Picasa question

[Bart_B Profile Private message]

In my Window's 7 I actually have two program files. C: Program and C: Program Files (x86). Don't ask me why, they are just there. Some programs are in one and some are in the other. Now just to confuse the issue, Google Chrome lives in Owner>AppData>Local>Google>Chrome>Application

Hope the clarifies things!

Bart

[BarbaraC Profile Private messageWebsite]

Hope the clarifies things!

Enormously!

Barbara

[Bart_B Profile Private message]

Thought it would

[MG - Admin]

In my Window's 7 I actually have two program files. C: Program and C: Program Files (x86). Don't ask me why, they are just there. Some programs are in one and some are in the other.

64 bit programs will be installed in the "Program Files" folder. All non-64 bit software will be installed in the "Program Files (x86)" folder.

Mike

[Bart_B Profile Private message]

Thanks Greg, that possibility had flirted briefly in my mind but never took the time to dig in and figure it out. That is a good thing to know.

Bart

[BarbaraC Profile Private messageWebsite]

Oh, do I ever have a lot to learn when I go over to Win7.

Question: Does Windows automatically detect whether it's a 64-bit or 32-bit program?

Barbara

[MG - Admin]

Question: Does Windows automatically detect whether it's a 64-bit or 32-bit program?

Yes.

Mike

[BarbaraC Profile Private messageWebsite]

Hallelujah! I'm saved!

Barbara

[sonjiab Profile Private message]

do you mean program files folder?

[sonjiab Profile Private message]

Files that used to be in c:\programs, are now stored in your user directory under /apdata/roaming.

Chrome is very well behaved in my Win 7. I can't blame them for trying to make money to finance all the free programs they provide. You can simply set your options to not track you.

[BarbaraC Profile Private messageWebsite]

Apparently, and according to both Mike and Bart, the Programs folder still exists for 64-bit software.

It's not Google's attempt to make money that bothers. They are, after all, a business, something with the single purpose of making money. Regardless of that, I like being in control of everything on my computer, I like knowing what is going where and why. Just one of my little unchangeable "quirks."

Barbara

[heckydog Profile Private message]

Microsoft eliminated the Programs folder?! Or are you saying you still have Programs, but you see no listing for Google? If so, it must be hiding elsewhere because, if you have Chrome, it's in there.

Barbara

There are 2 program folders in W7. Program Files is for 64 bit software, Program Files (x86) is for 32 bit software and that is where the majority of your programs will be. The installers know where to put everything so you don't have to worry about that part.

[sonjiab Profile Private message]

I still do not understand, I do not remember a programs folder in XP or vista?

[DickK Profile Private messageWebsite]

Microsoft eliminated the Programs folder?!

No it's still there -- two of them now, it's now called \Program Files and \Program Files (x86)

The difference is supposed to be native 64-bit apps vs 32-bit apps but what gets installed where seems strange to me and not consistent with that. Still, it doesn't matter though.

The trick with Picasa is to have it scan only the "My pictures" which for me has nothing in it. With Win7 it will go for the Pictures library as the equivalent. Once it's done that, you can add any folder you want--in fact, if you point it to the library then you can just add folders to that and everything that wants to know where pictures reside will use that set of folders.

Picasa has a cool feature face-recognition and tagging system that's worth playing with. I think it works amazingly well in recognizing people despite head orientation and (within limits) age. Haven't quite worked out how I'm going to use that but it works. Personally, I use Adobe's Organizer (bundled with PSE) for most of my image catalog needs but the way it handles the face recognition doesn't work for the way I tag the images.

Dick

[BarbaraC Profile Private messageWebsite]

I've been playing with Picasa on breaks from backing up stuff in preparation for the new computer, and I've developed a plan: Load the thumbs onto the new computer early and then load Picasa, which will have little to find other than the thumbs, and then restrict it to just that area. Or is there a way to install Picasa so it doesn't do that initial search? I couldn't believe how long I had to wait for the initial search to complete.

Face recognition will be incredibly useful when setting up what I've forgotten the name for at the moment, but they're like themed albums where you can have collections of, say, Family, Friends, Children, and so forth. I still haven't played around with what looks like the ability to tag photos, but I'll get there. Probably the next time backing-up insanity threatens.

I wish Adobe hadn't discontinued Photoshop Album by integrating it with Elements. I've loved the little program ever since purchasing it back in the early 2000's.

Windows 7 and its somewhat different folder system will likely take getting used to, but it appears everyone else has managed it and is also quite happy with it. I imagine Vista people are the happiest.

Barbara