# File::userApplicationDataDirectory points to different locations

**URL:** <https://forum.juce.com/t/file-userapplicationdatadirectory-points-to-different-locations/15655>\
**Category:** Audio Plugins\
**Created:** [October 6, 2015, 5:26pm UTC](https://forum.juce.com/t/file-userapplicationdatadirectory-points-to-different-locations/15655 "2015-10-06T17:26:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![mcollins78728](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/439d5e/32.png) [@mcollins78728](https://forum.juce.com/u/mcollins78728)\
**Post date:** [October 6, 2015, 5:26pm UTC](https://forum.juce.com/t/file-userapplicationdatadirectory-points-to-different-locations/15655/1 "2015-10-06T17:26:01Z")

</div>

I just noticed that on OSX, the special location enumeration File::userApplicationDataDirectory normally points to:

/Users/\<username\>/Library

However, if I am running my plugin under GarageBand, it&nbsp;points to

/Users/\<username\>/Linrary/Containers/com.apple.garageband10/Data/Library

Is this correct? Why would this location be different just because I'm usign a different host application?

&nbsp;

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jules](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/41988e/32.png) [@jules](https://forum.juce.com/u/jules)\
**Post date:** [October 6, 2015, 7:13pm UTC](https://forum.juce.com/t/file-userapplicationdatadirectory-points-to-different-locations/15655/2 "2015-10-06T19:13:51Z")

</div>

It's because GarageBand is sandboxing your plugin, and preventing access to the rest of the filesystem.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![mcollins78728](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/439d5e/32.png) [@mcollins78728](https://forum.juce.com/u/mcollins78728)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 3:24am UTC](https://forum.juce.com/t/file-userapplicationdatadirectory-points-to-different-locations/15655/3 "2015-10-07T03:24:13Z")

</div>

Thanks! I am fairly new to OSX development and just learning about application sandboxing.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![chkn](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/forum.juce.com/chkn/32/3862_2.png) [@chkn](https://forum.juce.com/u/chkn)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 10:03am UTC](https://forum.juce.com/t/file-userapplicationdatadirectory-points-to-different-locations/15655/4 "2015-10-07T10:03:00Z")

</div>

Use the "Audio Music Apps" Folder for your Plugin Settings

PropertiesFile(File("~/Music/Audio Music Apps/MyCompany/MyPlugin.settings"),options);

( btw. never! create this folder with root permissions from your installer)&nbsp;

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![mcollins78728](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/439d5e/32.png) [@mcollins78728](https://forum.juce.com/u/mcollins78728)\
**Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 6:00pm UTC](https://forum.juce.com/t/file-userapplicationdatadirectory-points-to-different-locations/15655/5 "2015-10-09T18:00:00Z")

</div>

I don't think that "Audio Music Apps" is one of the special folder enumerations in JUCE and I would like to avoid using conditional compiles. It would be nice to have that enumeration if that is the best place to put plugin settings. &nbsp;Also, I noticed that most applications are putting their files in "/Library/Application Support/My Company", not "/Library/My Company".