Where to put on windows an option file accessable for all users?

[Tiemo Hollmann TB]

Hello,

I have an option file, which should be read/writable for all users.

The only path I found is specialFolderPath("sdat"), which is e.g. on Win 7
"C:\ProgramData"

But this directory has write restrictions and usually, when updating a file
in this directory it gets virtualized since Win Vista in:
"C:\Users\<MyUser>\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\ProgramData" which results in
that behavior, that every user has it's own copy of the original file. This
happens though I am logged on as a user belonging to the admin group.

On the other hand I have seen files which are being update in
"C:\programData" without being virtualized and I don't know the difference,
when the virtualization happens.

1.     Where do you put files, write accessable for all users on win?

2.     How do you handle this nasty virtualization?

Thanks

Tiemo