INTRODUCTION

   PDF reDirect and PDF reDirect Pro are installed in the Windows System folder (more on that later), and 4 persons have sent me an e-mail concerning this. 2 felt that it should be installed in the "Program Files" folder, and the other 2 were just curious on why it would be in the System folder.

EXPLANATION

   PDF reDirect v1.0 was completed in May 2003, and was written for my own personal use, and thus never released. Because PDF reDirect is installed as a printer, it is considered a device, and the proper location for the code (according to Microsoft) is in the following location:

C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\spool\drivers\w32x86\3

   As time went on, additional features were added which included a user interface to allow the user to make changes to the PDF output. I felt at the time that it was cumbersome to place the user interface elements so deep in the windows directory: it made it difficult for customers to access some of the log files, or have access to the help files. As a result, I decided to move the user interface to the top level of the System folder, which, I thought, was in keeping with the "spirit" that PDF reDirect was first and foremost a printer. (a "virtual printer", but a printer nonetheless).

   The user interface of PDF reDirect is started by the PDF reDirect Printer and is "hardwired" to the system folder location. This improves speed as it saves having to lookup the location either in a registry entry or in a ini file. Changing the location of the User Interface to a "Program Files" Folder will require the user to perform a full re-installation of the program rather than the smaller/faster "upgrade" installation programs.

THE PLAN FOR THE FUTURE

   In order to address the expectation raised by the customers that think that the "System" folder is not appropriate, the user interface of PDF reDirect will be moved to the "Program Files" Folder at the next major revision of PDF reDirect which is not expected for a few months.

NOTES

• the installation of the user interface in the System Folder does no harm to your computer. At worse, this could be considered a nuisance, and it sounds, is creating some amount of confusion, for which I apologize.
• the location of the System folder varies on your version of Windows. It will depend on the name of your windows folder (which could be "Windows", "WINNT" or anything else). The system folder is called "System" on Windows 95/98/ME and called "System32" on Windows 2000/XP.