64 bit application installing to x86 folder (Google Chrome)

[kennysarmy]

I pushed out a new GPO in the recent holiday to update our version of Google Chrome.

 

We have a common redirected desktop which has a shortcut to Google Chrome on it : this points to Program Files\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe

 

 

Some users have returned after the break to report Google Chrome is not opening, on investigation they have the application installed to Program Files (x86)\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe

 

 

How can this happen?

 

[ZeroHour]

Is it the 64 bit version in there or the 32 bit?

 

If you run it and check with Task Manager it should say "(32 bit)" in the process name if its 32 Bit.

[kennysarmy]

Is it the 64 bit version in there or the 32 bit?

 

If you run it and check with Task Manager it should say "(32 bit)" in the process name if its 32 Bit.

 

Thanks - I'll check when I can get back on her PC.

[kennysarmy]

Is it the 64 bit version in there or the 32 bit?

 

If you run it and check with Task Manager it should say "(32 bit)" in the process name if its 32 Bit.

 

Showing as x64 but in the x86 folder :/

 

[bald_pig]

does the policy show it as an x64 program in gpo?

[pete]

If 32bit Chrome is installed, I've seen 64bit Chrome install itself in the same folder as the 32bit version if you install over the top (vs remove 32bit, then install 64bit).

[kennysarmy]

does the policy show it as an x64 program in gpo?

 

Indeed.

 

[Hoyt]

We use redirected Desktops as well and have had to deal with this issue. In our case we found that for a while the 64 bit Chrome installers still installed into the Program Files (x86) directory. Then at some random time the installers we downloaded started installing into the Program Files directory instead, which broke our shortcuts.

 

Is it possible you had an older Chrome installer laying around?

 

Edit: Looking at your source in the screenshot that is a current installer. Don't know how it wound up in the x86 directory. We use EMCO remote installer for a lot of our installs and haven't seen this yet. That being said Chrome is in our images so I don't install it remotely as often as I used to.

Edited March 10, 2025 by Hoyt

[Hoyt]

If I'm remembering correctly Pete has a good point. Google will keep that C:\Program Files (x86) installation directory throughout its lifespan sometimes if you don't uninstall it.

 

What we did during the Chrome changeover from C:\Program Files (x86) to C:\Program Files was use our EMCO Remote installer to uninstall the old Chrome installation before installing the new one. That got the install moved out of the C:\Program Files (x86) directory. EMCO is a pretty handy tool you can set it up to do however many machines you want at once. I have my EMCO program organized by Schools, then sub categories for office, teachers, and students. I usually create a batch file referencing all the commands I want so I can just set up each task and not have to enter command switches into EMCO. That way if something changes I just modify the batch file and don't have to make changes in my EMCO tasks.

 

I don't know how the uninstall of the older versions could be handled in G.P. but I thought I'd toss this out there since that brain cell raised its hand.

Edited March 11, 2025 by Hoyt