Windows 10: What is sentry folder in %appdata%/local?

What is the folder named sentry in my appdata/local?is it safe to delete?

:)

 

How to access appdata folder

Hi Jaden,

Thank you posting your query in Microsoft Community.

We would be glad to help you with the issue you are facing today. I understand the difficulty with the problem.

I would suggest you to follow the below steps.

• Write in the search box the following: “%appdata%” .
• After the search is finished left click or tap on the folder that the search feature found.
• If it takes you to the following path: “C:\Users\The user that you are logged in with\AppData\Roaming”.
• It means that your folders are still there but they are hidden.
• Click on “View”.
• Check the box “Hidden items”

Also you refer to the below link.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/what-appdata-folder

Note: Above link also refers to the Windows 10.



Hope this helps in resolving the issue. If issue persists, do get back to us. We will be happy to assist you.

Thank you.

 

Zip VS AppData\Local

Hello, Minh Ho ng Lê

Welcome to Microsoft Community.

I’m sorry to hear that you are having trouble with the ZIP files that contain applications and resources. I can understand how frustrating it can be when Windows creates duplicate files in the AppData folder and causes confusion. Let me try to explain why this happens and how you can prevent it.

The AppData folder is a special folder that Windows uses to store application-specific data, such as settings, preferences, caches, temporary files, etc. Each user on the computer has their own AppData folder, which is located in C:\Users<user>\AppData. The AppData folder has three subfolders: Local, LocalLow, and Roaming. The Local folder is used for data that is specific to the current computer and does not need to be synchronized with other devices. The LocalLow folder is used for data that has low priority or low integrity, such as web browser data. The Roaming folder is used for data that can be synchronized with other devices, such as user profiles and settings.

When you run an application from a ZIP file, Windows may create a copy of the application and its resources in the AppData\Local folder. This is done for several reasons, such as:

• To improve the performance and reliability of the application by reducing the dependency on the ZIP file.
  
• To allow the application to access the resources without requiring elevated permissions or UAC prompts.
  
• To enable the application to update itself or download additional resources without modifying the ZIP file.
  
• To isolate the application from other applications and prevent conflicts or corruption.
  

However, this also means that any changes you make to the resources in the ZIP file may not be reflected in the AppData\Local copy, and vice versa. This can create confusion and inconsistency when you want to add or modify personal files or other resources.

To prevent Windows from creating duplicate files in the AppData\Local folder, you have a few options:

• You can extract the ZIP file to a regular folder and run the application from there. This way, Windows will not create a copy of the application and its resources in the AppData\Local folder, and any changes you make to the resources will be saved in the same folder as the application.
  
• You can use a portable application launcher, such as PortableApps or Cameyo, to run the application from the ZIP file. These tools will create a virtual environment for the application and redirect its data to a separate folder or file. This way, Windows will not create a copy of the application and its resources in the AppData\Local folder, and any changes you make to the resources will be saved in the virtual environment.
  
• You can disable or modify the behavior of Windows regarding creating copies of applications and resources in the AppData\Local folder. This is not recommended, as it may cause problems with some applications or Windows features.
  

I hope this helps you understand why Windows creates duplicate files in the AppData\Local folder and how you can prevent it. If you have any further questions or feedback, please feel free to ask me.

Best regards

Yuhao Li

Microsoft Community Technical Support

 

Second instance of fonts folder showing up in AppData\Local folder

While using NexusFont, I noticed that most of my fonts are showing up twice. I have since figured out how to get NexusFont to show my only the fonts I want, but researching the cause of that issue showed me the following related to font locations in my computer (new laptop; Windows 11):

1. 1. In addition to the regular C:\Windows\Fonts folder, fonts are being stored in this folder: C:\Users\MYUSERNAMEHERE\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Fonts
   
2. I am not intentionally saving them there. When I download a font and select "install for all users," it appears to save only in the main fonts folder, C:\Windows\Fonts, but if I slide a font into the Fonts folder to install it that way, it also copies to the AppData\Local folder.
   
3. If I install by sliding the font into the C:\Windows\Fonts folder, deleting it from there does remove it from both folders at the same time. If I try to delete it from the AppData\Local folder instead, I get an error message saying that I can't delete it because it is open in the System. Even if I close the C:\Windows\Fonts folder, which is the only thing open at that point that could be using the font, I still get that message, so the only way to delete it from that folder seems to be to delete it in the C:\Windows\Fonts folder. I haven't restarted and tried deleting from that folder without having opened the C:\Windows\Fonts folder first; if I do and anything changes, I'll update this info. (I know it shouldn't matter if it was open and then was closed, but I have known File Explorer to "think" a file is open when it has been closed until I restart my computer. Makes no sense, but it has happened a number of times.)
   
4. According to folder properties, the C:\Windows\Fonts folder size is 801 MB (I have a lot of fonts), but the AppData\Local fonts folder shows as 1.32 GB. Right now, space is not an issue, but that size difference is concerning - especially since it seems that a single font is taking up space in two different locations.
   
5. Any font that is in both folders shows up twice in NexusFont. I can click the info button for each to see from which folder it pulled the font.
   

Here are my questions

1. How is this AppData\Local folder generated?
   
2. Is this some sort of temporary folder? If so, then I am guessing I need to leave it alone.
   
   • If it's not temporary, then is there any way to clear it out other than deleting all of the fonts and reinstalling "for all users" since that doesn't seem to populate the second fonts folder? (Though that is probably not gonna happen because that would be a lot of work.)
     
   • If it's not temporary and I did find some way to clear it out, would that cause a problem? (If there's no clear answer, then I will likely leave it alone as I don't want to create problems.)
     
   • Is there any reason to try to empty that folder (other than the space issue)?
     

Notes:

• At this point, I am just really curious about the purpose of that second folder. I can live with it (unless space becomes an issue at some point).
  
• If you don't use NexusFont and are wondering why I don't use some other app to look at fonts, it's because I like the tagging features in NexusFont (Sans, Serif, Script, Monogram, Doodles, PersonalUseOnly, etc.). If you know of a different app I should consider that I can use to sort my fonts into categories, I'd love to hear about it. I am just getting started with NexusFont, so I am not so far along that I feel too invested to change. I tried but didn't care for FontBase. So far, I am enjoying NexusFont.