📝 docs(windows): document Store Python sandbox path behavior#423
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gaborbernat merged 1 commit intotox-dev:mainfrom Feb 13, 2026
Merged
📝 docs(windows): document Store Python sandbox path behavior#423gaborbernat merged 1 commit intotox-dev:mainfrom
gaborbernat merged 1 commit intotox-dev:mainfrom
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Windows Store Python (MSIX) uses kernel-level filesystem virtualization that redirects AppData writes to a per-package sandbox location. This causes confusion when paths returned by platformdirs are passed to external processes that run outside the sandbox. The returned logical paths are correct for the calling process, so this is not something platformdirs should resolve. Added a note explaining the behavior and the os.path.realpath() workaround for cross-process path sharing. Closes tox-dev#90
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Windows Store Python (MSIX) uses kernel-level AppContainer filesystem virtualization that silently redirects
AppDatawrites to a per-package sandbox location. This has been a source of confusion (issue #90) when paths returned byplatformdirsare passed to external processes running outside the sandbox — they resolve to a different physical location.After investigating the CPython docs and Microsoft's MSIX internals, the returned logical paths are the correct answer for the calling process. The redirection is not done via symlinks or reparse points (which
os.path.realpathresolves on 3.8+), but via OS-level write virtualization. This meansplatformdirscannot and should not try to resolve these paths — doing so would break the standard non-Store case and has no reliable API.A note was added to the Windows section of the platforms documentation explaining the behavior and providing the
os.path.realpath()workaround for users who need to share paths with external processes.Closes #90.