Can you help me locate PHP session files?

Question

I have a default configuration of xampp (LAMP) on a windows system, I have been googleing and reading stackflow for an hour but I can not find where php session data is saved, I would like to locate a session file and look at it.

Some sites say windows usually stores it here C:\windows\tmp\ but I was unable to find it there or anywhere else.

1. Do you know where sessions are saved by default?f
2. Do you know what kind name and file? extension they might would have?

Answer 1

To find the "for sure" location, do the following:

1. Boot up a cmd prompt
2. Run php --ini and find the loaded configuration file
3. Open the config file and search for 'session.save_path'

That's the path your session files should be saved to.

This assumes that session.save_handler is set to 'files', of course, and isn't overridden anywhere in your code.

By default, it's probably "C:\WINDOWS\Temp". The filenames are generally prefixed with sess_, and do not have an extension.

Edit: Other posters are correct in using session_save_path() to find the path as well. That's probably a more foolproof method, in case there's differences between your CLI configuration and your web configuration. I'll hand out some +1's. :D

Answer 2

session_save_path() - they have no extension, they are long string UID named files.

Answer 3

CTRL + F (windows Find)... search your XAMPP dir for files modified today (by date)...

Answer 4

You can find where the sessions are stored for the current configuration by calling session_save_path() - this corresponds to the configuration setting session.save_handler as zombat says. The files I think are named by prefixing the session id with 'sess_'

Answer 5

Make a php test page. If you haven't done this before simply save the following as a .php file

<?php phpinfo(); ?>

Look for session_save_path under the session section.

If it is set, this should tell you your session path.