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What's the default SourceTree installation folder on Windows 10?

Michael_Ryan

I'm running SourceTree on Windows 10, and it wants to install an update. I just noticed that it's currently installed under "Program Files (x86)", but it looks like this is a 64-bit application.

Should the software instead be installed under "Program Files" where 64-bit software is usually installed?

Should a new SourceTree install automatically default to the 64-bit folder?

Accepted answers

All comments

Michael_Ryan

Why the down-vote? How is this not a legitimate question?

I am wondering if SourceTree was previously a 32-bit application and therefore installed to "Program Files (x86)", and later in-app upgrades just left it there even though it's now a 64-bit application, or whether it always installs to that folder even on brand new (clean) systems.

Don Turrentine

I just installed SourceTree (64-bit for Windows) on two separate Windows 10 systems that have been updated to the latest version.

The default installation path seems to be:

C:\Users\***my user name***\AppData\Local\SourceTree

mahdielmasaoudi

In addition to the above, the program is not even in the Windows>start . I don't understand how do your people think ...

Marek Hanobik

You can find it in Atlassian folder in ProgramFiles

sadriabi

No you can't. I am looking and no Atlassian folder there.

Gono

Should the software instead be installed under "Program Files" where 64-bit software is usually installed?

Yes, of course!

Should a new SourceTree install automatically default to the 64-bit folder?

Yes, of course!

Everyone would expect both things and its quite remarkable how in ̷F̷e̷b̷r̷u̷a̷r̷y̷ April 2020 this is still relevant and remain unfixed.
I wonder how Atlassian came up with such a great idea...

minnsey

Sourcetree uses an installer process that explicitly does not require admin rights, Squirrel for Windows
https://github.com/Squirrel/Squirrel.Windows

It des this by installing to the AppData folder.

This approach is used by a number of other high profile applications.

https://channel9.msdn.com/Events/dotnetConf/2015/Squirrel-for-Windows-installing-NET-apps-the-way-it-should-be

Lisa_Von_Schlegell

OMFW. AppData. OMFW.

RonA

so what's the bottom line here?

i installed sourcetree. there is no item in startup menu. no icon on desktop. it cannot be found.

no folder in program files. i can find it in appdata, but no exe file or anything 'runnable'.

how am i supposed to run it? Why are you guys making it so difficult?

DaxInvader

I agree with most people here. On some machines, it is visible on the start menu when typing "SourceTree" and on other, only the setup exe file shows up. It does not make sense. It should prompt an install location. When you run the setup again, it simply starts sourcetree. Its unintuitive.

The "high profile" applications mentioned are still showing up in the start menu at least. Why is this one different? I love sourcetree, but it's getting on my nerve ever since it is now mandatory to have a bitbucket account.

Pedro Chavez_6deqsa

This decision made our entire team abandon Sourcetree. We're now switching to Fork.

Daniel_Scott

Whatever the rationale is for this ridiculous design decision, I hope it warrants the pain you are causing your users.

A source control experience should feel reliable and logical.

Drew_Loika

Atlassian, this is nuts. I should not have to search the web and read a many-post community thread to figure out how to launch your software.

Drizztdourden_

using something doesn't mean it's the right way to do it. Because a lot of people do it means it's the right way? Cut the crap seriously.

Your method is obviously bad no matter what approach you're using here. Installing something and leaving users in the void no knowing what happened to their software they just installed and needing to ask google to know the answer? How is that a good approach?

I have never seen such an evasive answer to such a simple problem. Do like everyone else and code a proper installer for it or make it easily available to the users on their desktop, the start menu, the taskbar... whatever works.

Drizztdourden_

This is funny how many users created an account just to complain about this.

At least I don't feel as dumb as I did when I wasn't finding it.

JOEL DENNIS_stkiy8

I found both Atlassian and Sourcetree folders in my AppData/Local. The SourceTree exe is in AppData/Local/SourceTree. This was extremely frustrating. Thank you all for the previous answers that led to my finally finding the application.

TechnoCoderz

Ummm, the installer doesn't even create a shortcut on the desktop, nor does it create an Atlassian programs group under the Start menu.

