new installation downloads to hidden directory

[Kassanthala]

<p>I have windows 7. Both the streaming version and the full client version download to C: programdata folder. In windows 7 this is a hidden directory. Why doesn't it download to program files like other programs do? I like to be able to access the folder without messing with hidden folders on my system. </p><p>So when I first installed it, it installed and patched and came up with a launcher that had sort of a side box to the right. When I moved the entire directory from programdata to program files and hit the launcher again, it opened up the small patcher with the word SOE on it and started patching again. Then it finally got to the launcher which was a different launcher than the previous one and started patching some more. Which launcher is the correct one? does anyone have a picture? I'm guessing it repatched because the first files had a path of C:/programdata/Sony.... and when the patcher came up again it detected a new path, but all the files should still be there, are they going to be doubled?</p><p>all in all, it's kind of annoying. Why install to a hidden directory? My windows C: is bad enough with 2 program files folders (one is normal, one is x86)</p>

[Wingrider01]

<p><cite>Amyna@Permafrost wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>I have windows 7. Both the streaming version and the full client version download to C: programdata folder. In windows 7 this is a hidden directory. Why doesn't it download to program files like other programs do? I like to be able to access the folder without messing with hidden folders on my system. </p><p>So when I first installed it, it installed and patched and came up with a launcher that had sort of a side box to the right. When I moved the entire directory from programdata to program files and hit the launcher again, it opened up the small patcher with the word SOE on it and started patching again. Then it finally got to the launcher which was a different launcher than the previous one and started patching some more. Which launcher is the correct one? does anyone have a picture? I'm guessing it repatched because the first files had a path of C:/programdata/Sony.... and when the patcher came up again it detected a new path, but all the files should still be there, are they going to be doubled?</p><p>all in all, it's kind of annoying. Why install to a hidden directory? My windows C: is bad enough with 2 program files folders (one is normal, one is x86)</p></blockquote><p>that is windows</p><p>one thing you can do is set up a games directory off of your root and point the patcher to that - IE c:gamessoeeverquest2 this will eleminate the hidden directory, you can also install the patcher to the same directory. I use the following structure</p><p>d:gamessoeeq2 for everquest 2</p><p>and</p><p>d:gamessoeSL for the station launcher</p><p>just make sure you configure the target directories in station launcher to match where you place them</p>

[DanKinney]

<p><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"><div><p>Amyna...</p><div>WingRider01 is correct, we are working within the constraints of what Windows provides.</div><div></div><div>In the "good ol' days", the default place for things was in C:Program Files.  However, with User Account Control (UAC), this is not allowed without administrator privileges.  One thing we've really tried to do is to make it possible to install (and update) a game without these privileges.</div><div></div><div>Our first approach led to games being installed under a the home directory (C:Users[name] on Windows 7).  This solved the problem, but led to other issues...also hidden, hard to share a game install with multiple users, etc.  Our current approach is to put things within C:ProgramData (no space between the words) as it is a shareable location that does not require admin privileges.</div><div></div><div>When you setup the launcher for EverQuest II, it does allow you to choose the directory where you would like to install into.  As WingRider01 mentioned (and many others have done), they set a place where all games will install (e.g. "d:games").  </div><div></div><div>-dan</div></div></span></p>

[Xalmat]

<p>Why not install in C:UsersPublicGamesSony Online EntertainmentEverQuest II ?</p><p>That's what other MMOs, like Star Trek Online, do. Specifically STO installs in:</p><p>C:UsersPublicGamesCryptic Studios</p><p>It's also not in a hidden directory, and does not require administrator permissions to update, as far as I know. I don't have to tell Star Trek Online to run as an admin, anyway.</p>

[Wingrider01]

<p><cite>Xalmat wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Why not install in C:UsersPublicGamesSony Online EntertainmentEverQuest II ?</p><p>That's what other MMOs, like Star Trek Online, do. Specifically STO installs in:</p><p>C:UsersPublicGamesCryptic Studios</p><p>It's also not in a hidden directory, and does not require administrator permissions to update, as far as I know. I don't have to tell Star Trek Online to run as an admin, anyway.</p></blockquote><p>the major drawback by that method is the current trend of SSD drives becoming the boot drive could be a issue wih the amount of read/writes and the size of the drive.</p><p>have STO also, it is installed in the same configuration that eq2 is, on a speciflc drive orther then C, there are methods of moving the ..user directories and all the related substructure, but that tends to get a little more technical then the average user wants to deal with. Use the 60GB SSD drive for Windows 7 and moved all the system defaults to a 1 TB data drive, nothing is installed on the SSD except for windows, including the paging file</p>