Installing Programs

I am upgrading one machine and will try Win 7 64 bit, running 32 bit now.
There are some 32 bit programs I like to install to a folder besides
\program files. Like Forte Agent, I have installed to \online\agent
because I can put the data folder in the same place so I can back it up
without hunting it down in the user folder or where ever. I also have ham
radio programs installed to a \radio folder. Also installing some 64 bit
programs this way.

Does anyone see a problem with this ?

Thanks


KenW

"Ken1943" <> wrote in message
news:...
> I am upgrading one machine and will try Win 7 64 bit, running 32 bit now.
> There are some 32 bit programs I like to install to a folder besides
> \program files. Like Forte Agent, I have installed to \online\agent
> because I can put the data folder in the same place so I can back it up
> without hunting it down in the user folder or where ever. I also have ham
> radio programs installed to a \radio folder. Also installing some 64 bit
> programs this way.
>
> Does anyone see a problem with this ?

Only problem I see with it is why? Is there a reason for not just putting
it in \Users\<username>\Documents\Agent (or whatever) so a standard backup
would catch it automatically? Seems like over complicating things.

On Mon, 04 Apr 2011 08:10:45 -0600, Ken1943 <> wrote:

>I am upgrading one machine and will try Win 7 64 bit, running 32 bit now.
>There are some 32 bit programs I like to install to a folder besides
>\program files. Like Forte Agent, I have installed to \online\agent
>because I can put the data folder in the same place so I can back it up
>without hunting it down in the user folder or where ever. I also have ham
>radio programs installed to a \radio folder. Also installing some 64 bit
>programs this way.
>
>Does anyone see a problem with this ?
>
>Thanks
>
>
>KenW

Old dog likes to stick with old tricks !! But, I never liked installing
everything into \program files. Makes it easier to find certain things I
want to look for.


KenW

On 04/04/2011 15:37, Ken1943 wrote:

> Old dog likes to stick with old tricks !! But, I never liked installing
> everything into \program files. Makes it easier to find certain things I
> want to look for.

Well a) there's no reason to even be LOOKING in the Program Files folder
in the first place, because all that's there is err, program files,
which are not User editable anyway, b) if your applications are Windows
7 compatible they won't (normally) install anywhere else and c) as Seth
says why put the data into a place that a Standard User does not have
Read/write access to? The way Windows 7 puts User data into C:\Users\ is
far superior because that's what gets picked up by backup applications -
NOT C:\Program Files\...
Just go with the flow - the way Windows 7 works your data sources are
seamless anyway - you don't even need to know what folder they are in...

"Gordon" <> wrote in message
news:...
> On 04/04/2011 15:37, Ken1943 wrote:
>
>> Old dog likes to stick with old tricks !! But, I never liked
>> installing
>> everything into \program files. Makes it easier to find certain
>> things I
>> want to look for.
>
> Well a) there's no reason to even be LOOKING in the Program Files
> folder in the first place, because all that's there is err, program
> files,


Except for those older, poorly written programs that store
configuration and used data under their folder in the Program Files
structure.

> which are not User editable anyway, b) if your applications are
> Windows 7 compatible they won't (normally) install anywhere else


Really? All of them that I've installed offer your choice of
installation folder and can be installed anywhere you please, they
just default to the Program Files structure.

> and c) as Seth says why put the data into a place that a Standard
> User does not have Read/write access to?


Can't disageree there.

> The way Windows 7 puts User data into C:\Users\ is far superior
> because that's what gets picked up by backup applications - NOT
> C:\Program Files\...


Just for the record, Windows 7 doesn't put the data there, the
programs do, if properly written.

> Just go with the flow - the way Windows 7 works your data sources
> are seamless anyway - you don't even need to know what folder they
> are in...


It does seem like a bit more effort than any benefit one might gain,
doesn't it?

--
Zaphod

"The best Bang since the Big One" - Eccentrica Gallumbits

"Ken1943" <> wrote in message
news:...
> On Mon, 04 Apr 2011 08:10:45 -0600, Ken1943 <> wrote:
>
>>I am upgrading one machine and will try Win 7 64 bit, running 32 bit now.
>>There are some 32 bit programs I like to install to a folder besides
>>\program files. Like Forte Agent, I have installed to \online\agent
>>because I can put the data folder in the same place so I can back it up
>>without hunting it down in the user folder or where ever. I also have ham
>>radio programs installed to a \radio folder. Also installing some 64 bit
>>programs this way.
>>
>>Does anyone see a problem with this ?
>
> Old dog likes to stick with old tricks !! But, I never liked installing
> everything into \program files. Makes it easier to find certain things I
> want to look for.

And why don't you reply to the person you are replying to? your reply to my
message is showing up as a reply to your own original message quoting
included.

