Location of %PROGRAMFILES%

[Speeddymon]

Just curious, where is the value of %PROGRAMFILES% stored?

I think it is stored somewhere because nlite can change it, so that you can have your Program Files directory on a different drive.

Basically, what I am trying to do is have windows install with program files set to the default location, and then after install, change the value of %PROGRAMFILES% so that any new installs go to a separate drive, so that if I need to wipe out the windows install, I can just format C: and not lose any other installed programs. Currently I achieve installing to a separate drive by changing C: to D: in every new install, but a lot of times I forget, and have to go back and uninstall and reinstall.

[efecan]

sorry i'm late this kind of settings generally stored in windows registry, open regedit and searh for %PROGRAMFILES%. It may be helpful.

Edited July 16, 2007 by efecan

[Speeddymon]

sorry i'm late this kind of settings generally stored in windows registry, open regedit and searh for %PROGRAMFILES%. It may be helpful.

Well if that is the case, do you happen to know if that is stored in the default registry hives that get populated during Windows install?

[Oleg_II]

If I'm not mistaken, nLite change this setting in NLITE.INF (NLITE.IN_ in i386 folder)?

[spacesurfer]

I believe %programfiles% is just a variable that stores the location of the program files folder.

What actually defines your program files location is a registry key called ProgramFilesDir found here:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion

What this means is that even if you change %programfiles% to something else, internally, Windows will NOT recognize this variable as the location of your program files folder.

You will also find the key ProgramFilesPath = %programfiles%.