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XY setup - Install just for me option

Posted: 31 Aug 2015 23:34
by highend
Not a bug report but a suggestion:

The installer suggest "C:\Program Files\XYplorer" as the destination folder.
That's not really a good place for an app that's only for the current user.

It should suggest the resolved %appdata%\XYplorer folder instead...

Re: XY setup - Install just for me option

Posted: 01 Sep 2015 05:27
by bdeshi
Usually what installers mean by install for all/just me is where the app's appdata files/settings will be saved: in HKCU+Current profile, or HKLM+allusers profile (same for it's start/desktop shortcuts)

Nowadays there's an influx of apps that install it's program files in current users %appdata%. That's kind of odd. Program Files is where your program files should go, appdata is where your app data will go.

Re: XY setup - Install just for me option

Posted: 01 Sep 2015 07:00
by highend
Nope, sorry.

Settings for an application that are valid for all users belong to HKLM + etc. Best example for XY's shell integration:
Only for the current user / For all users.

If an application explicitly asks you if it's only used by you and shouldn't be used by anybody else (and that's exactly what this install option suggests!), it's installed files don't belong into the %ProgramFiles% / %ProgramFiles(x86) folders because that makes them available to all users, not only for yourself. If you just hit ok you're doing an "all users" install, not a "just for me" one.
Nowadays there's an influx of apps that install it's program files in current users %appdata%. That's kind of odd.
Not odd at all if they asked the user if the program should be made available only for them.
Program Files is where your program files should go, appdata is where your app data will go.
Modern (I didn't say: good^^) installation variants (officially used and supported by MS) for example use: ClickOnce (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ClickOnce). They don't normally ask for an installation folder, they directly go into your %LocalAppdata%\<name of the application>!

Re: XY setup - Install just for me option

Posted: 01 Sep 2015 09:03
by admin
Although it makes sense I find it pretty unusual and non-standard. I checked my appdata folder and found only one app that installed itself there: Dropbox.

Re: XY setup - Install just for me option

Posted: 08 Sep 2015 23:45
by PeterH
I think, instead of restricting general access to a program by installing it as "data", it also could be restricted by installing it to "programs", and setting restricted access rights. (If you think the restriction is really neccessary.) This way a single installation can also be allowed for a list of users, without installing it multiple times.

Re: XY setup - Install just for me option

Posted: 18 Nov 2016 14:28
by admin
BTW, does anybody here use this option during setup?
2016-11-18_142544.png
Thing is: I just made a test and it looks the choice does not have any effect! :shock: Whatever you choose, installation is always per user. (Which also nicely conforms with XY's user-based license model). I'm not 100% sure since when this stopped working but probably since 20100130 where I changed something in the installer.

So, I will remove this option from the installer. :)

BTW, I'm just trying to write an onboard update system so XY can update itself right from the app. 8)

Re: XY setup - Install just for me option

Posted: 18 Nov 2016 17:54
by PeterH
First to say: I don't install but unzip :biggrin:

But: what does/should this option mean? "install XY" sounds like installation of the program? But I think it regards userdata??

By the way: I would install for all users - as all users are me. I think that's ok?

Re: XY setup - Install just for me option

Posted: 18 Nov 2016 17:56
by admin
Yes, it only regards userdata.

Check out the next beta. The choice will be gone and all is good. :)