The GetWindowsDirectory function retrieves the path of the Windows directory. The Windows directory contains such files as applications, initialization files, and help files.
This function is provided primarily for compatibility. Applications should store code in the Program Files folder and persistent data in the Application Data folder in the user's profile.
If the function succeeds, the return value is the length of the string copied to the buffer, in TCHARs, not including the terminating null character.
If the length is greater than the size of the buffer, the return value is the size of the buffer required to hold the path.
If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call GetLastWin32Error.
The Windows directory is the directory where an application should store initialization and help files. If the user is running a shared version of the system, the Windows directory is guaranteed to be private for each user.
If an application creates other files that it wants to store on a per-user basis, it should place them in the directory specified by the HOMEPATH environment variable. This directory will be different for each user, if so specified by an administrator, through the User Manager administrative tool. HOMEPATH always specifies either the user's home directory, which is guaranteed to be private for each user, or a default directory (for example, C:\USERS\DEFAULT) where the user will have all access.
Terminal Services: If the application is running in a Terminal Services environment, each user has a unique Windows directory. If an application that is not Terminal-Services-aware calls this function, it retrieves the path of the Windows directory on the client, not the Windows directory on the server.
Kernel Class | Tao.Platform.Windows Namespace | GetSystemDirectory | GetSystemWindowsDirectory