Changed files (for example, settings files) in Program Files in Windows for some reason do not affect the system services and programs that use these files. Even deleting files from Program Files goes unnoticed.
For example, there is a service that uses a configuration file from Program Files. You can see this file and open, change, or even delete it. However, the service for some reason does not notice these changes - as if the file had not only not been deleted, but had not even been changed.
The reason is that services and system programs in Windows run under the system account and see the real file structure on the hard disk, whereas users, with UAC enabled, see the structure that the OS projects to them from a virtual store.
If a user changes or deletes a file, this does not happen to the actual file in Program Files, but to its virtual copy. It turns out that the user will see their changed file, since Windows provides them with this file from the virtual store, but all other users will not see it (including the "Administrator" user). This is because each user (except the local "Administrator") has their own personal virtual store.
How to fix it?Very simple. Run a file manager (Explorer, FAR, Total Commander, or any other) as the local administrator. To do this, you don't need to log out and back in - it's enough to select "Run as administrator" from the context menu (right mouse button).
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