Environment Variable May Not Expand %APPDATA% to the Application Folder (329308)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server
  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional
  • Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
  • Microsoft Windows XP Professional
This article was previously published under Q329308

SYMPTOMS

If you add %APPDATA% to any user or system environment variable by using the following method, %APPDATA% may not be resolved to the appropriate user application data folder:
  • Right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.
  • On the Advanced tab, click Environment Variables.
  • Add a new user or system environment variable named PATH. Set the Variable value entry to %APPDATA%.
  • Apply the settings.
If you then start a command session (Cmd.exe) and check the PATH environment variable by using the set path command, %APPDATA% may not be expanded to the appropriate user application folder. Instead, you see "%APPDATA%."

Problem example: 
   C:\ >set PATH
   PATH=%APPDATA%
Working example: 
   C:\ >set PATH
   PATH="C:\Documents and Settings\<UserName>\Application"

If %APPDATA% is not resolved correctly, and you try to start a program that is located in the user application folder, the program does not start because the program cannot be located in the path.

CAUSE

This behavior is caused by a problem in Shell32.dll.

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, use the following method to set the environment variable:
  1. Right-click My Computer, and then click Manage.
  2. In the left pane, right-click Computer Management (Local), and then click Properties.
  3. Click the Advanced tab.
  4. Under Environment variables, click Settings.
  5. Add a new user or system environment variable named PATH, and set the Variable value entry to %APPDATA%.
You can use this method to set any user or system environment variable.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article.
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:6/5/2003
Keywords:kbprb KB329308
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