What's the problem with program files folder?

[Péter Bártfai]

I mean, I've read at several places that you should not install games to the program files folder, instead create a folder f.e. "c:\games" for them. Why is that? I've tried to search for an answer but didn't manage to find anything!

 

[Craig Stevenson]

I'm not sure there is a specfic reason, I have always had a Games folder going right back to DOS\Windows 3.0.

 

[Russell Magill]

Well, I don't know why such a location for your games would cause any technical issues such as a game crash or corruption however in rare cases developers name the folder that extracts to your chosen destination something odd, i.e not their name or the name of the game, making it incredibly difficult to locate in Program Files if you have a lot of programs from various publishers installed.

However, the average computer user has less games than they do 'programs' (for lack of a better word) so locating a game in a specifically designated 'game' folder would be easier done.

That's the only reason I can think off from the top of my head, I could be very wrong, infact knowing myself as I do, I probably am.

 

[Senad Subasic]

Program Files is a folder with restricted access, some users can't write in there, so things might not work. I know this is the case with Richard Burns Rally.
I guess it's recommended to install somewhere else to avoid any errors related to permissions.

 

[Jim Cole]

The reason for installing games to a separate folder outside the program files folder is due to the User Account Control that is part of Vista and Windows 7. The UAC prevents programs from writing to files inside the program files folder unless the game is ran as an admin and all parts of the game are also ran this way. It does cause issues with certain games which need to write information into the installed folder to change ini settings and things like that.

Safest way is to install outside the program files into something like c:\games or what ever you choose the directory to be called.

 

[Dennis Phelan]

Why then do the installers all direct games/sims to be installed in the programs folder?

 

[Senad Subasic]

UAC didn't exist when most of the games used here were made.

Again, most will probably work fine, getting errors is an exception. But better be safe than sorry.

 

[Péter Bártfai]

So it's an issue only for newer Windows'. Fine, thanks! I still have XP so I guess it's why I didn't notice any problem with it

 

[Ivo Simons]

I dont have problems with Vista also.
And all my games are in Program Files. But i have my UAC off. Thats the most important thing.

 

[Peter]

When I install GTR2 and GTL in programfiles they make a folder in my documents ( like Race 07 ), and that's what can cause problems.
If you put them in a Games folder it doesn't.
This is what Simbin says about it.

''- Install the game outside of any Windows folder (ex: "Programme files" folder).For example, using a "Games" directory in C:\ can solve a lot of potential issues.''