Moving all installed programs without having to reinstall everything

[Rjwaters147]

First off, I don't know if this is in the right thread but it seemed to make sense, if I am wrong please correct me and I will move my post there.

Okay now that I got that out of the way, I have a bit of a troubling question and whether it is even accurate I am unsure but, I found out recently that all my programs are installed to my Program Files x86 folder and not my regular Program Files folder, and I just recently noticed it and wondered "Isn't x86 32-bit????" and that made no sense that all my programs and even my default download location were in a 32-bit folder and not a 64-bit since after all I am running at 64-bit version of Windows 7 (Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit service pack 1, to be exact. I'll even take a screenshot if you think that I'm just dumb and reading the wrong information.)

So then I looked it up and found out that the 64-bit folder for Windows 7 is just the regular Program files folder, if I am wrong please correct me. But if this is indeed true I would like to know how to change my default download location to the regular Program Files folder and I would like to know (if possible) if I can move all of my installed programs (games like WoW, Crysis 2, Dirt 3, etc...) to my correct 64-bit Program Files folder.

If it is true that the folders Program Files x86 is 32-bit and the regular Program files is 64-bit why would windows set the default download location as the 32-bit folder on a 64-bit OS? That really makes no sense to me, why Microsoft would take a faster operating system and have you download all your programs to a slower folder when the faster one is right there.

Also as just a side note, I might be crazy (I wouldn't doubt you if you said it to my face), but I'm pretty sure that the Program Files x86 use to say Program Files x64. Is it possible that something I did changed this? Like I said it might just be me, but maybe I'm so crazy that I really believe that it really use to say x64.

 

[HugoStiglitz]

Yes Windows Vista & 7 64bit have 2 program files directories.

Program Files
Program Files (X86)

yes the first is the place for 64bit compatible programs and the 2nd for 32bit.

almost all standard programs and games are 32bit. Simply changing the install directory to the 1st folder will not make the program a 64bit program.

64bit OS's are written with compatibility for 32bit programs / software. so all your old software isnt useless.

About the only difference between current 32bit and 64bit OS's is the MAX MEMORY SUPPORT.

32bit windows will only address up to 4gb of RAM. No More.

There will be high end mechanical design and engineering programs that are written in 64bit but for now its just laying the foundation for 64bit to become the standard in the future.

 

[Hawkeye22]

My default download folder is "downloads", however I think firefox remembers the last download folder you chose.

As stated, program files = 64 bit and program files (x86) = 32 bit.

 

[tomatthe]

Just to make it a bit clearer what the two above are saying, you do not need to move any of your installations. Programs will default to the proper folder depending on if they are 32/64bit. I'm guessing when you said default download folder you meant default installation folder, and the programs are installing to the correct location. If you wanted to test that download the 64bit version of winrar and notice which folder it installs to.

Your actual download folder shouldn't be in either program files or program files (x86) and is most likely c:\user\(useraccount)\downloads