Program Files is the directory name of a standard folder in Microsoft Windowsoperating systems in which applications that are not part of the operating system are conventionally installed. Typically, each application installed under the 'Program Files' directory will have a subdirectory for its application-specific resources. Shared resources, for example resources used by multiple applications from one company, are typically stored in the 'Common Files' directory.
In a standard Windows installation, the 'Program Files' directory will be at %SystemDrive%\Program Files (or the localized equivalent thereof), and the 'Common Files' (or the localized equivalent thereof) will be a subdirectory under 'Program Files'. In Windows Vista and later, the paths to the 'Program Files' and 'Common Files' directories are not localized (translated) on disk. Instead, the localized names are NTFS junction points to the non-localized locations. Additionally, the Windows shell localizes the name of the Program Files folder depending on the system's user interface display language.
Both 'Program Files' and 'Common Files' can be moved. At system startup, the actual paths to 'Program Files' and 'Common Files' are loaded from the Windows registry, where they are stored in the ProgramFilesDir and CommonFilesDir values under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion. They are then made accessible to the rest of the system via the volatile environment variables%ProgramFiles%, and %CommonProgramFiles%. Applications can also obtain the locations of these paths by querying the Setup API using dirids, or through Windows Management Instrumentation, or by querying the shell using CSIDLs, or ShellSpecialFolderConstants. These are all localization-independent methods.
x86-64 and IA-64 versions of Windows have two folders for application files: The Program Files folder serves as the default installation target for 64-bit programs, while the Program Files (x86) folder is the default installation target for 32-bit programs that need WoW64 emulation layer. While 64-bit Windows versions also have a %ProgramFiles(x86)% environment variable, the dirids and CSIDLs are not different between 32-bit and 64-bit environments; the APIs merely return different results, depending on whether the calling process is emulated or not.[1]
To be backwards compatible with the 8.3 limitations of the old File Allocation Table filenames, the names 'Program Files', 'Program Files (x86)' and 'Common Program Files' are shortened by the system to progra~N and common~N, where N is a digit, a sequence number that on a clean install will be 1 (or 1 and 2 when both 'Program Files' and 'Program Files (x86)' are present).
Redirectionedit
If Windows is installed on an NTFS volume, by default, the 'Program Files' folder can only be modified by members of the 'Administrators' user groups. This can be an issue for programs created for Windows 9x. Those operating systems had no file system security, and programs could therefore also store their data in 'Program Files'. Programs that store their data in 'Program Files' will usually not run correctly on Windows NT systems with normal user privileges unless security is lowered for the affected subdirectories.
Windows Vista addressed this issue by introducing File and Registry Virtualization. When this UAC virtualization is enabled for a process, Windows saves changes to the 'Program Files' folder to %LocalAppData%\VirtualStore\Program Files (x86).[2]
Historyedit
"Program Files" appeared in Windows 95. "Common Files" appeared in Windows 98.[3]
An unknown Windows NT version uses "Common" instead of "Common Files".[4] Windows 2000 does not seem to exhibit this behavior.[3] The CSIDL documentation mentions that "CSIDL_PROGRAM_FILES_COMMON" requires Shell32 version 5.0 (Windows 2000 and ME), but says it is only valid on Windows XP (6.0).[5]
Localizationedit
Language of Windows
Name of the folder that stores program files
Name of the folder that stores shared program files
English
Program Files
Common Files
Arabic
Program Files (ملفات البرامج (x86) for WoW64)
Common Files
Chinese (Simplified, Traditional, Taiwan)
Program Files
Common Files
Czech
Program Files
Common Files
Danish
Programmer
Fælles filer
Dutch
Program Files
Common Files
Finnish
Program Files
Common Files
French
Programmes *
Fichiers communs
German
Programme
Gemeinsame Dateien
Hebrew
Program Files
Common Files
Hellenic (Greek)
Αρχεία Εφαρμογών
Common Files
Hungarian
Programfájlok
Common Files
Italian
Programmi
File comuni
Japanese
Program Files
Common Files
Korean
Program Files
Common Files
Norwegian
Programfiler
Fellesfiler
Polish
Program Files (Pliki programów (x86) for WoW64)
Common Files
Portuguese
Programas
Ficheiros comuns
Portuguese (Brasil)
Arquivos de Programas
Arquivos comuns
Romanian
Program Files
Common Files
Russian
Program Files
Common Files
Spanish
Archivos de programa
Archivos comunes
Swedish
Program
Delade filer
Turkish
Program Files (Program Dosyaları (x86) for WoW64)
Common Files
* In Windows Vista and later versions. (The folder name was the same as in English in the older versions of Microsoft Windows.)
^"Special Folders and Custom Folders". learn.microsoft.com. November 2012.
^"CSIDL (Shlobj.h) - Win32 apps". learn.microsoft.com. 22 March 2021. CSIDL_PROGRAM_FILES_COMMON FOLDERID_ProgramFilesCommon Version 5.0. A folder for components that are shared across applications. A typical path is C:\Program Files\Common. Valid only for Windows XP.
Further readingedit
Karp, David A.; O'Reilly, Tim; Mott, Troy (2005). Windows XP in a nutshell (2nd ed.). O'Reilly Media. p. 512. ISBN978-0-5960-0900-7.
Shilmover, Barry; Sjouwerman, Stu (2001). Windows 2000 power toolkit (1st ed.). Que Publishing. ISBN978-0-7357-1061-0.
External linksedit
microsoft.com, Microsoft does not support changing the location of the Program Files folder by modifying the ProgramFilesDir registry value
microsoft.com, Why is the Program Files directory called Program Files instead of just Programs?
