“Program Files” It is a compulsory folder on all Windows operating systems. It was present just before Windows XP and continues to maintain the new Microsoft operating systems.
What is in the folder “Program Files”
This folder is located by default on the system partition, being typical Systems and applications with 32-Biti architecture. “C:Program Files” mostly.
If you enter this folder, you will see that there are folders of the applications installed on the operating system. Besides these can be folders in which they are saved settings And others common dates / modulus of the installed applications. “Common Files“. It is not a good idea in any way to delete the folder “Program Files” or other folders and files inside it. The deletion of data from this folder leads to errors of the installed applications and the Instablility of the Windows operating system.
What is the difference between“Program Files” and “Program Files (x86)“
On many computers, along with “C:Program Files” We find the folder “C:Program Files (x86)“. And in this director we will find folders of the applications installed on the Windows operating system, but this time here they will be stored Only those dedicated to architecture on 64-biti. Program Files (X86) being a folder typical of Windows operating systems on 64-bits.
From Microsoft's desire not to be installed in the same folder the applications on 32-bits and those on 64-bits, along with “Program Files” it appeared “Program Files (x86)“.
The Windows 64-BIT operating system can run applications designed for 32-bite architecture through “WOW64“. “Windows 32-bit on Windows 64-bit"Then we launch a 32-bite application on a 64-biti system, WOW64 will emulate and redirect the files from “C: Program Files "in" C: Program Files (X86) ". In fact, in the Windows folder, where the system folder is located “System32“, we find one of the two very important system folder, which deals with these operations. “SysWOW64”.
