How To Get System Folder Path(C:\Windows C:\Program Files) in Windows using C++?

Question

I am programming in C++ MFC and want to get the C:\windows and c:\program files paths programmatically.

Sometimes user may setup windows in other folder such as c:\windows0.

Is there any API to get absolute path of the windows and program files path?

0xC0000022L · Accepted Answer · 2023-10-31 09:34:53Z

29

Using Win32 API

For the Windows folder:

TCHAR windir[MAX_PATH];
GetWindowsDirectory(windir, MAX_PATH);

For program files:

TCHAR pf[MAX_PATH];
SHGetSpecialFolderPath(
    0,
    pf, 
    CSIDL_PROGRAM_FILES, 
    FALSE );

Where MAX_PATH comes from the Windows headers and will guarantee the buffer is long enough for the longest (non-UNC) path.

Also, note that SHGetSpecialFolderPath can be used to retrieve other "special" folder including the Windows folder just by replacing the third parameter to any from this list.

edited Oct 31, 2023 at 9:34

0xC0000022L

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answered Mar 22, 2010 at 2:24

Anzurio

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1 Comment

bicarlsen Jun 10 at 9:34

The SHGetSpecialFolderPath function is no longer supported. For a modern solution see stackoverflow.com/q/35042967/2961550.

0xC0000022L · Accepted Answer · 2023-10-31 09:29:24Z

15

edited Oct 31, 2023 at 9:29

0xC0000022L

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answered Mar 22, 2010 at 2:02

Daniel A. White

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Comments

Adrian McCarthy · Accepted Answer · 2011-03-28 17:47:11Z

5

On Vista+, SHGetKnownFolderPath is the replacement for SHGetFolderPath and SHGetSpecialFolderPath, although you can continue to use the older functions if you need backward compatibility to older versions of Windows.

answered Mar 28, 2011 at 17:47

Adrian McCarthy

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Comments

0xC0000022L · Accepted Answer · 2023-10-31 09:32:04Z

2

Call getenv("%ProgramFiles%") and getenv("%WinDir%").

edited Oct 31, 2023 at 9:32

0xC0000022L

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answered Mar 22, 2010 at 2:03

Sameer

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3 Comments

Daniel A. White Over a year ago

I would not be dependent on environment variables.

claws Over a year ago

Never trust Enivronment Variables. As they are accessible to user. He might change it.

0xC0000022L Over a year ago

As for SystemRoot (== %WinDir%) the story is a little different. Certain environment variables get not set via the registry but by the loader when creating a Win32 process.

0xC0000022L · Accepted Answer · 2023-10-31 09:33:29Z

2

Most of these come from SHGetFolderPath, but GetSystemDirectory() returns the absolute location of C:\Windows\System32. Don't use GetWindowsDirectory(). It doesn't do what you want anymore.

edited Oct 31, 2023 at 9:33

0xC0000022L

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answered Mar 22, 2010 at 2:42

Joshua

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3 Comments

0xC0000022L Over a year ago

Would be more useful if you mentioned what aspect doesn't do anymore what the inquirer asked.

Joshua Over a year ago

@0xC0000022L: "On a system that is running Terminal Services, each user has a unique Windows directory. "

0xC0000022L Over a year ago

Thanks. Okay, I was mostly worried about the "anymore". Terminal Services have existed since Windows NT and only became more mainstream with fast user switching in XP then ...

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