I have always kept my programme installation directories in C:\Program Files and would prefer to keep it that way. So many programmes these days default to C:\Program Files (x86). It is a pain to keep editing the location required when setting up a new machine. Is there any way to persuade new installations to default to the former?
Only on X64 windows versions you have C:\Program Files (x86) and C:\Program Files.
C:\Program Files (x86)=>for 32 bits applications
C:\Program Files=>for 64 bits applications
Why don't you like that logic?
Yes, I understand the logic but to me it's irrelevant. I would prefer they all reside in one area.
By default most 32 bit applications will install to the "Program Files (x86)" folder in a 64 bit OS, even older applications that predate 64 bit operating systems. I don't believe there is any way to force a different default because this is ultimately controlled by the application. There are good reasons for this and mixing 32 bit and 64 bit applications in the "Program Files" folder is usually a bad idea.
For the vast majority of cases installing in one location or another is irrelevant. But the default location is actually provided by the OS (to well behaving programs anyway, but most are in this aspect), and is the OS what makes the difference between 32 and 64 bits installers.
The reason for that is simple. Keeping them separate allows you to have both 32 and 64 bits of a particular program together at the same time, without doing too much hassle during install or risking them overwriting each other.
One example of such dual installation is the built-in Internet Explorer. Some other programs may also drop files in both places (that's where the distinction becomes most useful) and many programs come in both flavors, should you ever want to have them coexisting.
It is NOT a good idea
You only have 4GB of RAM
You won't lose any memory by installing the 32-bit version of Windows
There are 64-bit stubs that call 32-bit executables. If you're moving the 32-bit executables into Program files, you're essentially using all 32-bit programs.
Rather than muck about that way, just install the 32-bit Windows.
Note: Your license allows you to install either 64 or 32 bit.
Last edited by Slartybart; 23 Jan 2015 at 17:01. Reason: toned it down - it sounded like I was barking at rafiki. I over-emphasized.
I am grateful for all your comments. I am perplexed because I have been, naively, manually lumping them all together for as long as I have had a 64 bit OS. I haven't had any major problems doing that but perhaps I've just been very fortunate. I'll let the rest of the installs on this new machine reside wherever they suggest. Thanks again.
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