How to I change default install folder c:/Program Files ?

[Guest]

I do not want my instlls going into c:/Program Files. It has become obvious
to me that installing into this folder is very hazardous!!!
I have searched everywhere in Vista but cannot find how to change the
default install of a new program. I know I was able to change the default in
Windows 98 to something other than this folder.
What magic must be performed in order to get new program installs to go
somewhere else?

 

[Richard Urban]

This is not Windows 98. This is a secure operating system by comparison. It
is not going to allow you to do something that will jeopardize that
security.

Answer, you use the custom install feature of each program and direct where
YOU think it should be installed. Many hundreds of entries will still make
it to areas on the C:\ partition anyway.

--


Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
(For email, remove the obvious from my address)

 

[Guest]

Hello Richard. Somehow I think this is too restrictive an interpretation. I
am the only user on my laptop. Security is not my issue. Unfortunately,
most of the time my installs are 'User' applications and require that I
constantly redirect the install away from c:/Program Files. This is a
nusiance. But not redirecting is a very hazardous action.
I think it would be nice if I were allowed to make the decision as to
security. What you have suggested as to the reason seems very dictatorial to
me.
I sell and distribute a commercial user application and in the install is a
warning about not isntalling into c:/Program Files. It appears I will be
distributing with that warning for life.
Regards - PW

 

[Hank Arnold (MVP)]

I do not want my instlls going into c:/Program Files. It has become obvious
to me that installing into this folder is very hazardous!!!

Why do you say that????

--

Regards,
Hank Arnold
Microsoft MVP
Windows Server - Directory Services

 

[Kerry Brown]

Your installation program is free to create a directory and install your
application wherever you wish. If you pick a system area you will run into
Vista's security. You start out by saying you are the only user then
continue to say you distribute a commercial application. You don't own the
computers that run your application so why should you be allowed to change
their security? What would happen if you advised your customers to change
the default security to suit your application then because of this change
they became vulnerable to malware. How happy would your customers be when
they found out you were the reason they were infected? You need to change
the application to live within the default security boundaries. Past
programming practices are not suitable for the current environment. If you
don't evolve then eventually you will become extinct.

 

[Guest]

Hank-I'm glad I caught your attention with that one. It is hazardous
because: I lost at least an hour the first time I installed into
c:/Program FIles and then had to install an exectable update to a program. I
then looked all over in the directory for the .exe and couldn't find it.
Went back and did the download again. Same problem. Where is this &%$%#&(
thing??
Well you know what it was. A big surprise to me. Especially when about a
month later the same thing again(I forgot!). So, now I issue a BIG warning
to my users about not isntalling my product into c:/Program Files.
Please let me change this default. I am a single user on my PC(PC means
'Personal Computer' doesn't it?).

BTW, I am assuming that somebody will publish a Registry hack to change
this default directory. You really don't want that do you?
PW

 

[Guest]

Keryy-I didn't say that I wanted to change my users directories. Only my own.
PW

 

[Kerry Brown]

In another post you specifically say you warn your customers not to install
your program in the Program Files directory. This is what I was talking
about. If you don't want then to install into the Program Files directory
then your installation program has to make this change. During the
installation you'd create the directory wherever you want and set the ACLs
to whatever you want. I'd argue that this non-standard practice isn't
necessary but there could be a valid reason why you want to do this. So far
all you've done is say that it's hazardous and you couldn't find the files
because they were somewhere else. If you told us where the somewhere is was
someone may be able to help. I'm still confused as to what you actually
trying to do. It sounds like you have two problems, one on your personal
computer, and one when installing your software on other computers.

 

[Guest]

Kerry-I thought it was 'intuitively obvious' what I meant by Hazardous.
Putting software into c:/Program Files means that when you add files to your
directory, you cannot view them without clicking on something called
'compatibility files'. This is unnatural to me and easy to miss. This
redefines what a file is. It means I have to remember that I am not in my
own directory anymore and overly complicates the process of just wanting to
view a file. When I stumble around for hours trying to find my files only to
finally discover that I've been fooled once again, then I stop doing that.
No more.

Note: I do not have a problem with other computers except to warn my
customers to stay out of c:/Program Files unless of course they want to
stumble around for awhile and waste their time.
I simply learned my lesson.

Note: my pc has one user-me. It is an engineering/Software development
machine and is not used to download pictures, movies, music, etc etc. Just
to do work.
PW

 

[Kerry Brown]

It sounds like you are storing data files in your program folder. This is
not a good idea. I recommend you read up on programming for Vista.

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsvista/default.aspx

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-ca/windowsvista/aa904955.aspx

http://forums.microsoft.com/MSDN/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=1781842&SiteID=1

--
Kerry Brown
Microsoft MVP - Shell/User
http://www.vistahelp.ca

Kerry-I thought it was 'intuitively obvious' what I meant by Hazardous.
Putting software into c:/Program Files means that when you add files to
your
directory, you cannot view them without clicking on something called
'compatibility files'. This is unnatural to me and easy to miss. This
redefines what a file is. It means I have to remember that I am not in my
own directory anymore and overly complicates the process of just wanting
to
view a file. When I stumble around for hours trying to find my files only
to
finally discover that I've been fooled once again, then I stop doing that.
No more.

Note: I do not have a problem with other computers except to warn my
customers to stay out of c:/Program Files unless of course they want to
stumble around for awhile and waste their time.
I simply learned my lesson.

Note: my pc has one user-me. It is an engineering/Software development
machine and is not used to download pictures, movies, music, etc etc.
Just
to do work.
PW