Advantages of using Program Files Folder

[Dragonfly]

Are there any advantages of using the default "Program Files" folder for installing programs? I typically change the location for the software installation and put each new application in its own folder.

Is there a reason that Microsoft chooses to default the installation of applications to this folder? Is it just an orgainizational option or is there some reason that I am missing?

~Thanks.

[Rick \Nutcase\ Rogers]

Hi,

No advantages, it's just there as a default location and as sort of a
convenience (a new computer user would have no idea what to do if they were
prompted to designate or create an installation folder).

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers aka "Nutcase" MS-MVP - Win9x
Windows isn't rocket science! That's my other hobby!
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
Associate Expert - WinXP - Expert Zone
www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
Win98 Help - www.rickrogers.org

"Dragonfly" > wrote in message
...
> Are there any advantages of using the default "Program Files" folder for
installing programs? I typically change the location for the software
installation and put each new application in its own folder.
>
> Is there a reason that Microsoft chooses to default the installation of
applications to this folder? Is it just an orgainizational option or is
there some reason that I am missing?
>
> ~Thanks.

[Alex Nichol]

Dragonfly wrote:

>Are there any advantages of using the default "Program Files" folder for installing programs? I typically change the location for the software installation and put each new application in its own folder.

That is what in general I do - into folders in a different partition at
that, apart from ones I want to back up and restore as part of the
system. And data into another partition again

>Is there a reason that Microsoft chooses to default the installation of applications to this folder? Is it just an orgainizational option or is there some reason that I am missing?

I think it is part of being friendly to the naive user by having
Programs and Documents kept separated - which is good in principle, but
forcing it can go too far. And in XP having each users 'My Documents'
looking the same place to him, but being in fact a personal folder
separate from other peoples'

What I really hate is where a program, having installed into Program
Files then insists that all its related data goes in with it. that is
inexcusable. I found a program on a friends machine the other day that
had all its data with it; and all scanner images it had scanned through
the separate scanner service - to the tune of 1.9 *GB* of data


--
Alex Nichol MS MVP (Windows Technologies)
Bournemouth, U.K. (remove the D8 bit)