Windows 7 Program installation in Windows 7

[colfmedion]

How do I choose the location I want to install a program to in Windows 7. The software I am trying to install does not give me an option, it just installs to programs. The problems is that an associated program which also does no give me an option, defaults to X86 and therefore does not do the job I want it to.
Grateful for any advice.
Colfmedion

 

[patcooke]

You can set the default installation directory using a registry edit (all the usual warnings about registry backup first and taking care!):

Navigate to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion

Identify the keys:

ProgramFilesDir
ProgramFilesDir (86)

Change either or both as required.

 

[colfmedion]

Thanks for response but got to show my ignorance now. Been into the Reg and locations as directed but cannot find any trace of the 2 keys, in fact I cannot find any trace of the particular program I am trying to sort out. Basically I am trying to install a program (G940 Lighting Control) into the Gaming Software Program which by default installs intself into Windows C Programs. (There is no option to install the Gaming Software Program anywhere else). Unfortunately there is no option to install the G940 Lighting Control and so it defaults into Windows C Programs (x86). This means that this particular program will not work.Any suggestions??

 

[patcooke]

If you click on the key for CurentVersion, having navigated to that in the registry tree you should see something like the attached graphic. The two entries I refer to have a blue highlight at the left hand end. From your description and the default install directories it sounds like you are running Windows 7 64 bit, the G940 program is a 32 bit program whilst the gaming program is a 64 bit one. This may cause you problems but you should be able to redirect the installs using the registry mods I described.

 

[farmerbb]

Not sure this is the right place to post this question. I have a favorite text editor, which I have installed, and it works fine under Win7. The problem is that I want to double click on certain file types, and have this text editor open automatically, the way it does on my XP machine. No matter WHAT I do, trying to tell Windows that the default program for certain file types is this text editor, it does not retain that choice. When I want to Change the Default Program I go to the folder where I installed it, and Windows seems to forget about my choice as soon as I leave that panel. The only way I can get these files to open is by dragging the file on top of the Desktop shortcut, and using Open With. I am frankly astonished that I cannot find any reference to setting up an application as a Default that is already "installed and running". All we are given is two choices. CD/DVD or Network. There have to be hundreds of thousands of people who installed software without an "install" program. Nobody cares about us, it would seem.

 

[colfmedion]

Not sure this is the right place to post this question. I have a favorite text editor, which I have installed, and it works fine under Win7. The problem is that I want to double click on certain file types, and have this text editor open automatically, the way it does on my XP machine. No matter WHAT I do, trying to tell Windows that the default program for certain file types is this text editor, it does not retain that choice. When I want to Change the Default Program I go to the folder where I installed it, and Windows seems to forget about my choice as soon as I leave that panel. The only way I can get these files to open is by dragging the file on top of the Desktop shortcut, and using Open With. I am frankly astonished that I cannot find any reference to setting up an application as a Default that is already "installed and running". All we are given is two choices. CD/DVD or Network. There have to be hundreds of thousands of people who installed software without an "install" program. Nobody cares about us, it would seem.

Sorry, can't help you on this one. Suggest you start a new thread.

 

[Josephur]

You can also use mklink to create a Symbolic Link if the reason you're wanting to install to another location is disk space, this can be very useful.