Using InstallShield, where to place “all user” accessible data files

installshield

I'm creating an installer using InstallShield. v 11.5. Somewhat new territory. There's data files that need to be read/write for all users. The main concern is permissions for Vista and 7. I assume there's a standard location path to query. I'm not sure how to do this from within InstallShield. Perhaps does "Program Files/Common Files" map automatically to the correct path on the users system? I just need to be pointed in the right direction to find the answers I need. As a bonus, there's a .ini file that needs to be updated with that folder path. Any help is much appreciated.

edit: If it's done via the 'Script-defined Folders', such as CommonAppDataFolder, how is that setup?

Best Answer

You probably want to put the files in C:\ProgramData\[YourCompanyName]\

There will be security issues with Windows 7 if the application is trying to write files in the 'Program Files' directory without administrator privileges.

In the latest versions of InstallShield, the [CommonAppDataFolder] predefined variable resolved to C:\ProgramData on Windows Vista and 7. It would be something else for Windows XP.

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