- The Windows equivalent of the @code{HOME} directory is the
-@dfn{user-specific application data directory}. The actual location
-depends on your Windows version and system configuration; typical values
-are @file{C:\Documents and Settings\@var{username}\Application Data} on
-Windows 2K/XP and later, and either @file{C:\WINDOWS\Application Data}
-or @file{C:\WINDOWS\Profiles\@var{username}\Application Data} on the
-older Windows 9X/ME systems.
-
- @code{HOME} can also be set in the system registry, for details see
-@ref{MS-Windows Registry}.
-
-@cindex init file @file{.emacs} on MS-Windows
- The home directory is where your init file @file{.emacs} is stored.
-When Emacs starts, it first checks whether the environment variable
-@env{HOME} is set. If it is, it looks for the init file in the
-directory pointed by @env{HOME}. If @env{HOME} is not defined, Emacs
-checks for an existing @file{.emacs} file in @file{C:\}, the root
-directory of drive @file{C:}@footnote{
-The check in @file{C:\} is for compatibility with older versions of Emacs,
-which didn't check the application data directory.
-}. If there's no such file in @file{C:\}, Emacs next uses the Windows
-system calls to find out the exact location of your application data
-directory. If that system call fails, Emacs falls back to @file{C:\}.
-
- Whatever the final place is, Emacs sets the value of the @env{HOME}
-environment variable to point to it, and it will use that location for
-other files and directories it normally creates in the user's home
-directory.
-
- You can always find out where Emacs thinks is your home directory's
+ The Windows equivalent of @code{HOME} is the @dfn{user-specific
+application data directory}. The actual location depends on the
+Windows version; typical values are @file{C:\Documents and
+Settings\@var{username}\Application Data} on Windows 2000/XP/2K3,
+@file{C:\Users\@var{username}\AppData\Roaming} on Windows
+Vista/7/2008, and either @file{C:\WINDOWS\Application Data} or
+@file{C:\WINDOWS\Profiles\@var{username}\Application Data} on Windows
+9X/ME. If this directory does not exist or cannot be accessed, Emacs
+falls back to @file{C:\} as the default value of @code{HOME}.
+
+ You can override this default value of @code{HOME} by explicitly
+setting the environment variable @env{HOME} to point to any directory
+on your system. @env{HOME} can be set either from the command shell
+prompt or from @samp{Properties} dialog of @samp{My Computer}.
+@code{HOME} can also be set in the system registry,
+@pxref{MS-Windows Registry}.
+
+ For compatibility with older versions of Emacs@footnote{
+Older versions of Emacs didn't check the application data directory.
+}, if there is a file named @file{.emacs} in @file{C:\}, the root
+directory of drive @file{C:}, and @env{HOME} is set neither in the
+environment nor in the Registry, Emacs will treat @file{C:\} as the
+default @code{HOME} location, and will not look in the application
+data directory, even if it exists. Note that only @file{.emacs} is
+looked for in @file{C:\}; the older name @file{_emacs} (see below) is
+not. This use of @file{C:\.emacs} to define @code{HOME} is
+deprecated.
+
+ Whatever the final place is, Emacs sets the internal value of the
+@env{HOME} environment variable to point to it, and it will use that
+location for other files and directories it normally looks for or
+creates in your home directory.
+
+ You can always find out what Emacs thinks is your home directory's