[tor-bugs] #3757 [Tor bundles/installation]: Tor 'Expert Bundle' for Windows does not install files into default directory

[Tor Bug Tracker & Wiki]

#3757: Tor 'Expert Bundle' for Windows does not install files into default
directory
--------------------------------------+-------------------------------------
 Reporter:  rransom                   |          Owner:  erinn
     Type:  defect                    |         Status:  new  
 Priority:  major                     |      Milestone:       
Component:  Tor bundles/installation  |        Version:       
 Keywords:                            |         Parent:       
   Points:                            |   Actualpoints:       
--------------------------------------+-------------------------------------

Comment(by Shondoit):

 The reason it does not show a UAC dialog is because the installer is
 considered a legacy application. It has not been marked as being UAC
 compliant and therefore is run in backwards compatibility mode.
 This also explains why there is nothing installed in %ProgramFiles%, yet
 it did not return an error.

 Basically, Vista/Win7 runs the application under user context, but a user
 cannot write in %ProgramFiles%. As to not break the application,
 Vista/Win7 uses folder/registry virtualization and redirects write calls
 to the user's profile.
 Scenario 2: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/927387

 To tell Vista/Win7 the installer can only run elevated, one must embed a
 .manifest into the installer.
 To embed a .manifest into an executable, you use mt.exe (available in the
 Windows SDK).
 Some more info:
 http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb756929.aspx

 And basically all the information you'll ever need about UAC:
 http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?displaylang=en&id=3859

 Caveat: when using 'requireAdministrator' the installer might install
 geoip and torrc to the administrator's profile.
 Best practice is to not install user data, but create on first run. (Or
 you can install default user data to %ProgramFiles% and copy on first run,
 no problem)

-- 
Ticket URL: <https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/ticket/3757#comment:4>
Tor Bug Tracker & Wiki <https://trac.torproject.org/>
The Tor Project: anonymity online