On XP, a lot of plugins would put stuff in C:/ Program Files/Documents and Settings/My Documents/Shared Content...
or some such.
Win 7 has that folder, but you don't have permission to access it. Unacceptable because Massive, Cakewalk and Kontakt put their stuff in there. In fact, that's where the Kontakt library is placed and where I would add 3rd party stuff.
I'm thinking if I make a folder called Shared Content in Program Files/Common Files, that I can install content in there. The question is: will Windows find it?
A recent example: I installed Xils 3 LE. I put everything where the installer wanted, but when I pulled up the plugin, the presets and sounds were missing. I reinstalled the plugin with that folder in the same folder as the .dll, it pulled up and everything was there.
So, where have you put this stuff on your Win 7 computer?
Any help most welcome.
Thanks.

You most definitely shouldn't make any folder under "Program Files". It's a write protected system folder, so plugins won't be able to save into it unless they are run with administrative permissions (bad idea)

On my systems, I use (as in I made) a "vst" folder under my user folder, so it's C:\users\john\vst. All my plugins are in there, If they need a seperate folder for presets it should be in the application data folder (which is hidden from uses by default).

Many developers seem to be either unaware of or unwilling to follow the recommended locations for installing stuff on vista / win 7.

?

You should definitely be able to access that- that's where I'm keeping my shared content folder. What's your UAC settings?

ew

Set on medium. I was thinking about turning it off. Like I explained, when I installed the Xils plugin it couldn't find presets. I did Search and they were in the Documents and Settings folder. When I go on C drive, the folders aren't there. These aren't hidden folders, are they? Because then it's just a matter of show hidden folders.
I think the 64 bit Win 7 is harder than it should be.

I found that Documents folder you were talking about ew. It had some IL stuff in it. But the problem is, is it in the architecture? I can point shared stuff there if it's C/Program Files/Documents.
I searched for the folder Documents and Settings/Shared Content where the Xils plugin first installed stuff, but I guess when I uninstalled it, it all went away. Perhaps that's why it wouldn't give me permission to access.
So yes, I guess where feasible, point the shared stuff at this folder.
Thanks for the heads up ew. I don't think I could have found it without you. I love having what amounts to two operating systems to look through.

On W7 shared data for all users are under c:\ProgramData\<appl>