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I'm trying to install Matrix SPM software on one of our standard Optiplex desktops for an end user, and I get an error during install "Microsoft Windows must be installed in "C:\WINDOWS". Installation aborted."

I checked our image (Win10 Enterprise LTSC 2019 [equivalent to 1809])and Dell's OEM image (Win 10 Enterprise 21H2), and both use C:\Windows. I checked the vendor-provided PC running XP SP3, and the end-user's personal HP laptop running Win10 Home 21H1, both of which have the software installed successfully, and both of which use C:\WINDOWS.

I know you can change windir in Environment Variables, but the default is %SystemRoot%, not hardcoded C:\Windows, and I hesitate to change references like that. I tried booting to a PE environment and renaming to C:\WINDOWS, but the installer didn't see a difference, presumably because updating the folder name doesn't actually change windir or %SystemRoot%.

Some research led to a guide to making a folder's or drive's contents case sensitive, such that you could have foo.bar and FOO.BAR in the same location, but I worry that system-wide case sensitivity could cause issues for other applications.

Does anyone know a means to either change the case of C:\Windows such that it is visible to applications, or to trick the installer to ignore case sensitivity?

I've looked at WINDIR environment variable resolves to %SystemRoot% and not C:\windows which deals with the same variables I'm trying to change, but that isn't quite the same issue I'm dealing with.

AlexM
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  • but is windows actually located in c:\windows? – LPChip Mar 30 '22 at 20:11
  • @LPChip Windows is installed in C:\Windows on the problem computers, and C:\WINDOWS on the ones where the installer works, per System Information as well as browsing C:\. – AlexM Mar 30 '22 at 20:16
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    May be some one has accidentally enabled NTFS case sensitivity for the whole C drive or the Windows folder? – Robert Mar 30 '22 at 20:23
  • Any app doing a case sensitive comparison on a non case sensitive operating system/file system is a piece of cr*p. This code was probably (poorly) ported from UNIX. UNIX is cool but has different rules. One solution.. if you DO have NTFS case sensitivity enabled is to make a junction (or hard link) from C:\Windows to C:\WINDOWS. This won't work unless enabled. – Señor CMasMas Mar 31 '22 at 02:20
  • Case sensitivity is not currently enabled, I tested this on a freshly imaged PC, as well as a fresh-from-the-OEM Optiplex. I can enable it and set up a symlink, is there likely to be an issue with other applications if case sensitivity is enabled? – AlexM Mar 31 '22 at 13:46

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