWinDir() as ustring

Returns the path of the Windows folder, such as C:\Windows, without a trailing backslash.

Returns the path, or an empty string on failure.

Example

print "Windows is in "; GetWinDir()

Microsoft Learn: GetWindowsDirectoryW

GetTempPath

function GetTempPath overload() as ustring

Returns the folder for temporary files, with a trailing backslash, so a file name can be added straight on. It is the folder named by the TMP or TEMP environment variable, usually C:\Users\<name>\AppData\Local\Temp\.

The Windows function of the same name, which fills a buffer, is still there with two arguments.

Returns the path, or an empty string on failure.

Example

dim ustrFile as ustring = GetTempPath() & "report.txt"
print ustrFile

Microsoft Learn: GetTempPathW

GetSystemDrive

function GetSystemDrive() as ustring

Returns the drive Windows is installed on, as a letter and a colon: C:. It is the first two characters of the Windows folder.

Returns the drive.

Example

print "Windows is on drive "; GetSystemDrive()

GetSystemDirectory

function GetSystemDirectory overload() as ustring

Returns the path of the Windows system folder, where the system DLLs are: C:\Windows\system32 on a typical installation, without a trailing backslash. A 64-bit program gets the 64-bit system folder.

The Windows function of the same name, which fills a buffer, is still there with two arguments.

Returns the path, or an empty string on failure.

Example

print GetSystemDirectory() & "\notepad.exe"

Microsoft Learn: GetSystemDirectoryW

GetSystemWow64Directory

function GetSystemWow64Directory overload() as ustring

Returns the folder that holds the 32-bit system files on a 64-bit Windows: C:\Windows\SysWOW64 on a typical installation.

The string returned ends in a null character after the path, so it is one character longer than the path (20 rather than 19 for C:\Windows\SysWOW64). Printing it shows the path; before joining a file name to it or comparing it, take the part before the null as the example does.

The Windows function of the same name, which fills a buffer, is still there with two arguments.

Returns the path, or an empty string on a 32-bit Windows, which has no such folder.

Example

dim ustrWow as ustring = GetSystemWow64Directory()
dim ustrPath as ustring = *cast( wstring ptr, strptr( ustrWow ) )   ' the path without the null
print ustrPath; len( ustrPath )

Microsoft Learn: GetSystemWow64DirectoryW

GetSystemDllPath

function GetSystemDllPath( byval pwszDllName as const wstring ptr ) as ustring

Returns the full path of the DLL that Windows loads for a name, such as C:\Windows\System32\USER32.dll for user32.dll. The DLL is loaded to find out and released again, so its start-up code runs; the name is looked up the way Windows looks up any DLL, so it need not be a system DLL. The capitals in the path are the ones Windows reports.

Parameter	Meaning
pwszDllName	The DLL's file name, with or without a path.

Returns the path, or an empty string if the DLL could not be loaded.

Example

print "the common controls: "; GetSystemDllPath( "comctl32.dll" )

Microsoft Learn: GetModuleFileNameW

GetKnownFolderPath

function GetKnownFolderPath( byval rfid as const KNOWNFOLDERID const ptr, byval dwFlags as DWORD = 0, byval hToken as HANDLE = NULL ) as ustring

Returns the path of a known folder: Documents (FOLDERID_Documents), the desktop (FOLDERID_Desktop), roaming application data (FOLDERID_RoamingAppData), local application data (FOLDERID_LocalAppData), Program Files (FOLDERID_ProgramFiles) and many more. Pass the address of the constant.

A known folder can be listed by Windows and still not exist on a given computer; then the call fails unless dwFlags asks for it to be created.

Parameter	Meaning
rfid	The address of a FOLDERID_* constant.
dwFlags	0, or KF_FLAG_* values: KF_FLAG_CREATE creates the folder if it is missing, KF_FLAG_DONT_VERIFY returns the path without checking it.
hToken	NULL for the current user. An access token gives another user's folder, and cast(HANDLE, -1) the default profile copied into new accounts (that needs administrator rights).

Returns the path, or an empty string on failure.

Example

dim ustrData as ustring = GetKnownFolderPath( @FOLDERID_RoamingAppData, KF_FLAG_CREATE )
print "settings go in "; ustrData & "\MyProgram"

Microsoft Learn: SHGetKnownFolderPath, KNOWNFOLDERID

GetSpecialFolderLocation

function GetSpecialFolderLocation( byval nFolder as long ) as ustring

Returns the path of a special folder named by a CSIDL_* value: CSIDL_FONTS, CSIDL_PERSONAL (Documents), CSIDL_APPDATA, CSIDL_WINDOWS and so on. The CSIDL_* values are the older form of the known folders; prefer GetKnownFolderPath in new code. A virtual folder with no path in the file system, such as CSIDL_PRINTERS, gives an empty string.

Parameter	Meaning
nFolder	A CSIDL_* value.

Returns the path, or an empty string on failure.

Example

print "fonts are in "; GetSpecialFolderLocation( CSIDL_FONTS )

Microsoft Learn: SHGetSpecialFolderLocation, CSIDL

See also

• Category: sys/win
• Paths and files for the program's own folder
• Windows version and system