Why do software devs do this?

[Time Sheep]

Far too often have I noticed the most ridiculous paths in commercial and open source software. I never understood how one could have misinterpreted the standard paths in Windows to begin with.

I suppose most people would aggree with me, when I say this:
- My Documents is for the users documents such as letters and school assignments.
- AppData (Application Data, formerly Local Settings) should contain the preferences, themes and whatever might be interesting only to the user choosing them.
- Program Files would be for the binaries and executeables that should be available to all users, yet only writeable to administrators.
- Saved Games should obviously contain the saves for each specific user. This folder is located in C:\Users\Username\Saved Games.

Now here's a group of my observations that I do not understand:
- Google Chrome installs it's binaries to AppData. Sure, this enables a user to ignore his/her administrator and install Chrome if he/she wants to, but I'm sure the Administrator won't like that.
- Rainmeter saves it's settings and preferences in My Documents.
- mIRC saves it's themes in My Documents
- Minecraft saves... EVERYTHING in AppData.
- Some games such as Amnesia puts save files in My Documents.
- Many games such as Far Cry 2, The Saboteur and Crysis throws saves and settings into My Documents\My Games.

If they started putting their files in the appropriate folders, it would be a bliss to keep backup of all your documents without bringing half of your save games.
It would be a bliss to copy all your software settings alone between computers.
It would be much easier to find your savegames when you need to copy or move them.

What advantage do the companies have in using these folders, thus creating a giant mess on my computer over using the appropriate folders?

Why did I write this?
Because I plead you to use the correct folders when you start programming. I'm sure most people would love you for that

[oracleguy]

I actually prefer that they put the saved games under My Documents\My Games because I want those to be backed up. Yes you can backup the AppData as well but there is a lot in there that doesn't matter and putting the saved games in documents avoids having to dig through the app data.

I'm just happy people finally got away from assuming the program could write to Program Files.

[Time Sheep]

Originally Posted by oracleguy

I actually prefer that they put the saved games under My Documents\My Games because I want those to be backed up. Yes you can backup the AppData as well but there is a lot in there that doesn't matter and putting the saved games in documents avoids having to dig through the app data.

I'm just happy people finally got away from assuming the program could write to Program Files.

Like I said, Microsoft dedicated a folder for save-games: C:\Users\Username\My Saved Games. (Which is just as easy to reach through Start -> Username -> My Saved Games)

[oracleguy]

Originally Posted by Time Sheep

Like I said, Microsoft dedicated a folder for save-games: C:\Users\Username\My Saved Games.

Yeah but that is a relatively new addition. It was introduced with Vista or 7, can't remember which. And with things like that, people are slow to change. Everyone has My Documents, not everyone has the My Saved Games.