Search both ProgramFiles and ProgramFiles(x86) using environment variables in C++ and C# / VB.NET

Question

Possible Duplicate:
C# - How to get Program Files (x86) on Windows Vista 64 bit

I am trying to launch a third-party program from my own. I have done a quick search in Program Files and Program Files (x86), and I just realized that the path returned by getenv("ProgramFiles") actually depends on whether I am running in x64 or Win32.

How can I search (both in C++ and C# or VB.NET) both Program Files folders, using environment variables and not hard-coded names - since regardless of the version of my program running on the user machine, the user might have the other one installed in a different version?

My code now: in C++:

fs::path root_directory = fs::path(getenv("ProgramFiles"));
// and then I change to 
root_directory = fs::path(getenv("ProgramFiles(x86)"));

in VB.NET:

System.Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("ProgramFiles")

I looked at this source: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa365743

But if I implement what they say, I get x86 all the time...

Solution 1

Take a look at these Stack Overflow questions:

• C# - How to get Program Files (x86) on Windows Vista 64 bit
• How do I programmatically retrieve the actual path to the “Program Files” folder?.

Solution 2

You can get it using following,

Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.ProgramFiles)

Comments

[KF2]

according System.Environment.GetFolderPath(System.Environment.SpecialF‌​older.ProgramFiles) returns "c:\Program Files" on a 64-bit machine, unless the code is build to target x86, in which case it returns "C:\Program Files (x86)".

[Thalia]

I'll try it shortly, any idea how to do this in c++ ?

[KF2]

For program files: TCHAR pf[MAX_PATH]; SHGetSpecialFolderPath( 0, pf, CSIDL_PROGRAM_FILES, FALSE );

[KF2]

These two lines will get the required directories: string prog32 = Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("ProgramFiles"); string prog64 = Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("ProgramW6432"); results: C:\Program Files (x86) and C:\Program Files