An odd ModifiableWindowsApps folder

Topic

New Reply

A folder with a single subfolder, Program Files\ModifiableWindowsApps, has suddenly appeared in my partitioned data drive on my new desktop (Win 10 Pro Version 1909). Google tells me that ModifiableWindowsApps is a folder that’s used for the installation of certain types of games, which I’m not interested in.

The folder never would have attracted my attention, except that it appeared where I assume it doesn’t belong (and, presumably, isn’t needed). I have partitioned drives, where C: has my programs and related stuff (appdata, etc.) and the D: has my data. After I found out what the ModifiableWindowsApps folder is, I looked in C:\Program Files, and saw that it did indeed contain such a folder, which is empty. I don’t care about that one. The folder that attracted my attention is on the D: drive – specifically, at D:\Program Files\ModifiableWindowsApps. It’s empty, like the one on the C: drive, and D:\Program Files is empty except for that single subfolder.

The D: drive was completely empty when I first set up the computer and transferred my files there. Program Files\ModifiableWindowsApps didn’t appear until the next day (according to the Properties dialog).

I’m confused as to why a Program Files folder (with a ModifiableWindowsApps subfolder) would suddenly appear on my data drive. Can I delete it without untoward consequences? Or are there things I should look into first? If so, what?

I have Folder Options set to show hidden files & folders, so making that folder hidden isn’t a satisfactory option. And I don’t want to leave it there if I don’t have to, because it just makes things more cluttered than they need to be.

Thanks.

Reply | Quote

Replies

Is there in the Registry any reference to D:\Program Files\ModifiableWindowsApps? That may give some clue as to relationships, or to sensitivity to deletion. Or, try a rename – if possible – and see if it gets recreated magically.

1 user thanked author for this post.

BobStr

Reply | Quote

Searching the registry is pretty much above my head. I know how to navigate in there if someone has already given me cook book-type instructions, but doing something like that on my own is another matter. I’m not aware of any search function, and simply browsing through paths such as Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft doesn’t produce anything that looks likely. Is there a search function?

I also know that certain keys can contain path names, but to look for one of those I think I’d have to know where to look ahead of time. Given my low state of knowledge, there easily could be a way to do the search your suggesting, but I just don’t know it. Do you have any suggestion on how to go about it?

I’ll keep the suggestion of a rename in my back pocket. Since I’m concerned about breaking something, I’d want to feel more secure about it than I do right now.

Thanks.

Reply | Quote

[Bluetrix]

In regedit see: EDIT at top
Open EDIT

See:FIND at bottom of dropdown

Open FIND

Enter search criteria.

In this case it’s:

D:\Program Files\ModifiableWindowsApps

Either click on FIND NEXT or just hit ENTER

 

• This reply was modified 5 years, 4 months ago by Bluetrix.
• This reply was modified 5 years, 4 months ago by Bluetrix.

1 user thanked author for this post.

BobStr

Reply | Quote

Ah, “I see” said the blind man.

I had looked for a search function under “File” and “View”, but blithely assumed that it wouldn’t be under “Edit.” Sadly, I vaguely recall that I knew that maybe 15 years ago. And I  clearly recall what Benny Hill said you do when you assume.

Anyway, I did the search and found two (and only two) entries:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\ZabaraKatranemia Plc\xplorer2_UC\MainFrame Settings\Folder History

and

HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21-715910954-974079757-931696254-1003\SOFTWARE\ZabaraKatranemia Plc\xplorer2_UC.global\FrequentDir\13

“ZabaraKatranemia Plc” is the developer of xplorer2, the File Explorer substitute that I use.

Looking at them, as someone who doesn’t know what he’s doing, to me it appears that they simply track that I’ve looked at that folder in xplorer2. But I don’t know; that’s just a supposition.

Does this shed any light on anything?

And thanks very much for telling me how to do the search.

Reply | Quote

I have a similar setup, where drive C is the “system drive” and drive E is the “data drive” (which is a physically separate drive, not a partition).  In my C:\Program Files folder there is indeed a subfolder called ModifiableWindowsApps, but it is empty.  It has a creation date of 19/03/2019 and is marked as read only.  Can’t remember what I did on that date, but probably I installed an update of some kind.  On my E drive there is no Program Files folder.  A registry search for ModifiableWindowsApps found nothing.  I’m not concerned about the mystery folder, because it is empty and occupies 0 bytes, but I wonder where it came from?  What is a “modifiable Windows app” anyway?  Looks like I don’t have any?

Windows 10 Pro 64 bit 20H2

Reply | Quote

Bundaburra wrote:

ModifiableWindowsApps

ModifiableWindowsApps folder shows up in Windows 10

Specifies a folder under the %ProgramFiles%\ModifiableWindowsApps path where the contents of your desktop application’s install folder are projected so that users can modify the installation files (for example, to install mods). This element is currently intended to be used only by certain types desktop of PC games that are published by Microsoft and our partners

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/uwp/schemas/appxpackage/uapmanifestschema/element-desktop6-mutablepackagedirectory

1 user thanked author for this post.

wavy

Reply | Quote

What concerns me most about this file is the security/permissions. I have the forced version of Windows 10 Home – leaving me with no control over any group policy or permissions (at best).  When I look at the properties of this folder under the security tab I have an “UNKNOWN ACCOUNT” with an associated number longer than a blockchain and it has odd permissions, as do I, as an admin I am only able to list folders, but the USER permission is listed twice once with a Traverse  access with a condition of (Exists WIN://SYSAPPID), the worst being that the RESTRICTED id has more permissions that I do…. What the heck?

Reply | Quote

See this post for the answer.
https://www.askwoody.com/forums/topic/creating-and-using-a-standard-user-account-on-windows-7/#post-2040249

cheers, Paul

Reply | Quote