COMMONFILES

InstallShield 2019 » InstallScript Language Reference

The COMMONFILES system variable contains the fully qualified name of the folder that is defined by Windows and that stores files shared by applications that are installed on the system. In English Windows, that folder is named Common Files, and it is located in the Program Files folder. (In other language versions of Windows, the common files folder name is localized appropriately by default.) The common files folder is the recommended default location for files and folders that are shared by applications.

On 64-bit Windows systems, this folder stores common files for 32-bit applications; common files for 64-bit applications should be installed to the COMMONFILES64 folder.

Project • During setup initialization in InstallScript installations, the value of the COMMONFILES variable is obtained by calling the Windows API function SHGetSpecialFolderPath with the CSIDL_COMMON_FILES parameter.

In Basic MSI and InstallScript MSI installations, the value of the COMMONFILES variable is initialized based on the Windows Installer property CommonFilesFolder. Note that deferred, commit, and rollback custom actions do not have access to this property. Therefore, the corresponding COMMONFILES variable is empty in deferred, commit, and rollback custom actions. To learn more, see Accessing or Setting Windows Installer Properties Through Deferred, Commit, and Rollback Custom Actions.

See Also

PROGRAMFILES

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