Question

How can I get the path to the %APPDATA% directory in Python?

Answer 1

If you want AppData\Roaming

import os
print(os.getenv('APPDATA'))

If you are looking for AppData\Local, then use

import os
print(os.getenv('LOCALAPPDATA'))

For AppData\Local\Temp you can get it in this way, which also makes your code portable accross platforms

import tempfile
print(tempfile.gettempdir())

For the differences:

• Roaming is the folder that would be synchronized with a server if you logged into a domain with a roaming profile (enabling you to log into any computer in a domain and access your favorites, documents, etc. Firefox stores its information here, so you could even have the same bookmarks between computers with a roaming profile.

• Local is the folder that is specific to that computer – any information here would not be synchronized with a server. This folder is equivalent in Windows XP to C:\Documents and Settings\User\Local Settings\Application Data.

See also this answer.