Windows 7 - Can't update my program's files in C:\\Program Files

Question

I have an addin program that works with MS Word (version 2007). It is located in the C:\Program Files location. I installed Windows 7 and then went to make a routine change to my files in this location and it would only bring up a read only file. How can I grant myself permission to write to my own program? I cannot change this location or use any other workaround. I have this product out to 25 different companies and I can't change the programming to work from any other location. Thanks

Answer 1

You could also embed a manifest in your EXE that makes your program require adminrights on Windows 7 / Vista.

Answer 2

On Windows Vista, UAC means that users run without admin rights and don't have write access to the program files directories.

The correct solution is to write to a folder for which standard users do have write permissions.

The solution you are looking for is to make your app's folder within program files writeable to all users. You can do this by adding a DACL when installing. It is extremely bad practice to allow standard users to write inside the program files directory and I urge you instead to re-code your app so that it does not need to write there.

Answer 3

Assuming you're doing this as part of modifying the config (and not when your application is running for regular users)...

Your user account probably doesn't have the correct permissions to write/modify the file. Assuming your account is an administrator account, right-click the file, select "Properties". Click the "Security" tab. Click edit and give your user account Full Control.

If you can't do this, it's probably because the ownership of the file doesn't allow you. If this is the case, click on "Advanced", go to the "Owner" tab, and click "Edit".

However, if it needs these permissions when it's running, you should instead be using the %AppData% folder.