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How To Install Program Files X86 Or Program

How To Install Program Files X86 Or Program 3,8/5 2170 votes
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Program Files x86. As with the ‘Program Files’, the ‘Program Files (x86) is the default name of a folder in a Microsoft Windows operating system, where applications are usually installed. Only with ‘Program Files (x86)’, the folder name is only created when running on a 64-bit operating system. Anything you install through steam will be installed under C: Program Files (x86) steam steamapps common unless you specifically tell steam to install it somewhere else. A 64bit executable being installed in a subfolder of Program Files (x86) does not magically make it not a 64bit executable anymore, though. The only proper way to install to C: Program Files is to mark the MSI as 64-bit and use the ProgramFiles64Folder property instead of the ProgramFilesFolder property. BTW, if your boss won't believe you, then I suggest finding a new boss.

My understanding is that by convention, 32 bit programs go in 'Program Files (x86)', and 64 bit programs go in 'Program Files' on 64 bit windows. Further that generally, well-behaved installers will get that right for you, and no decisions need to be made. However, I've been asked to override the defaults, and install a 32 bit program in 'Program Files' on Windows 7 64 bit. I am worried about side effects or potential configuration problems.

So, is it OK to install 32 bit programs in 'Program Files' on 64 bit windows instead of 'Program Files (x86)? If not, then what are the negative consequences?

Thoughts?

JeffJeff

1 Answer

From the Windows perspective there will be no side effects or configuration problems, unless you have a folder with the exact same name in that location as this will cause you to overwrite that folder.

From the third party applications perspective it depends on how the application is written to check the folders, but this is very unlikely to occur and it is not a problem that causes your system to fail.

It is best to keep them separated but if you really can't do it then go ahead, your system will not die..

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How To Install Program Files X86 Or Program
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Just out of curiosity, if I am creating a program installer, how should I decide in which 'Program Files' directory to install to? On 32-bit systems, the environmental variable '%programfiles%' is good enough. However, on 64-bit systems, 32-bit programs should not install to that folder and instead to '%programfiles(x86)%', which as I understand points to 'C:Program Files (x86)'. My question is: How should the installer decide which environment variable to use? Will the value of '%programfiles%' change for a 32-bit application, or should I always check first whether '%programfiles(x86)%' exists before using '%programfiles%', or should I do something entirely different?

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Thanks! This is just out of my own curiosity, as I try to get used to 64-bit operating systems.

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2 Answers

When the 32-bit program (installer in your case) asks the system to resolve the ProgramFilePath constant (check the exact name in MSDN), the system does not return C:Program files, but C:Program files(x86). So it's the system that decides, not the application.

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Program Files X86 Problems

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I'm pretty certain that I read somewhere that Windows did this for you automagically. In other words, if your installer was 32-bits, it would be routed to the x86 directory variant even though you were trying to install into Program Files.

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I'm sure I read this on The Old New Thing but here's a link that supports the contention until I can find that one.

How To Open Program Files X86

Ah, yes, here it is, from the ever useful Raymond Chen.

How To Install Program Files X86 Or Programming

Commenter Koro is writing an installer in the form of a 32-bit program that detects that it's running on a 64-bit system and wants to copy files (and presumably set registry entries and do other installery things) into the 64-bit directories, but the emulation layer redirects the operations into the 32-bit locations. The question is 'What is the way of finding the x64 Program Files directory from a 32-bit application?'

The answer is 'It is better to work with the system than against it.' If you're a 32-bit program, then you're going to be fighting against the emulator each time you try to interact with the outside world. Instead, just recompile your installer as a 64-bit program. Have the 32-bit installer detect that it's running on a 64-bit system and launch the 64-bit installer instead. The 64-bit installer will not run in the 32-bit emulation layer, so when it tries to copy a file or update a registry key, it will see the real 64-bit file system and the real 64-bit registry.

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How To Install Program Files On Pc

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