I found, that most programs in Windows are not links to executables anymore. They are located in unknown Applications folder with no path.
Is it possible to disable this feature and go back to executables links? If not, then how is it possible to know executable link from the icons of these folder?
If it is impossible, then what is the name of type of applications, which are installing this way so that I know it beforehand and never install them?
May be someone didn't understand the point. There is NO PATH to the folder and there is NO PATH to an application. This is the question. I can only "Explore" such an icon.
3 Answers
Applications is a virtual folder, similar to This PC, Control Panel, Network, etc., and cannot be deleted.
For those who aren't familiar with it, it can be viewed by clicking in the Address Bar of Explorer & typing shell:AppsFolder
But when I right-click, most items have a few more options. Are you running under an account with Admin rights?
I don’t have any info on this “Applications” folder, never seen it. Maybe you can bring up the folders properties to allow for further investigation. But since you’re using neither the default Start Menu nor the default Explorer, you may be accessing a location that is not intended for users.
What you have here is a shortcut to an app that was installed from the Microsoft Store. (Arduino IDE app) For example, a link to the built-in Groove Music app looks like this:
If I launch this app, there’s still an .exe running. However, it cannot be started directly. It must be invoked using the shell.
Windows Installer can also create a special kind of shortcut, called “Advertised shortcuts”. They look very similar in that you cannot see the shortcut target. Here’s an example:
As pointed out by LPChip, they are UWP apps. They can also be called Store apps, or Universal apps.
By default they are installed into C:\Program Files\WindowsApps. If you open Settings and change to save new apps into drive D, for example, then new UWP apps will be in D:\WindowsApps.
Although you can't access any of those locations directly in Explorer, you can get into each app's directory using Task Manager:
On "Processes" tab:
Or on "Details" tab:
