Windows 7: W7 64bit:Ok to install 32bit programs outside the 32bit programfolder?

OS: Win 7 64bit.

Is it generally not a problem to choose to install a piece of 32bit software outside the win 7 default program folder for 32bit software?
Or is 32bit software only supposed to be running flawlessly, if installed in that
default 32bit folder?
Thanks.

Go ahead and install the program wherever you want. The different folders make no difference. It's just to help you keep track of which programs are 32-bit and which are 64-bit.

I can confirm that. I've installed several programs outside the "program files" folder (32bit and 64bit alike) and all work well

in fact, it's a good idea to install some software, especially games, outside of the (x86) folder - that way they will not run into UAC/admin problems so much.

It's also a good idea to keep portable apps out of there. If you should do a Custom Install of Windows, the Windows installer will scoop up everything under Program Files and stick it in Windows.old. Anything that doesn't need Registry I put in a folder under C:\Utils. If I Custom Install all those apps still work.

Thank you for clarifying.

Solved.

How would installing outside of the (x86) folder solve some UAC issues?

i'm not sure on the exact details, so i may well be a little wrong here, but this is how i understand it:

UAC protects the program files folders - so that any attempt to write to them without admin rights will trigger a uac prompt, or in some cases just completely fail, without even giving you an error message.

if you tried installing 'problem' software outside of the program file folders, then you can write files freely, without uac popping up.