Mark Good_9ew6yo

Totally legitimate question. In 2020, it installs to \Users\<user>\AppData\Local and no icon anywhere to be found. AppData is usually hidden. WTH!?

I just uninstalled SoureTree.

konstalainen

Use this PowerShell script to create the shortcut.

https://gist.github.com/am9417/a10e11605b932723f153cdb83d91639f



<#
    Atlassian SourceTree installer does not create any shortcuts.
    EXE is located somewhere, and it's not easily accessible.
    Testing PowerShell scripts to create a shortcut under Start Menu / Programs...

    Copyright 2020 Antti Konsta Kustaa

    Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
    you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
    You may obtain a copy of the License at
        
http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0

    Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
    distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
    WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.    
    See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
    limitations under the License.
#>

# Gets the path of AppData\Local folder, e.g. C:\Users\MyUser\AppData\Local
$LocalAppData = (Get-ChildItem Env:LOCALAPPDATA).Value
# The SourceTree should be installed here...
$Target = $LocalAppData + "\SourceTree\SourceTree.exe"

# Path to e.g. C:\Users\MyUser\AppData\Roaming, that contains the Program menu folder
$Roaming = (Get-ChildItem Env:APPDATA).Value
$Programs = $Roaming + "\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs"
$Folder = $Programs + "\Atlassian"

# Check that Atlassian subdirectory folder is in Programs menu, otherwise create it
# If the directory doesn't exist, creating the shortcut will fail
if (!(Test-Path -Path $Folder)) {
    New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $Folder
}

$Shortcut = $Folder + "\SourceTree.lnk"

# The magic happens here...
$ws = New-Object -ComObject WScript.Shell;
$S = $ws.CreateShortcut($Shortcut);
$S.TargetPath = $Target;
$S.Save()

Aaron Hamilton_g2kjo2

Does anyone have a link to an older version that works properly? How did this even make it past QA?

Daniel_Scott

What's QA?

Zod

This was so dumb. Really gives you a very bad impression of Atlassian. The power shell script posted works and you can open source source tree from windows search bar. Question is, if its that simple why couldn't Atlassian do it themselves?

konstalainen

Yep. The point that I tried to make posting that script was to show that if I can do it with a 1 of work, why is it not then done automatically?

Bert_Whetstone

The thing is, I'm pretty sure prior SourceTree installs used to provide the shortcuts. I use SourceTree at work and I don't recall having to search my whole file system to find the executable and set up my own shortcuts. Only when I installed it at home a week or so ago did I have to search for it.

What I'm wondering is, is this just an oversight in the previous release, to be remedied in upcoming releases? Or is this some new minimalist philosophy making the rounds at Atlassian?

It's interesting that at least one former Atlassian employee seems to think installing executables into the AppData directory is a perfectly normal practice, one followed by major application vendors. So far the only other vendor I have evidence of doing this is Steam. Many applications do, as you would expect, store user-specific data in AppData. This sense that storing executables in AppData is somehow normal is probably part of the culture at Atlassian, upheld by the fact that one major vendor does follow this practice.

In any case I have nothing against Sourcetree or Atlassian. Their products are good, it's just very puzzling that they appear to have this odd internal culture surrounding the AppData directory.

Louis_Kurian

C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\SourceTree\app-3.3.8 if the installed version is 3.3.8. The folder app-3.3.8 has sourcetree.exe

Alison Peck

Thank you. This is all I needed. Would be great if it just happened, but it doesn't... I now just need to get on with learning how to us it instead of running the installation repeatedly to open it. :-)

Debojyoti Chatterjee_3mblec

I had installed Sourcetree to try it later... then I forgot about the app because there was no desktop icon or anything else... after a month i read another atlassian article that mentioned sourcetree...i tried finding it on my system and now I am here... This needs to be fixed, at least provide it in the context menu by default. that would help the users

Jim_Randell

This is crazy, just installed, exited, then wanted back in...but COULD NOT FIND THE BLOODY EXE!

You shouldn't need to do a web search to find a program's executable, its nuts!

monica_wrf6au

Yes very unprofessional installation!!!!!

Why they want to hide the .exe in an unusual place?

Daniel_Scott

It's bonkers in 2020.

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