# USER FILES FOLDER SETTING

This setting controls where AyaNova stores user uploaded files used by features that allow file attachment or uploads.
AyaNova stores these files with random names in the folder specified.

Warning: this folder MUST NOT be the same location set for [AYANOVA_FOLDER_BACKUP_FILES](ops-config-folder-backup-files.md) or AyaNova will not start.

## Default

If no override is specified AyaNova will store user files in a `userfiles` folder in the AyaNova root folder where AyaNova is started from.

## Overriding

AyaNova expects the user files folder path to be provided by an environment variable or command line parameter named

`AYANOVA_FOLDER_USER_FILES`

The value specified should be a string containing a fully qualified file path for the platform, for example:
`c:\data\ayanova\userfiles`

Example command line parameter

`dotnet run --AYANOVA_FOLDER_USER_FILES="/var/lib/ayanova/userfiles"`

Example environment variable

Windows

`set "AYANOVA_FOLDER_USER_FILES=c:\data\ayanova\userfiles"`

Linux / MAC

`export AYANOVA_FOLDER_USER_FILES="/var/lib/ayanova/userfiles"`

If both a command line parameter and an environment variable are set the command line parameter takes precedence.
