Client XML Files

I'm about to go into a topic that's outside the official API.  Therefore Autodesk will not support this information, and what I say may change without notice in the next release.

Overview:
Vault is a client/server framework.  Some data is stored on the server side and some is stored on the client side.  To get to the server data, you use the API for that.  But there is no API to get at the client data.  So you will need to access client data directly if you want it.

Things specific to a user's settings are stored on the client.  For example:

• The working folders
• Saved searches
• Shortcuts
• Column settings

Finding in the Information:
Client data is stored in a bunch of XML files.  The XML syntax is pretty straightforward.  It's getting to the files that is tricky.  The path is dependent on a lot of factors. 

Let's go through a path:
C:\Documents and Settings\[Windows user]\Application Data\Autodesk\VaultCommon\Servers\[Vault version]\[Vault server]\Vaults\[Vault Name]\Objects

Windows User – The windows login.  If there are multiple users on a single computer, they will each get different client settings.
Vault Version – This one looks a bit strange, for example Vault 2010 has a value of "Services_Security_1_26_2009".  It's basically a code that changes with each release.  Therefore client settings are tied to a specific Vault version.
Vault Server – The vault server.  So settings on one server are independent of client settings on another server.
Vault Name – The name of the vault.  Client settings are specific to a single Vault.

NOTE:  In Vista the path is C:\Users\[Windows User]\AppData\Roaming\Autodesk\VaultCommon\Servers\[Vault version]\[Vault server]\Vaults\[Vault Name]\Objects .
Also, AppData is a hidden folder.

Writing Client Information:
Please don't write to these XML files.  Since the XML schema isn't published, it's likely that you will break something.