What Is the ProgramData Folder and What Can You Delete

Q: What is the ProgramData folder?

It is a hidden folder at C:\ProgramData for data programs share among all accounts on the PC, such as licenses, settings and caches.

Q: Why can't I see ProgramData?

It is hidden. Type %ProgramData% into Win + R, or turn on View › Show › Hidden items in File Explorer.

StoragePublished November 9, 20264 min read

C:\ProgramData is a hidden Windows folder where programs keep data shared by every account on the PC: licenses, settings, update caches and databases. Do not delete the folder, and do not clear it in bulk, because security software, Windows features and installers depend on it. Old error reports and the folders of programs you have truly removed can usually go, once you have checked them. Everything else is better left to the program's own uninstaller or settings.

What is in it

Microsoft defines it as a known folder, with the environment variable %ProgramData%. It is hidden by default, so type %ProgramData% into Win + R to go straight there, or turn on File Explorer › View › Show › Hidden items.

A difference from AppData: AppData belongs to one account, and ProgramData belongs to all of them. On a test ThinkPad, the folder held vendor folders such as Intel, Lenovo and Tencent, alongside Microsoft, Package Cache and ssh.

You will also see items with an arrow, such as Application Data and Documents. These are links kept for old programs, not real folders. On that PC, Application Data pointed back to C:\ProgramData and Documents to C:\Users\Public\Documents. So a tool that follows them can count the same data twice, or more.

Find what is taking the space

This lists the largest folders. Run PowerShell as administrator so that fewer folders refuse access:

Get-ChildItem $env:ProgramData -Directory -Force -Attributes !ReparsePoint | ForEach-Object {
  [pscustomobject]@{ GB = [math]::Round((Get-ChildItem $_.FullName -Recurse -Force -File -Attributes !ReparsePoint -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Measure-Object Length -Sum).Sum / 1GB, 2); Folder = $_.Name }
} | Sort-Object GB -Descending | Select-Object -First 15

What is safe and what is not

Path under `C:\ProgramData`	What it is	Can it go
`Microsoft\Windows\WER\ReportArchive`, `ReportQueue`	Old error reports	Yes, needs admin
`NVIDIA Corporation\NV_Cache`	Shader cache	Yes, games recompile, see the shader cache
The folder of a program you removed	Leftovers	Usually, check the name and that no other product from that vendor is installed
`Package Cache`	Installers kept for repair and removal	No, see the Installer folder
`Microsoft\Windows Defender`	Security data	No
`Microsoft\Crypto`	Machine keys and certificates	No
`Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu`	Shortcuts for all accounts	No, except a dead shortcut
`ssh`	Host keys for the OpenSSH server	No
`Microsoft\Windows\Virtual Hard Disks`	Hyper-V disks	Only through Hyper-V
`chocolatey`, `miniconda3`, other package managers	Installed tools	Use the tool to remove packages
A vendor folder for hardware you still use	Drivers, tools, licenses	No, use the vendor's app
Anything for a program you still use	Often licenses and databases	No

Before removing a leftover folder, check Settings › Apps › Installed apps for anything else from that vendor. A publisher folder such as Adobe or Tencent can be shared by several products. Move it somewhere first, or rename it, and use the PC for a few days. Keep your own copy until you are sure.

What not to do

Do not delete C:\ProgramData or its Microsoft folder. Windows features, Defender and installers break, and repair is hard.
Do not take ownership of folders so that you can delete them. That is a sign you are removing something protected, and changed permissions cause their own problems.
Do not move ProgramData to another drive. Windows has no way to move it on an installed PC, and Microsoft warns that redirecting it can make updates and upgrades fail.
Do not trust a folder's total if the tool follows links. Measure with the command above.

Where Mole fits

Mole for Windows' Analyze can show ProgramData and its size on your system drive, with notes on known folders such as Package Cache and WER. It offers no Move to Recycle Bin on anything inside it. Removal there is deliberately not a one-click choice. Clean lists system error reports and NVIDIA's system shader cache from it, the latter unticked, and both need admin. It can also list dead shortcuts from the all-accounts Start Menu. When you uninstall an app through Apps, Mole can list that app's own folder in ProgramData for review, and it stops at the publisher folder rather than removing one shared with other products. Mole never clears Package Cache.

FAQ

What is the ProgramData folder?

It is a hidden folder at C:\ProgramData for data programs share among all accounts on the PC, such as licenses, settings and caches.

Can I delete ProgramData?

No. Remove only items you have checked, such as old error reports or the folder of a program you removed.

Why is ProgramData so big?

Usually one or two programs: installer caches, antivirus data, update files or a package manager. Measure the folders before you decide.

Why can't I see ProgramData?

It is hidden. Type %ProgramData% into Win + R, or turn on View › Show › Hidden items in File Explorer.

What is the difference between ProgramData and AppData?

AppData belongs to one account, and ProgramData is shared by every account on the PC. Both are hidden, and both mix caches with data you need.