About install/uninstall the game
Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2026 9:20 am
I would like to report a security issue concerning game installations and uninstallations.
In principe, it is always possible to install a game over an existing installation: when the installation program detects the old installation, it simply asks you to choose between “repair” and “uninstall.”
With SC3 WIE, this is absolutely impossible : when the installation program detects an already installed version, it refuses to install the game, and no other choice is given to the user.
However, there is a problem : if the user, for whatever reason, has manually deleted the game folder without first uninstalling it properly (this can happen with an inexperienced user), the uninstall program refuses to run.
As a result, in such cases, the user finds themselves completely stuck :
* He cannot uninstall the old version, since the folder no longer exists and the uninstaller refuses to run
* He cannot perform a new installation, since the installer detects the old installation in the system (even if the game folder has been manually deleted), and refuses to run.
Then, the user has no any solution if he has no any knowledges or experience in informatic process
I think it would be better if the SC3 installer gave automatically a choice when it detected a previous installation, as many other programs do : either “repair” the old existing installation or uninstall it.
EDIT : The same problem does occur when user has simply renamed his install directory.
Actually, I do that to avoid this risk : I copy-past my install directory of the game on another external large SSD, to be able to copy-past it again on my principal hard disk if needed, in case of false manipulation of my part.
In principe, it is always possible to install a game over an existing installation: when the installation program detects the old installation, it simply asks you to choose between “repair” and “uninstall.”
With SC3 WIE, this is absolutely impossible : when the installation program detects an already installed version, it refuses to install the game, and no other choice is given to the user.
However, there is a problem : if the user, for whatever reason, has manually deleted the game folder without first uninstalling it properly (this can happen with an inexperienced user), the uninstall program refuses to run.
As a result, in such cases, the user finds themselves completely stuck :
* He cannot uninstall the old version, since the folder no longer exists and the uninstaller refuses to run
* He cannot perform a new installation, since the installer detects the old installation in the system (even if the game folder has been manually deleted), and refuses to run.
Then, the user has no any solution if he has no any knowledges or experience in informatic process
I think it would be better if the SC3 installer gave automatically a choice when it detected a previous installation, as many other programs do : either “repair” the old existing installation or uninstall it.
EDIT : The same problem does occur when user has simply renamed his install directory.
Actually, I do that to avoid this risk : I copy-past my install directory of the game on another external large SSD, to be able to copy-past it again on my principal hard disk if needed, in case of false manipulation of my part.