Vista x64 - Creating a Program Files (x86) Folder on D: drive

[Cheryl_27]

Re: The two Vista x64 "Program Files" folders.

I usually don't install programs in the OS drive (C:\). In XP I always created a Program Files folder in D:\

On my new PC w/ Vista Hm Prem x64 there are, or course, 2 separate Program Files folders in C:\.

I've only installed one or 2 small prgms on it & they (so far) seemed to automatically select the folder for 32 bit (x86) or 64 bit folder.

Question: Will creating 2 Program Files folders on D:\ (naming one "Program Files (x86)" be of any value? Other than if I know some prgms are 64 bit & just want to put them in a separate folder?

OR... are the 2 Prog Files folders only of value or serve some function when in the OS C:\ drive (as far as Windows or the prgms are concerned)?

Thanks.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Program_Files

  Quote

On 64-bit versions of Windows, there are two folder for application files; the %ProgramFiles% folder contains 64-bit programs, and the %ProgramFiles(x86)% folder (called "\Program Files (x86)" on US-English systems) contains 32-bit programs. On Windows NT-based operating systems (NT4, 2000, XP, Vista, etc), the Program Files folders are protected, meaning that only Administrators can change its contents; while this is a more secure solution, it does mean that programs which were accustomed to running as administrator and creating logs or other files in the folder containing the application can not do so when the user is not an administrator, which is increasingly common.

[+allan MVC]

Feel free to install programs anywhere you like - I always do (and I NEVER name the parent folder(s) "Program Files"). But is there a "benefit"? Only from the standpoint of "good housekeeping".

[Yusuf M. Veteran]

If you wanted to, you could install a 64-bit program in "Program Files (x86)". It's merely a way of differentiating between 32-bit and 64-bit applications. There's no real benefit to creating two separate folders, other than 32-bit/64-bit differentiation.