diff --git a/dev/src/MCUtil.ts b/dev/src/MCUtil.ts
index 20b2708e..7f918c6e 100644
--- a/dev/src/MCUtil.ts
+++ b/dev/src/MCUtil.ts
@@ -194,6 +194,13 @@ namespace MCUtil {
         return path.join(os.homedir(), "codewind-workspace");
     }
 
+    export function getCWDataPath(): string {
+        if (MCUtil.getOS() === "windows") {
+            return "C:\\codewind-data";
+        }
+        return path.join(os.homedir(), "codewind-data");
+    }
+
     /**
      * Joins a string array into a user-friendly list.
      * Eg, `joinWithAnd([ "tim", "erin", "john" ])` => "tim, erin, and john"
diff --git a/dev/src/codewind/connection/UserProjectCreator.ts b/dev/src/codewind/connection/UserProjectCreator.ts
index e5230334..6a0e5ef1 100644
--- a/dev/src/codewind/connection/UserProjectCreator.ts
+++ b/dev/src/codewind/connection/UserProjectCreator.ts
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import SocketEvents from "./SocketEvents";
 import Requester from "../project/Requester";
 import { ProjectType, IProjectSubtypesDescriptor } from "../project/ProjectType";
 import { CLICommandRunner } from "./CLICommands";
+import MCUtil from "../../MCUtil";
 
 export interface ICWTemplateData {
     label: string;
@@ -300,10 +301,6 @@ namespace UserProjectCreator {
     }
 
     export async function promptForDir(btnLabel: string, defaultUri: vscode.Uri | undefined): Promise<vscode.Uri | undefined> {
-        // if (!defaultUri && vscode.workspace.workspaceFolders != null) {
-        //     defaultUri = vscode.workspace.workspaceFolders[0].uri;
-        // }
-
         const selectedDirs = await vscode.window.showOpenDialog({
             canSelectFiles: false,
             canSelectFolders: true,
@@ -312,10 +309,17 @@ namespace UserProjectCreator {
             defaultUri
         });
         if (selectedDirs == null) {
-            return;
+            return undefined;
+        }
+        // canSelectMany is false so we just use [0]
+        const selectedDir = selectedDirs[0];
+
+        const cwDataPath = MCUtil.getCWDataPath();
+        if (selectedDir.fsPath.startsWith(cwDataPath)) {
+            vscode.window.showErrorMessage(`You cannot create or add a project under ${cwDataPath}. Select a different directory.`);
+            return undefined;
         }
-        // canSelectMany is false
-        return selectedDirs[0];
+        return selectedDir;
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/dev/src/command/connection/CreateUserProjectCmd.ts b/dev/src/command/connection/CreateUserProjectCmd.ts
index aa56b470..265611df 100644
--- a/dev/src/command/connection/CreateUserProjectCmd.ts
+++ b/dev/src/command/connection/CreateUserProjectCmd.ts
@@ -95,18 +95,11 @@ export default async function createProject(connection: Connection): Promise<voi
             const defaultUri = vscode.workspace.workspaceFolders && vscode.workspace.workspaceFolders[0] ?
                 vscode.workspace.workspaceFolders[0].uri : undefined;
 
-            const selection = await vscode.window.showOpenDialog({
-                canSelectFiles: false,
-                canSelectFolders: true,
-                canSelectMany: false,
-                defaultUri,
-                openLabel: "Select Parent Directory",
-            });
-
+            const selection = await UserProjectCreator.promptForDir("Select Parent Directory", defaultUri);
             if (!selection) {
                 return undefined;
             }
-            parentDir = selection[0];
+            parentDir = selection;
         }
 
         const response = await UserProjectCreator.createProject(connection, template, parentDir, projectName);