Why do I have a Program Files folder and a Program Files x86 folder?

The Windows separated and created two different directories of the 32-bit program and 64-bit program. The Program Files stores all the 64-bit programs and the Program Files (x86) stores all the 32-bit programs. x86 stands for different processor types, i.e. 286, 386, 486, 586/Pentium.

What will happen if I delete Program Files x86?

Having 32-bit programs installed to the “Program files (x86)” folder eliminates the risk of having both 32-bit and 64-bit installs of the same program present, and their installation files creating conflicts and/or performance problems.

Why are there both Program Files and Program Files x86?

Why Does Windows Name the 32-bit Folder ” Program Files(x86)” X86 is another way of referring to 32-bit processors. Initially, 16 bit processors (especially the 8086 and 8088 processor architectures) were known as “x86”. And that’s the reason why Windows names the 32-bit program folder as Program Files(x86).

What is the difference between Program Files and program data?

1 Answer. Program Files is for executables and other static files that came as part of the installation. ProgramData is for user-agnostic data generated during execution such as shared cache, shared databases, shared settings, shared preferences, etc. User-specific data goes in the AppData folder.

Why are there two Program Files in a folder?

To get around this conundrum, Windows created two file folders; one to contain the older 32 bit programs (x86) and one for the 64 bit programs. When a program goes looking to interact with another program, it will keep interaction confined to the program file folder in which it resides.

Why does my computer have 2 Program Files?

What’s Stored In Each Folder On a 64-bit version of Windows, 64-bit programs are stored in the “C:\Program Files” folder and 32-bit programs are stored in the “C:\Program Files (x86)” folder. That’s why different programs are spread across the two Program Files folders, seemingly at random.

What are x86 files?

“x86” now refers to the pre-64-bit architecture—whether that’s 16-bit or 32-bit. The newer 64-bit architecture is referred to as “x64” instead. That’s what “Program Files (x86)” means. It’s the Program Files folder for programs using the older x86 CPU architecture.

Should I Use Program Files x86 or Program Files?

It doesn’t normally matter whether a program’s files are stored in Program Files or Program Files (x86). Windows automatically installs programs to the correct folder, so you don’t have to think about it. Programs appear in the Start menu and function normally, no matter where they’re installed.

Is Minecraft 32 or 64-bit?

6 Answers. Minecraft is written in Java, so it should “adapt” itself to both 32-bit and 64-bit systems (depending if you have a 32-bit or 64-bit Java runtime). While Minecraft itself is not optimized for 64-bit, it will take advantage of JVM optimizations for 64-bit processors.

Why are folders useful?

Why are folders important? Folders help you keep your files organized and separate. If you had no folders on your computer, your documents, programs, and operating system files would all be located in the same place. Folders also allow you to have more than one file with the same file name.