C# - How to get Program Files (x86) on Windows 64 bit

C# Problem Overview

I'm using:

FileInfo(
    System.Environment.GetFolderPath(
        System.Environment.SpecialFolder.ProgramFiles) 
    + @"\MyInstalledApp"

In order to determine if a program is detected on a users machine (it's not ideal, but the program I'm looking for is a right old kludge of a MS-DOS application, and I couldn't think of another method).

On Windows XP and 32-bit versions of Windows Vista this works fine. However, on x64 Windows Vista the code returns the x64 Program Files folder, whereas the application is installed in Program Files x86. Is there a way to programatically return the path to Program Files x86 without hard wiring "C:\Program Files (x86)"?

C# Solutions

Solution 1 - C#

The function below will return the x86 Program Files directory in all of these three Windows configurations:

32 bit Windows
32 bit program running on 64 bit Windows
64 bit program running on 64 bit windows

static string ProgramFilesx86()
{
    if( 8 == IntPtr.Size 
        || (!String.IsNullOrEmpty(Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("PROCESSOR_ARCHITEW6432"))))
    {
        return Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("ProgramFiles(x86)");
    }

    return Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("ProgramFiles");
}

Solution 2 - C#

If you're using .NET 4, there is a special folder enumeration ProgramFilesX86:

Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.ProgramFilesX86)

Solution 3 - C#

Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("PROGRAMFILES(X86)") ?? Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.ProgramFiles)

Solution 4 - C#

Note, however, that the ProgramFiles(x86) environment variable is only available if your application is running 64-bit.

If your application is running 32-bit, you can just use the ProgramFiles environment variable whose value will actually be "Program Files (x86)".

Solution 5 - C#

One way would be to look for the "ProgramFiles(x86)" environment variable:

String x86folder = Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("ProgramFiles(x86)");

Solution 6 - C#

I am writing an application which can run on both x86 and x64 platform for Windows 7 and querying the below variable just pulls the right program files folder path on any platform.

Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("PROGRAMFILES")

Solution 7 - C#

One-liner using the new method in .NET. Will always return x86 Program Files folder.

Environment.Is64BitOperatingSystem ? Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("ProgramFiles(x86)") : Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("ProgramFiles"))

Solution 8 - C#

C# Code:

Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.ProgramFilesX86)

Output:

C:\Program Files (x86)

Note:

We need to tell the compiler to not prefer a particular build platform.

Go to Visual Studio > Project Properties > Build > Uncheck "Prefer 32 bit"

Reason:

> By default for most .NET Projects is "Any CPU 32-bit preferred" > > When you uncheck 32 bit assembly will: > > > JIT to 32-bit code on 32 bit process > > JIT to 32-bit code on 64 bit process

Content Type	Original Author	Original Content on Stackoverflow
Question	Leonard H. Martin	View Question on Stackoverflow
Solution 1 - C#	JaredPar	View Answer on Stackoverflow
Solution 2 - C#	Nathan	View Answer on Stackoverflow
Solution 3 - C#	Carl Hörberg	View Answer on Stackoverflow
Solution 4 - C#	chadmyers	View Answer on Stackoverflow
Solution 5 - C#	tomasr	View Answer on Stackoverflow
Solution 6 - C#	Samir	View Answer on Stackoverflow
Solution 7 - C#	Red John	View Answer on Stackoverflow
Solution 8 - C#	Clint	View Answer on Stackoverflow