Solved Rights issue within the Program Files / Program Files (x86) folders

Jose Hidalgo · Feb 12, 2024

Hi everybody. I should start by stating that I'm the Admin of my own home computer.

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.

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)

Thanks in advance!

Jose Hidalgo · Feb 12, 2024

EDIT :
I understand that maybe protected folders like Program Files and Program Files (x86) aren't the best location for portable apps.
What would be the right location then? AppData\Local\Programs? Can somebody confirm?

Not very user-friendly I guess, given that AppData is supposed to be invisible.
Plus I have to admit that I hate having my apps distributed among different folders.
But if that's the way Windows works...

BrianInEngland · Feb 12, 2024

Jose Hidalgo said:
EDIT :
I understand that maybe protected folders like Program Files and Program Files (x86) aren't the best location for portable apps.
What would be the right location then? AppData\Local\Programs? Can somebody confirm?

Not very user-friendly I guess, given that AppData is supposed to be invisible.
Plus I have to admit that I hate having my apps distributed among different folders.
But if that's the way Windows works...

I have the portable version of HWInfo in my Program Files folder, and it works fine

OAT · Feb 12, 2024

Jose Hidalgo said:
EDIT :
I understand that maybe protected folders like Program Files and Program Files (x86) aren't the best location for portable apps.
What would be the right location then? AppData\Local\Programs? Can somebody confirm?

Not very user-friendly I guess, given that AppData is supposed to be invisible.
Plus I have to admit that I hate having my apps distributed among different folders.
But if that's the way Windows works...

One needs to differentiate between user configuration of any given program and the programs themselves.
For convenience, I would recommend designating a partition for portable programs or apps.

Berton · Feb 12, 2024

Portable Apps can work fine when stored on the internal drive but I keep mine on a USB Thumb drive for the named purpose, Portable. For the 'old-timers' I even have Claris Works 5 from '97 working without having to install it.

glasskuter · Feb 12, 2024

I have NEVER heard of anyone trying to run portable apps from Program files and Program Files (x86). These folders store data for INSTALLED Programs which also populate non-user specific data in Programdata, user specific data in the user appdata folder, and all the necessary registry entries to run the apps as well as user rights to the apps.
You can pin a portable app's executable to the start menu if that helps. I have all my portable apps in one folder on a secondary drive with a shortcut to the folder on my desktop as well as in my poor man's quick access on my taskbar.

Kees · Feb 12, 2024

I made a special folder in the root of the system partition and named it: Program Files Portable.
That's where I 'install' all my portable programs.
So it's situated directly below Program Files and Program Files (x86).

A copy of that folder I made to my document partition (which is automatically backupped every day).

Jose Hidalgo · Feb 12, 2024

Thanks for your replies. Problem solved.
I don't like Microsoft's way of handling things, but it is what it is.

For the record, some programs 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.

Kees · Feb 12, 2024

Jose Hidalgo said:
They may have an installer, and then all the installer does is copy files inside the Program Files folder...

In that case I consider the programs as installer versions, because Windows marks them as installed and I can de-install them by the built-in Windows uninstall app (or by Revo).
They will have an installer extension .exe or .msi (or others if modern apps).
I would not even know if such a program just copies the files or does more.

Portable programs I only consider as such if they come (mostly with more than just one file) within a ZIP file and I only need to unpack them.

PS. In a lot of programs that have to be installed, you can choose in what folder they have to be installed. In that case you could install the program in a totally different folder from just Program Files or Program Files (x86). Could even be on a different partition.

LesFerch · Feb 12, 2024

General good approach: Make yourself a folder off the root of C: and name it something like "Programs" or "Portable" or "Tools". Put your portable programs there. Any configuration file will then stay with the program.

If you put portable programs in Program Files (or Program Files (x86)) their config files should normally still work, but will get redirected to the localappdata virtualstore folder.

Try3 · Feb 12, 2024

Jose Hidalgo said:
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

Jose,

You ought to be able to stick portable apps wherever you want so I suggest you move them out of that problematic folder permanently.
All mine are within C:\Tools, a folder I created with the same protections against changes as Program files etc. My scripts are all in there as well.
Set up my Tools folder ditty - TenForums

Despite being within that protected folder, I can run apps & scripts within it as a Standard user. The protection applies to changes not to mere access.

Denis

Try3 · Feb 12, 2024

Jose Hidalgo said:
I have just copied their folders directly from my old Win 7 rig

I have seen copying folders from other OSes cause weird combinations of Permissions and suppose that this might be at the heart of your problems.
I didn't happen with every folder but did with some.
- Moving rather than copying generally caused more problems because Windows tries to retain existing Permissions with a moved folder.
- When copying, you can expect Windows to apply the Permissions of the destination folder.
It might have been folders that had originally had explicit Permissions applied that were problematic.
If your original Permissions included references to user account names then they might also lead to problems.
I learnt to avoid problems by copying across using RoboCopy and setting its parameters to avoid copying security properties.
Change Permissions of File, Folder, Drive, or Registry Keys - TenForums-ElevenForumTutorials

Best of luck,
Denis

Bree · Feb 12, 2024

Jose Hidalgo said:
I understand that maybe protected folders like Program Files and Program Files (x86) aren't the best location for portable apps.
What would be the right location then? AppData\Local\Programs?

Anywhere but those two Program Files folders. I keep all mine in a 'C:\Portable Apps' folder.

Solved Rights issue within the Program Files / Program Files (x86) folders

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