On 4/04/11, Ken1943 posted:
> I am upgrading one machine and will try Win 7 64 bit, running 32 bit now.
> There are some 32 bit programs I like to install to a folder besides
> \program files. Like Forte Agent, I have installed to \online\agent
> because I can put the data folder in the same place so I can back it up
> without hunting it down in the user folder or where ever. I also have ham
> radio programs installed to a \radio folder. Also installing some 64 bit
> programs this way.

> Does anyone see a problem with this ?

> Thanks


> KenW

That approach would seem to add disorganization to a system. By using
it, you'd have user data scattered around in a bunch of different
structures off of the root, instead of in the standard place, in
AppData under your user folder.

BTW, Windows 7 makes 32-bit program installations default to C:\Program
Files (x86).

Some legacy programs will still get into trouble, because they will
store their data in their Program Files (x86) tree. The usual
workaround is to install them in a third program files folder so they
have the right permisions. That's bad enough; twelve different program
files folders would be a real organizational mess, IMO.

--
Gene E. Bloch (Stumbling Bloch)

On Mon, 04 Apr 2011 08:10:45 -0600, Ken1943 <> wrote:

>I am upgrading one machine and will try Win 7 64 bit, running 32 bit now.
>There are some 32 bit programs I like to install to a folder besides
>\program files. Like Forte Agent, I have installed to \online\agent
>because I can put the data folder in the same place so I can back it up
>without hunting it down in the user folder or where ever. I also have ham
>radio programs installed to a \radio folder. Also installing some 64 bit
>programs this way.
>
>Does anyone see a problem with this ?

I don't see any problems with that.

I'm running Win 7 64 bit and still use some 32 bit programs.

I also use Forte Agent which is installed to D:\Newsreader, Eudora for
email is installed to D:\Eudora.
I have various browsers installed, all with the exception of IE9 are
installed to D:\K-Meleon, Mozilla Firefox and various Opera instances.

When I reinstall Windows 7 none of the above programs need to be
reinstalled, I backup my D:\drive regularly and when I reinstall the
operating system I just need to add shortcuts to the Start Menu and I
can usually start running the programs on D:\drive immediately
continuing on from where I last left off.
--

John

That's the answer I was looking for. It may look disorganized to some,
but I have 'always' done it that way. At 68 years old, I like my way. lol

>On Mon, 04 Apr 2011 08:10:45 -0600, Ken1943 <> wrote:
>
>>I am upgrading one machine and will try Win 7 64 bit, running 32 bit now.
>>There are some 32 bit programs I like to install to a folder besides
>>\program files. Like Forte Agent, I have installed to \online\agent
>>because I can put the data folder in the same place so I can back it up
>>without hunting it down in the user folder or where ever. I also have ham
>>radio programs installed to a \radio folder. Also installing some 64 bit
>>programs this way.
>>
>>Does anyone see a problem with this ?
>
>I don't see any problems with that.
>
>I'm running Win 7 64 bit and still use some 32 bit programs.
>
>I also use Forte Agent which is installed to D:\Newsreader, Eudora for
>email is installed to D:\Eudora.
>I have various browsers installed, all with the exception of IE9 are
>installed to D:\K-Meleon, Mozilla Firefox and various Opera instances.
>
>When I reinstall Windows 7 none of the above programs need to be
>reinstalled, I backup my D:\drive regularly and when I reinstall the
>operating system I just need to add shortcuts to the Start Menu and I
>can usually start running the programs on D:\drive immediately
>continuing on from where I last left off.


KenW

In news:4d9a91f8$0$10688$c3e8da3$,
John Morrison wrote:
[...]
> I also use Forte Agent which is installed to D:\Newsreader, Eudora for
> email is installed to D:\Eudora.
> I have various browsers installed, all with the exception of IE9 are
> installed to D:\K-Meleon, Mozilla Firefox and various Opera instances.
>
> When I reinstall Windows 7 none of the above programs need to be
> reinstalled, I backup my D:\drive regularly and when I reinstall the
> operating system I just need to add shortcuts to the Start Menu and I
> can usually start running the programs on D:\drive immediately
> continuing on from where I last left off.

I never found this to work for some programs. As many programs depend on
registry entries. And when you reinstall Windows, they are all lost.
Some applications will recreate them if they are missing, but not all.
And some programs throw special DLLs into the Windows folder. And they
won't be there either. These program has been around since the Windows
3.1 days or probably earlier.

I used to do the same thing and I learned it doesn't always work too
well. And you don't really need another partition called D or whatever.
You could have them in a special folder on C and do the very same.
Assuming you have a copy of it somewhere else to put back in there after
an OS reinstall. But if you make backups, you never have to do a
reinstall ever anyway.

--
Bill
Gateway M465e ('06 era) - OE-QuoteFix v1.19.2
Centrino Core Duo 1.83G - 2GB - Windows XP SP3