The Windows system folders - General overview.
superuser.com, How can I find the short path of a Windows directory/file?
helpdeskgeek.com, Why Does Windows 7 64-bit Need Two Program Files Folders?
January 01, 1970
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Program Files is the directory name of a standard folder in Microsoft Windows operating systems in which applications that are not part of the operating system are conventionally installed Typically each application installed under the Program Files directory will have a subdirectory for its application specific resources Shared resources for example resources used by multiple applications from one company are typically stored in the Common Files directory Contents 1 Location 1 1 Redirection 2 History 3 Localization 4 See also 5 References 6 Further reading 7 External linksLocation editIn a standard Windows installation the Program Files directory will be at SystemDrive Program Files or the localized equivalent thereof and the Common Files or the localized equivalent thereof will be a subdirectory under Program Files In Windows Vista and later the paths to the Program Files and Common Files directories are not localized translated on disk Instead the localized names are NTFS junction points to the non localized locations Additionally the Windows shell localizes the name of the Program Files folder depending on the system s user interface display language Both Program Files and Common Files can be moved At system startup the actual paths to Program Files and Common Files are loaded from the Windows registry where they are stored in the ProgramFilesDir and CommonFilesDir values under HKEY LOCAL MACHINE SOFTWARE Microsoft Windows CurrentVersion They are then made accessible to the rest of the system via the volatile environment variables ProgramFiles and CommonProgramFiles Applications can also obtain the locations of these paths by querying the Setup API using dirids or through Windows Management Instrumentation or by querying the shell using CSIDLs or ShellSpecialFolderConstants These are all localization independent methods x86 64 and IA 64 versions of Windows have two folders for application files The Program Files folder serves as the default installation target for 64 bit programs while the Program Files x86 folder is the default installation target for 32 bit programs that need WoW64 emulation layer While 64 bit Windows versions also have a ProgramFiles x86 environment variable the dirids and CSIDLs are not different between 32 bit and 64 bit environments the APIs merely return different results depending on whether the calling process is emulated or not 1 To be backwards compatible with the 8 3 limitations of the old File Allocation Table filenames the names Program Files Program Files x86 and Common Program Files are shortened by the system to progra i N i and common i N i where N is a digit a sequence number that on a clean install will be 1 or 1 and 2 when both Program Files and Program Files x86 are present Redirection edit If Windows is installed on an NTFS volume by default the Program Files folder can only be modified by members of the Administrators user groups This can be an issue for programs created for Windows 9x Those operating systems had no file system security and programs could therefore also store their data in Program Files Programs that store their data in Program Files will usually not run correctly on Windows NT systems with normal user privileges unless security is lowered for the affected subdirectories Windows Vista addressed this issue by introducing File and Registry Virtualization When this UAC virtualization is enabled for a process Windows saves changes to the Program Files folder to LocalAppData VirtualStore Program Files x86 2 History edit Program Files appeared in Windows 95 Common Files appeared in Windows 98 3 An unknown Windows NT version uses Common instead of Common Files 4 Windows 2000 does not seem to exhibit this behavior 3 The CSIDL documentation mentions that CSIDL PROGRAM FILES COMMON requires Shell32 version 5 0 Windows 2000 and ME but says it is only valid on Windows XP 6 0 5 Localization editLanguage of Windows Name of the folder thatstores program files Name of the folder thatstores shared program files English Program Files Common Files Arabic Program Files ملفات البرامج x86 for WoW64 Common Files Chinese Simplified Traditional Taiwan Program Files Common Files Czech Program Files Common Files Danish Programmer Faelles filer Dutch Program Files Common Files Finnish Program Files Common Files French Programmes Fichiers communs German Programme Gemeinsame Dateien Hebrew Program Files Common Files Hellenic Greek Arxeia Efarmogwn Common Files Hungarian Programfajlok Common Files Italian Programmi File comuni Japanese Program Files Common Files Korean Program Files Common Files Norwegian Programfiler Fellesfiler Polish Program Files Pliki programow x86 for WoW64 Common Files Portuguese Programas Ficheiros comuns Portuguese Brasil Arquivos de Programas Arquivos comuns Romanian Program Files Common Files Russian Program Files Common Files Spanish Archivos de programa Archivos comunes Swedish Program Delade filer Turkish Program Files Program Dosyalari x86 for WoW64 Common Files In Windows Vista and later versions The folder name was the same as in English in the older versions of Microsoft Windows See also editWinFS File system Directory computing 64 bit computingReferences edit winapi SHGetFolderPath 32 bit vs 64 bit Stack Overflow Inside Windows Vista User Account Control by Mark Russinovich a b Emulated system images from https copy sh v86 Special Folders and Custom Folders learn microsoft com November 2012 CSIDL Shlobj h Win32 apps learn microsoft com 22 March 2021 CSIDL PROGRAM FILES COMMON FOLDERID ProgramFilesCommon Version 5 0 A folder for components that are shared across applications A typical path is C Program Files Common Valid only for Windows XP Further reading editKarp David A O Reilly Tim Mott Troy 2005 Windows XP in a nutshell 2nd ed O Reilly Media p 512 ISBN 978 0 5960 0900 7 Shilmover Barry Sjouwerman Stu 2001 Windows 2000 power toolkit 1st ed Que Publishing ISBN 978 0 7357 1061 0 External links editmicrosoft com Microsoft does not support changing the location of the Program Files folder by modifying the ProgramFilesDir registry value microsoft com Why is the Program Files directory called Program Files instead of just Programs The Windows system folders General overview superuser com How can I find the short path of a Windows directory file helpdeskgeek com Why Does Windows 7 64 bit Need Two Program Files Folders Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Program Files amp oldid 1214528641, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
