Destination Folder
Current User: %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\YourApp
All Users: %PROGFILESDIR%\YourApp
Select Installation Scope
Installation scope determines who the installer targets on the machine. This single setting automatically controls destination paths, shortcut locations, registry root keys, and User Account Control (UAC) elevation requirements.
Access these settings from the Installation Scope page in the navigation panel.
Scope Modes
Section titled “Scope Modes”Targets the active user’s profile. No administrator rights required.
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Destination | %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs |
| Shortcuts | Per-user folders |
| Registry root | HKEY_CURRENT_USER |
| UAC elevation | Not required |
Best for “no-install” style apps that don’t need system-level access.
Targets a shared location for every user on the machine. Requires administrator rights.
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Destination | %PROGFILESDIR% |
| Shortcuts | Common (shared) folders |
| Registry root | HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE |
| UAC elevation | Required |
Mandatory for services, drivers, or apps that must be available to everyone.
Displays a dialog at runtime, letting the end user choose between Current User and All Users. Provides the best balance of flexibility and ease of use.
Best for general-purpose applications distributed online.
Silently detects administrator privileges at runtime:
- Elevated — behaves as All Users (files to
%PROGFILESDIR%, shortcuts to common folders, registry toHKLM). - Not elevated — falls back to Current User (files to
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs, shortcuts to user folders, registry toHKCU).
No dialog is shown. Best for silent deployments and scripted enterprise installations.
No automatic scope management. All paths, shortcuts, and registry keys must be configured manually.
Impact on Installer Behavior
Section titled “Impact on Installer Behavior”When you select a scope mode, several core settings adapt automatically:
Shortcuts
Current User: User-specific Start Menu and Desktop All Users: Common (shared) folders
Registry Root
Current User: HKEY_CURRENT_USER
All Users: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
UAC and Uninstaller
Current User: No elevation, user registry All Users: Elevation required, machine registry
Scope Options
Section titled “Scope Options”| Option | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Request UAC elevation | When the scope resolves to All Users, the installer requests UAC elevation automatically. Disable only if your installer does not need write access to protected locations. | Enabled |
| Fail if admin rights unavailable | The installation aborts with an error when All Users scope is required but administrator rights cannot be obtained. When disabled, the installer silently falls back to Current User. | Disabled |
User Choice — Under the Hood
Section titled “User Choice — Under the Hood”UAC Self-Elevation Logic
Section titled “UAC Self-Elevation Logic”If the end user selects “All users” but the installer is running with standard privileges, Paquet Builder handles the elevation transparently:
- The installer re-launches itself with the
Run as administratorverb. - All original command-line parameters are forwarded, along with
/PBSCOPE=1which tells the elevated instance to use All Users scope directly. - The scope dialog is skipped in the elevated instance to prevent redundant prompts.
- The installation proceeds using the All Users configuration.
Customizing the Dialog
Section titled “Customizing the Dialog”
The User Choice dialog uses five Resource Strings that can be translated or modified:
| Resource String | Purpose |
|---|---|
#ScopeChoiceTitle | Dialog window title |
#ScopeChoicePrompt | Main prompt text |
#ScopeChoiceAllUsers | Label for the “All Users” option |
#ScopeChoiceCurrentUser | Label for the “Current User” option |
#ScopeChoiceQuestion | Additional explanatory text |
Runtime Scope Variables
Section titled “Runtime Scope Variables”The following system Variables are resolved at runtime based on the active scope:
| Variable | Description |
|---|---|
%PBINSTALLSCOPE% | Returns 0 for Current User or 1 for All Users |
%PBINSTALLSCOPEDIR% | Resolves to the correct base directory |
%PBSHORTCUTROOT% | Start Menu folder for the active scope |
%PBDESKTOPROOT% | Desktop folder for the active scope |
%PBSCOPEELEVATED% | Returns 1 if the installer was re-launched with elevation |
Directive Support
Section titled “Directive Support”When using the Console Command-Line Compiler or directives, the following parameters control the installation scope:
| Directive | Values | Description |
|---|---|---|
InstallScope | -1 None, 0 Current User, 1 All Users, 2 User Choice, 3 Automatic | Sets the scope mode |
ScopeRequestUAC | 0 No, 1 Yes | Request UAC elevation for All Users. Default: 1 |
ScopeFailOnAdmin | 0 No, 1 Yes | Fail if admin rights unavailable. Default: 0 |
; Example: User Choice with UAC and silent fallback[Settings]InstallScope=2ScopeRequestUAC=1ScopeFailOnAdmin=0Best Practices
Section titled “Best Practices”User Choice
Best for general-purpose applications distributed online. Gives end users control without complexity.
Automatic
Best for internal IT deployments or silent scripted installs where the calling process determines elevation.
Current User
Ideal for lightweight apps, portable tools, or scenarios where admin rights are unavailable.
All Users
Mandatory for services, drivers, or apps that must be visible to every account on the machine.
Related Pages
Section titled “Related Pages” Set Main Destination Folder Configure the default extraction path using scope-aware variables.
Variables Reference Full list of runtime variables including scope-related ones.
Resource Strings Translate or customize all dialog texts.
Directives Automate scope configuration in CLI builds.