485113 - [meta] move updates directory from the user profile's app data to the all users app data directory in Windows

Status: RESOLVED DUPLICATE of bug 1458314

(Toolkit :: Application Update, defect)

Description

[Robert Strong (they/them - no direct email)]

move updates directory from the user profile's app data to the all users app data directory

What I think we should do is when the user doesn't have write access to the app dir the updates dir should be located under all users application data. This would allow downloading the update to a directory the user does have write access to and then the updater binary can use shellexecute with the runas verb to request elevation which it is already wired up to do though it is currently only used on Vista when UAC is turned on.

The directory under the all users application data directory may need to have its permissions modified so that authenticated users (perhaps a different group but this is the one I am leaning toward) have the ability to add / delete / modify (I'm leaning toward GENERIC_EXECUTE | GENERIC_READ | GENERIC_WRITE | DELETE | FILE_DELETE_CHILD but it may just be best to give Full Control since the user creating the directory will have Full Control) all files and directories in this new directory. This directory will need to be created if it doesn't already exist and the permissions should be verified / fixed on both install and update.

Comment 1

[Robert Strong (they/them - no direct email)]

btw: we may want to do this on Mac OS X as well due to the permissions on the package being set so only the user that install the package has write access.