Windows: Read path of "Local AppData" folder from registry

[GoogleCodeExporter]

What steps will reproduce the problem?
1. Have Mozila Firefox 3.6.6 and Chrome 5.0.375.86 installed.
2. Start namebench.
3. Notice that only Mozilla Firefox is available as a source.

What is the expected output? What do you see instead?
I use Firefox as a backup browser and Chrome as my main browser. I want to test 
based on my Chrome browsing history, but namebench defaults to Mozilla Firefox 
and Chrome is nowhere to be found in the list.

What version of the product are you using? On what operating system?
namebench 1.3.1; Windows XP Pro SP3. Very clean system with no toolbars or 
external services running; all Windows Updates applied. Microsoft Security 
Essentials is installed, but only used on-demand, no resident shield.

Please provide any additional information below.
Forcing all supported browsers to appear on the list would be a good way to 
deal with this.

Original issue reported on code.google.com by leandro...@gmail.com on 2 Jul 2010 at 4:59

[GoogleCodeExporter]

We only show browsers who's history file we can find, that has enough data, and 
been used recently. I bet there is a problem with locating the Chrome browser 
history.

Could you search your filesystem for the 'History' file? On Windows, namebench 
looks at the following paths:

3=%APPDATA%/Google/Chrome/User Data/Default/History
4=%USERPROFILE%/Local Settings/Application Data/Google/Chrome/User 
Data/Default/History

There is also a namebench.log file that may have some details that could help. 
If you find it on your filesystem, could you attach it to this bug?

Original comment by helixblue on 2 Jul 2010 at 10:03

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Spanish operating system (forgot to mention that). The History file was located 
at:

C:\Documents and Settings\Administrador\Configuración local\Datos de 
programa\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default

This path is stored in the registry at 
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders with the 
key name "Local AppData".

Original comment by leandro...@gmail.com on 2 Jul 2010 at 10:08

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Can you tell me what the %APPDATA% environment variable resolves to on your 
system? You should be able to find it out using cmd.exe and typing:

echo %APPDATA%

Original comment by helixblue on 2 Jul 2010 at 10:19

[GoogleCodeExporter]

APPDATA = C:\Documents and Settings\Administrador\Datos de programa

I don't see an environment variable that resolves to the Local AppData folder.

Original comment by leandro...@gmail.com on 2 Jul 2010 at 10:25

[GoogleCodeExporter]

does %LOCALAPPDATA% resolve to anything?

Original comment by helixblue on 2 Jul 2010 at 11:00

[GoogleCodeExporter]

No. All my environment variables are:

ALLUSERSPROFILE=C:\Documents and Settings\All Users
APPDATA=C:\Documents and Settings\Administrador\Datos de programa
CLIENTNAME=Console
CommonProgramFiles=C:\Archivos de programa\Archivos comunes
COMPUTERNAME=CARRIE
ComSpec=C:\WINDOWS\system32\cmd.exe
FP_NO_HOST_CHECK=NO
HOMEDRIVE=C:
HOMEPATH=\Documents and Settings\Administrador
LOGONSERVER=\\CARRIE
NUMBER_OF_PROCESSORS=2
OS=Windows_NT
Path=C:\Perl\site\bin;C:\Perl\bin;C:\WINDOWS\system32;C:\WINDOWS;C:\WINDOWS\Syst
em32\Wbem;C:\Archivos de programa\ATI Technologies\ATI.ACE\Core-Static
PATHEXT=.COM;.EXE;.BAT;.CMD;.VBS;.VBE;.JS;.JSE;.WSF;.WSH
PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE=x86
PROCESSOR_IDENTIFIER=x86 Family 6 Model 23 Stepping 10, GenuineIntel
PROCESSOR_LEVEL=6
PROCESSOR_REVISION=170a
ProgramFiles=C:\Archivos de programa
PROMPT=$P$G
SESSIONNAME=Console
SystemDrive=C:
SystemRoot=C:\WINDOWS
TEMP=C:\DOCUME~1\ADMINI~1\CONFIG~1\Temp
TMP=C:\DOCUME~1\ADMINI~1\CONFIG~1\Temp
USERDOMAIN=CARRIE
USERNAME=Administrador
USERPROFILE=C:\Documents and Settings\Administrador
windir=C:\WINDOWS
__COMPAT_LAYER=EnableNXShowUI 

Original comment by leandro...@gmail.com on 2 Jul 2010 at 11:03

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Original comment by tstromb...@google.com on 30 Jul 2010 at 8:33

• Changed title: Windows: Read path of "Local AppData" folder from registry