Qt, windows cannot find file that Qt open file dialog can - c++

Question

So I have a Qt program that saves files among other things. I saved a few files in my C:/ directory. When I look for the file in windows explorer, cygwin, or my command prompt, I cannot find the file. I checked my folder options and those look fine. Despite not being able to find the file, when I need to load a file in my Qt program, the program is able to find the file. Only my program is able to find the file, windows cannot. I am logged in as an administrator, but could this possibly have something to do with permissions?
Also, it may be worth noting that when I save files in c:/users/me/Documents/folder/folder I don't seem to have an issue.
Code that saves file:
QString saveFileName = QFileDialog::getSaveFileName(this,"Select the file you wish to save to.","","");
QFile saveFile(saveFileName);
if(saveFile.open(QIODevice::WriteOnly))
{
QTextStream stream(&saveFile);
QString stringToSaveToFile;
stream << stringToSaveToFile;
saveFile.close();
}
else
{
QMessageBox::warning(this, "Error", "Cannot open file.");
}
Code that opens file:
QString selectedFile = QFileDialog::getOpenFileName(this, "Select a .pro file.", "", tr("Profile file (*.pro);;All (*.*)"));
QString fileContents;
QFile file(selectedFile);
if (file.open(QIODevice::ReadOnly) | (QIODevice::Text))
{
QTextStream in(&file);
fileContents = in.readAll();
}
else
{
QMessageBox::warning(this, "Error", "Unable to open file.");
}
Edit: Just tried this on a different computer. My computer has windows 8, the other computer had windows XP. I could not replicate the problem on the XP machine.
Edit:
I believe I have found what the issue is (http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_vista-files/windows-explorer-compatibility-files/5b377209-cfe4-4be6-959d-e1de4b8be16d), but I am still trying to find out how to resolve it.
The files I am trying to save to the c:/ directory are actually being saved in C:/users/username/AppData/Local/VirtualStore.
Is there a way to somehow override this?

Answer 1

For now my solution is to warn the user if they save in the C:/, C:/Program Files/, C:/Program Files (x86), or C:/Windows/ directories. All files saved in these directories actually get saved in C:/User/Current User/AppData/Local/VirtualStore/.
If anyone has a better solution let me know.

Answer 2

Even though you might be logged in as an administrator by default most programs are run in unelevated mode (basically, NOT as an administrator). Also by default unelevated programs do not have write access to the root directory on C: drive (same way they do not have permission to write in, for example, C:\Program Files\). This was not always the case - I do not remember exactly at the moment but I think write to program files was already protected in Windows XP, and C: became protected only afterwards, I think at least since Windows 7? Anyway, for compatibility reasons write to those protected directories is virtualized.
Try running your Qt application in elevated mode (right click -> Run as administrator, or right click -> Properties -> Compatibility -> Run this program as an administrator) if you want to write directly in C:\, but really, you shouldn't.
If you are really worried about users being confused by this, you can implement a check for write access - after user chooses location for the file, but before an actual write - and display a warning or let them choose another location.