Can anybody shed some light on the prescribed strategy with Vista for software that automatically keeps itself up to date via file downloads? Here I mean software that dynamically downloads both full-app updates as well as "helper files" via HTTP (e.g., FXP files, newer version EXE's, config files, etc). Historically, we've done this with our VFP app as follows:
- On install, installer is configured to give write access to "everyone" to the app's folder
- The app's folder is like C:\OurApp
- Both the main application and several helper files are dynamically kept up to date via behind-the-scenes HTTP transfers from a config server. That is, the main app inspects its current file environment and compares that to what the config server says should be there. If a mismatch (anything out of date) new files are downloaded and written into C:\OurApp. A separate downloader/helper is fired up by main app (and main app temporarily exits) when main app also needs to be updated.

This approach has treated us well for years with Win2K / WinXP. Yes, somebody could go in and trash the contents of the app folder but that's just not an issue with our clients. Plus they like the zero-admin feature a lot.

How to preserve this capability on Vista with its tighter security policies?