Query for the path every time you open a file

Because Windows provides a dynamic operating environment for your application, it is not always safe to make assumptions about the location of files or folders. Default storage locations may change during the runtime of your program. With this in mind, when opening files, always query the path beforehand to ensure it hasn't changed since the last time you used that file. To allow your program to handle this dynamic environment, we have compiled the following guidelines, which we discuss in more detail in subsequent sections.

• Use SHGetFolderPath to find popular shell folders. Don’t hardcode full paths like "C:\My Documents" into your application, check the path each and every time you open shell folders.
• Use GetTempPath to locate appropriate storage for temporary files. The path to the Windows temp folder is obtained by calling the Win32 API GetTempPath. While it is possible to obtain the temp path by other means, note that an administrator can reconfigure the temp path at any time.
• Store paths as UNC or relative to special folder CSIDLs. Instead of storing path information in the registry, read it from the system with APIs like GetTempPath and SHGetFolderPath. If you must store a path, store it as a UNC or relative path.