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Topic: Rights issue within the Program Files / Program Files (x86) folders  (Read 613 times) previous topic - next topic
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Rights issue within the Program Files / Program Files (x86) folders

Hi everybody. I should start by stating that I'm the Admin of my own home computer.
I'm sorry if this has been asked before. Maybe somebody can point me in the right direction.
I'm currently encountering the following issue with several apps, IF I run them from within the Program Files / Program Files (x86) folders.

Example 1 : foobar2000

I have several portable installations of foobar2000.​
On my old Win 7 rig, I could run such installations directly from within the Program Files (x86) folder.​
On my new Win 11 rig, there are issues:​

    - If I run the app normally, I get this error on startup: "Cannot access configuration folder: access denied". And the app doesn't start.
    - If I run the app as Admin, it starts normally. But being elevated, drag & drop doesn't work anymore (I can't drag & drop songs on the player which is of course annoying)

If I take the foobar2000 folder out of the Program Files (x86) folder (for example on the Desktop), everything runs normally, no more errors on startup.​

Example 2 : JDownloader (Java app)
​
On my old Win 7 rig, I could run the app directly from within the Program Files (x86) folder​
On my new Win 11 rig, the app launches but it's buggy and unusable (graphic bugs, non-working tabs, updates don't work, etc)​
​
If I take the JDownloader out of the Program Files (x86) folder (for example on the Desktop), everything runs normally.​

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I guess other apps have similar errors, I'm just unaware of them for the moment.
These issues are most certainly rights issues from within the Program Files / Program Files (x86) folders.

For the record, about foobar2000 and JDownloader, I have just copied their folders directly from my old Win 7 rig, in order to keep all settings. There was no installation process, they are portable apps.

Is there an easy way to modify the rights (of these apps and maybe other apps) within the Program Files and Program Files (x86) folders, in order to allow these apps to run normally, and without compromising the security of my rig? What would you do? Should I modify the rights of these apps folders, or should I modify the rights of the Program Files and Program Files (x86) folders directly?

I'm not good at all with right issues, so if somebody could walk me through this, it would be most appreciated.
Here's what the Security tab is currently showing for foobar2000 and JDownloader folders :

    - All app packages : Read and Execute, Show folder contents, Read
    - All restricted app packages : Read and Execute, Show folder contents, Read
    - Creator and Owner : Special authorizations (and nothing else, everytying else is unchecked)
    - System : Full Control (everything checked except Special authorizations)
    - Admins : Full Control (everything checked except Special authorizations)
    - Users : Read and Execute, Show folder contents, Read
    - TrustedInstaller : Show folder contents, Special authorizations (and nothing else)[/li][/list]

Thanks in advance!

Re: Rights issue within the Program Files / Program Files (x86) folders

Reply #1 –
You most likely had UAC disabled in Windows 7. My recommendation would be to stop using "portable" versions of programs that you have no intention to use as portable. And if you think something is "portable", keep it away from protected and special system dirs like Program Files. But it's your system, you are free to nuke all security if you wish.

Re: Rights issue within the Program Files / Program Files (x86) folders

Reply #2 –
Hi @Case .

I may be wrong, but to me they are indeed portable, since all config files are contained within the same folder and subfolders.
Like I said, I have several foobar2000 installs, which I need for different uses. Each of them is supposed to be portable.

I had UAC disabled in Win 7. But guess what? It's disabled too in Win 11. I have just double-checked.

If Program Files (x86) isn't the best location for a portable foobar2000, then what would be the right location? AppData\Local\Programs? Not very user-friendly given that AppData is supposed to be invisible.

Re: Rights issue within the Program Files / Program Files (x86) folders

Reply #3 –
You definitely want to avoid putting any portable application into one of the Windows "permissions hierarchies" chains.

My two portable installs of Foobar run just fine out of C:\foobar2000 and C:\foobar2000-x64, for 1.6.17 and 2.2 respectively.  I've done every other portable app I have the same way--just made a folder for it directly off the C: drive.  No problems (Windows 10, no UAC).
 

Re: Rights issue within the Program Files / Program Files (x86) folders

Reply #4 –
Thanks! Problem solved I guess.
​I don't like Microsoft's way of handling things, but it is what it is. 

For the record, some programs (not foobar2000) are portable but don't say it. They may have an installer, and then all the installer does is copy files inside the Program Files folder, and there are no other files involved.

It's hard to know for sure which programs:
    - NEED to be inside Program Files (or Program Files (x86)) folder,
    - CAN be inside one of those folders but can also be elsewhere,
    - CAN NOT be inside one of those folders.