SOLVED: Why is 64 Bit Google Chrome Installed in C:\PROGRAM FILES (x86)?

Google decided that the best place to install ALL versions of Chrome was in C:\PROGRAM FILES (x86) because that will work for everyone and all versions of their products.

In mid-2020 Google changed its mind and now installs Chrome in the correct folder, which is:

• 32 bit versions in C:\PROGRAM FILES (x86)
• 64 bit versions in C:\PROGRAM FILES

Older installs of 64 bit Google Chrome that were installed in C:\PROGRAM FILES (x86) will continue to work and be upgraded for the foreseeable future.

However, if your 64 bit Google Chrome is installed in C:\PROGRAM FILES (x86) and you want to move it to C:\PROGRAM FILES, you have to uninstall your current version and then reinstall it. All new versions of 64 bit Chrome install in the C:\PROGRAM FILES.

The only people that are likely to care about this are administrators like us. I found this out the hard way when a GPO that included a path to C:\PROGRAM FILES\GOOGLE\CHROME\CHROME.EXE did not work on a number of Windows 10 computers.