Install path in Windows.

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exile29

Limp Gawd
Joined
Feb 10, 2001
Messages
410
I've got a quick question.
As long as I have been working in IT, I have always understood that it is a good idea to install apps to the Program Files directory instead of just dumping them on the root of C. Now that I think about it, I don't remember what caused me to think that the more directories on the root of C, the slower a PC is likely to run.

Any ideas if this is valid, or am I just a creature of habit with groundless beliefes? :confused:
 
Its groundless =P. Installing on the root isn't going to make it anyslower, but it surely is messy. Program files is microsofts shit directory =D. Lots of shared files and such are in there, along with a few of the windows built in apps, like IE and OE. Really though it won't make your computer faster or slower either way...

Using program files is just to keep some structure and organization... especially on the large scale corporate environments where environment variables and such might be used a lot more, but that has nothing to do with faster or slower...
 
I don't know if it hurts performance, only thing I can think of is poorly written programs and applications that only have 1 directory they search for when updating or patching.
 
Ya' know what? The more I think about it, the more I am convinced that this is a leftover from the old days of Win 3.1 and 95 (long filenames, etc...). It may have been valid then, but I think you are right, it has no basis in reality today.
I'm just showing my age I guess. :rolleyes:
 
heheh, I *hope* didn't come across the wrong way.

I'm not sure what you meant by what you said with the long file names as program files ends up something like progra~1 in the old 8.3 dos and 3.1 days. I guess if you had some old app it could potentially need to be in C:, but man that thing would be crusty old.
 
I'm anal about how organized I keep my PC. On the root of my C: drive I have 3 folders (not including hidden system folders of course). Documents and Settings, Program Files, and Windows.

I doubt there is any truth to the fact that it slows down your computer to have a dirty root. But organization is key in the event of data recovery.
 
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