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Solve : Why do I have to program folders in windows7 ultimate?? |
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Answer» I wish to install some games on a separate hard drive to the one my OS is on, but I am not sure if this will will because there are two program folders in my windows 7 ultimate 64. One of these folders is a "Program files" folder and the other says "Programs Files (X86)." I am wondering if I will have to make a folder on the slave drive called Program Files (x86)? Or will any folder name do? Why do you have two Program file folders on the OS drive? thanks!!Programs do not have to be installed in "Program Folders". You may install a program to any folder you like (even creating one just for the program). Quote from: Allan on March 14, 2011, 03:02:08 PM Programs do not have to be installed in "Program Folders". You may install a program to any folder you like (even creating one just for the program). Ok, I just wanted to be on the safe side rather then screw my comp up. Also, do you RECKON I would see some performance drop by putting my games on a slave SATA hard drive? Thankyou!!No. Quote from: Crafty on March 14, 2011, 02:56:04 PM Why do you have two Program file folders on the OS drive? thanks!!On a 64-bit machine, C:\Program Files is the default program files folder name that windows tells 64-bit applications. However, if the application is 32-bit, Windows tells it that the Program Files Folder is actually C:\Program Files (x86) The natural question that comes from this might be "well, why should they be different?" Alright- let's consider a hypothetical application that has both 32-bit and 64-bit versions; naturally there are applications like this around so this isn't exactly a philosophical question Let's say that Windows reported C:\Program Files\ as the directory for Program files to all applications. So you run the 32-bit installer and install the 32-bit version, and it installs to C:\Program Files\Application, and all is well. Then one day you decide to try the 64 bit version. When you go to install it, it prompts you to "modify, repair, or uninstall" so you assume maybe you installed it earlier, so you say repair, and let it do it's thing. Now you run the 64-bit version. But CURSES! it's not compatible with super ultra mega plugin widget, because that only works on the 32-bit version. So you say "oh well, maybe I'll use the 64-bit version when Super ultra mega plugin widget co. updates the plugin to 64-bit" so you start the 32-bit shortcut, and find it starts the 64-bit version of the application. what happened? What happened was the application was built from the same source; just to a 64-bit architecture. The installer was the same as well; it found the 32-bit product installed but didn't realize it was actually different, so it "repaired" the installation by replacing all the 32-bit program files with the 64-bit version. And now the shortcut to the 32-bit version started the 64-bit version of the program (being that the executable was replaced). Another case could be that the executable isn't replaced (say the 32-bit version is "program32.exe" and the 64-bit version is "program64.exe" or something in which case the satellite files ( the program may use dlls or something) are replaced instead, so now when you start the 32-bit version you get a confusing error about "LOADLIBRARY() failed" or something. Microsoft foresaw issues like this, and MADE it so that if the program was 32-bit, it was told the Program Files folder was in one place, and if it was 64-bit, it was in the standard location. So both programs would be installed to a different folder entirely and wouldn't STOMP on each other.Thanks for all the replies!! |
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