Always+find+Your+Correct+Program+Files+Folder

Always find Your Correct Program Files Folder

If you have a 64-bit version of Windows, you may have noticed that there are two folders containing your application programs on your C: drive. One is called Program Files (just like on a 32-bit version of Windows) and the second is called Program Files (x86). You may be wondering why Windows needs two folders. Well, Microsoft in their wisdom have decided it is best to separate 32-bit applications from 64-bit applications, in case a 32-bit application tries to load a 64-bit DLL file for example (which would cause a crash).

So, having two separate folders on your hard drive is designed to avoid compatibility problems. But, it can make things difficult when you need to find a program’s directory. Did you know you could quickly open your default program’s directory using an environment variable?

To do so: - 1. Press [Windows Key] + [R]. 2. At the prompt, type %PROGRAMFILES% and click OK. 3. Windows Explorer will open your default Program Files directory.

__**Tip:**__ You can also use the %USERPROFILE% variable in step 2 to open your home directory.