I need to save a user's login information in encrypted form for this application I'm building, but I'm not sure of the best place to save the file. I don't want to save it into the program application folder as I want it per user.
So what is the best folder (or way) to save it into?
Edit: Using C++.
Seems like C:\Documents and Settings\%username%\Local Settings\Application Data may be the appropriate place according to Wikipedia. The article says this location is used for "User-specific and computer-specific application settings".
Edit: Cruizer pointed out in the comments (I'd reply there but I can't comment yet) that in Vista it is C:\Users\%username% and that it shouldn't be hard-coded. Thanks.
Use the Data Protection API (DPAPI) - a part of the CryptoAPI in XP and Vista. Here's a good overview of DPAPI - http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms995355.aspx
Yeah, local application path looks like a winner.
I found this article in MSDN to get it in C++: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb762494.aspx
Example:
char localAppPath[MAX_PATH];
SHGetFolderPath(NULL, CSIDL_LOCAL_APPDATA, NULL, SHGFP_TYPE_CURRENT, localAppPath);
are you using .NET? how about IsolatedStorage? That way you wouldn't have to worry about the directory location, it'll just be there...
User information should always go in some sub directory in %HOMEDRIVE%%HOMEPATH% (Which maps to the users home directory). No exceptions. A good place for application specific settings per user is a sub directory inside %APPDATA%. This maps to: "%HOMEDRIVE%%HOMEPATH%\Application Data" on XP and to: " %HOMEDRIVE%%HOMEPATH%\AppData\Roaming" on Vista.
If you are using .NET to get special folders you can use
Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.ApplicationData);
or
Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.LocalApplicationData);
for the non-roaming version.
来源：https://stackoverflow.com/questions/147533/best-place-to-save-user-information-for-windows-xp-and-vista-applications