Install location confirmation needed

General
1

Hi,
before I attempt to create my windows installer - could someone please confirm that I have understood the following correctly:

  1. My actual application, and the Libs folder, should both be installed to “SpecialFolder.Applications”
  2. The folder which contains my app’s database files and text files (which get read and written to) should be installed to “SpecialFolder.ApplicationData”
  3. Both “SpecialFolder.Applications” and “SpecialFolder.ApplicationData” are present on XP, Vista, 7 and 8

Are the following 3 assumptions correct - if not, could someone please correct me.

Thank you all in advance.

2

Those locations should be fine assuming the application data is unique to each individual user of your application.

If you’re not already using it, http://www.advancedinstaller.com is an excellent installer for Windows.

3

Frederick,
I dont quite understand what you mean about application data being unique to each user?

4

Richard

Put

MsgBox SpecialFolder.ApplicationData.NativePath

in the Open Event of Window1 in a new project & run it. You’ll see the path under a normal installation will be C:\Users\\AppData\…

So if you log in as a different user the data will be in that user’s appdata folder.

There is another special folder - SpecialFolder.SharedApplicationData which would logically be the place to store data used by many users on the computer, but with Windows User Access Control you only get read access.

HTH

Wayne

5

Don’t make your own installer. Use one of the free to low-cost ones available. I use InnoSetup.

6

Thank you Wayne.

Tim,
I was already intending to use InnoSetup, but just needed to confirm the dirirectories first. :slight_smile:

7

[quote=79743:@Richard Summers]Frederick,
I dont quite understand what you mean about application data being unique to each user?[/quote]
Wayne beat me to it. Thanks Wayne!