Mving an app & data from C:\Program Files to C:\users\<user name>

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G

Guest

Our legacy XP application puts exe's and data on C:\Program Files.

Decoupling the programs and data will be a bit tough, so we're considering
moving the entire application (exe's and data) to C:\users\<user name>.

This of course, exposes the exe's to the very risk that the UAC control of
C:\Program Files eliminates, however we don't know how else to move the
application.

Will this approach fail in some way we haven't discovered? Any suggestions
of alternate approaches?
 
Tom

I really don't know that anyone knows what you
are talking about.

Did you do a clean install of Vista ?

or did you update Xp ?

If you did a clean install of Vista you will have to
install all you applications in Vista.
If you did an upgrade from within Xp, your
applications (exe and data) (registry) would have
come over with the install.

If you supply more information, I sure the well known
people here in this news group (ng) will be able to sort it out.

........................................................................................
 
I really don't know that anyone knows what you
are talking about.
Click to expand...

It's a programming question - it's causing a lot of problems to developers
who wrote data to the Program Files folder.

Probably best asked in one of the many MS programming groups.
 
The letter designation is only relevant from the operating system being
booted from at the time. C can be the designated letter of numerous
volumes, each designated from independent installations. If you have C as
the currently booted OS in both XP and Vista, the volume address for the C
volume will be different in each registry.
 
You can either install to the User or other unrestricted area, or after
installing, edit the permissions for the directory in Program Files to allow
unrestricted access to that directory.

Editing the permissions breaks the security for that directory, and the risk
is that the broken security for that directory would be forgotten and never
reversed and persist for the life of the Vista installation.
 
Rather than moving it to the user profile you might be better off to create
a folder in the root and modify the ACLs to allow you whatever access you
need. Having it in the profile may cause problems with redirected profiles.
It will also be harder in the future to remember where the program is and
why it is there if it's hidden away in the user profile. If it's in the root
of the drive it will be glaringly obvious. Another problem with putting it
in the user profile is compatibility with XP. Both methods are not really
recommended. You would be much better off in the long run to modify the
program itself.
 
Hello,

Is your application intended to be operated from only one user account? If
so, a correct location for it to be installed is the user's AppData folder
(i.e. c:\users\username\appdata\local\) [information from the Vista logo
spec
http://download.microsoft.com/downl...f35c/Windows Vista Software Logo Spec 1.1.doc]

If the application is intended to be multi-user, it should be installed to
program files. Since it is a legacy application, virtualization should
kick-in allowing multiple users to have their own "virtual" copy of any
files they attempt to modify inside of program files.
 
Tom

I don't know about you and your question, and
if it was answered or not. I hope so !

But it sure taught me a lot. (I don't profess
to know much about Vista, Xp or programming),
as long as it starts, opens or works is enough for me.

The answers opened my eyes to something
that I hadn't given any thought to.
Thanks (on my behalf) to everyone that posted.

........................................................................
 
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