155 réponses à ce sujet

[Targonis1]

Way back in the days when you had minicomputers and mainframes, users had their own space, and it was expected that people keep THEIR stuff in their own area. The term was and still is, "home directory". Now, with PCs, the idea of there being more than one person who would use a computer wasn't there, so a lot of the "keeping data between users separate" was left out for a very long time.

With Windows NT into Windows 2000, since corporate workstations rather than the home market was there, Microsoft brought the idea of home directories back. And, as time has progressed, Microsoft has really pushed to make it so each user account on a computer is where data from that user should belong.

Now, for anyone familiar with system administration and/or IT work, you KNOW that it is very helpful to have all the user data in one place, so you can easily back it up or move it for archival or removal purposes. And, that is the idea here. Save games from ONE user of a computer should NOT be a point of confusion for other users of that same computer. You have multiple logins on the machine for each person, so why would you want to have all the save games for EVERYONE go in the same place?

And that is really what this is all about. User data, save games, documents, music, etc should all be in the place for THAT user. If you install a program, that program can be installed anywhere, but "personal data" really should go under Documents, or perhaps a true standard place for save games should be defined.

On the flip side, and this has been improving, the main operating system should generally not be touched by user data, or installed applications. We should NOT have a problem where applications drop pieces of themselves into c:\\\\windows(or wherever you installed the OS). Under UNIX and UNIX-like systems, you have things like /usr/local as an implied place for where things not included in the base operating system SHOULD be installed. The idea is that LOCAL is for stuff that gets installed on the machine that are not a part of the normal OS distribution. The main areas for the operating system should NOT get third party crap cluttering them up, or potentially infecting the operation of the machine.

And that is the problem...too many people who want things to be convenient for THEM, but not understanding that for the general public, you need more formality and structure to avoid things getting messed up. If the entire c:\\\\Windows(or wherever) directory structure and files were identical to another machine with the same version of the operating system, it would be VERY easy to find and remove unwanted garbage. Instead, tons of garbage gets tossed in there, from device drivers to settings, to configuration settings for this program or that program. And, the only way to fix the problem is to SLOWLY get people away from dropping files here and there, and keep them in their own section of the machine.

So, you want your save games to go where again, where all users of the machine from different accounts save their stuff in exactly the same place? Isn't that one of the things that cause IT nightmares due to people replacing things that other people have done with their own stuff?

Modifié par Targonis1, 16 décembre 2009 - 05:47 .

[Dauphin2]

Well the answer would be to have it save in 'My Documents' by default. But have an option to change the Save Game directory. Then people can change it to where they want.

I have to say I've used Windows since 3.1 which ran on DOS. And I can say I've never used the My Documents folder, ever. I want my data organized and easy to find, not dumped into one big Clusterf*** of a folder. Microsoft needs to get off their high horse and quit trying to dictate to people how they store and use their data.

And to Targonis1, all that is fine for work environments. But we are talking about a *game*.  Nobody should be playing games at work. 

And why would anyone care about some useless Microsoft certification nobody has ever heard of, anyway? 

Modifié par Dauphin2, 16 décembre 2009 - 04:44 .

[Ibian]

Families can work out their own savegame structure just fine without being forced into silly schemes like we have here. A computer is a tool, and like any tool, you are expected to know how the hell to use it. If you don't, and you mess up, it's your own fault.

[bjdbwea]

Ibian wrote...

Families can work out their own savegame structure just fine without being forced into silly schemes like we have here. A computer is a tool, and like any tool, you are expected to know how
the hell to use it. If you don't, and you mess up, it's your own
fault.

No, they can't, and no, it isn't. It's great that PCs have become so widely available, and that more and more people want to profit from the technology. Unlike consoles, a PC has countless productive uses. But many people lack the most basic understanding of it, and they lack the time or will to spend more time on it. It's a tool that has to work. And Microsoft is trying to provide them with that, which given the complicated underlying technology isn't easy. Many self proclaimed experts don't understand this and claim that it's some kind of bad intent. You can still change the settings at your leisure, and will of course do so if you happen to be one of the people who do know more about it.

[Targonis1]

Dauphin2 wrote...

Well the answer would be to have it save in 'My Documents' by default. But have an option to change the Save Game directory. Then people can change it to where they want.

I have to say I've used Windows since 3.1 which ran on DOS. And I can say I've never used the My Documents folder, ever. I want my data organized and easy to find, not dumped into one big Clusterf*** of a folder. Microsoft needs to get off their high horse and quit trying to dictate to people how they store and use their data.

And to Targonis1, all that is fine for work environments. But we are talking about a *game*.  Nobody should be playing games at work. 

And why would anyone care about some useless Microsoft certification nobody has ever heard of, anyway? 

The same operating system is used in both the home and work environments though.   My Documents(Documents under Vista and Windows 7) really helps keep user data together, so you can just back up your user directory and you have save games, settings, downloads, music, etc.    The move to Vista(and then 7) moved Music, videos, etc out from UNDER the Documents area and straight under the home directory of the user(person who is signed in).   It only turns into a confused mess when people avoid the defined structure and try dropping things in stupid places.    Placing ANYTHING off c:\\ for example just makes it difficult, if not impossible for people to find EVERYTHING they want to save when going from one computer to another.

Basically, if you have a computer in a house(not business), and you have five different people who use the computer, do you REALLY want the save games from everyone thrown into the same place?   Different user directories, each with a different desktop, set of downloaded music(most don't listen to the same music as their parents for example), and so on really make the idea of keeping saved ANYTHING under the home directory a good idea.    In general, I would discourage people from dumping their data files they will want to keep under a place like c:\\program files\\company\\product, just because finding the stuff will be more difficult than it should be.

[Seifz]

Dauphin2 wrote...

Well the answer would be to have it save in 'My Documents' by default. But have an option to change the Save Game directory. Then people can change it to where they want.

I have to say I've used Windows since 3.1 which ran on DOS. And I can say I've never used the My Documents folder, ever. I want my data organized and easy to find, not dumped into one big Clusterf*** of a folder. Microsoft needs to get off their high horse and quit trying to dictate to people how they store and use their data.

This argument holds no merit.

1.  The My Documents folder has improved with each major release of Windows.  In the most recent version of Windows (Windows 7), there is a home directory (C:/Users/<name>, by default).  This directory includes settings for programs that follow the rules.  In addition, this directory includes My Documents, My Pictures, My Videos, My Music, Saved Games, and some other useful organization folders.  These folders can contain any number of subfolders, and you can change their names, locations, and icons to suit your tastes.  Further, you can organize your folders into libraries, which allow you to see multiple related folders at once.  There is not "one big Clusterf*** of a folder" in any modern version of Windows.  Even WinXP has separate folders for documents, pictures, videos, and music.

2.  The idea that an operating system shouldn't have a standard base layout is absurd.  Should we do away with every folder except for C:/Windows?  Do you realize how much of a mess third-party software would make of your disc if they weren't expected to follow some rules about where to store settings, data, and binaries?  Having standard directories is a Good Thing.  You never have to ask yourself, "where did I install that program?"  The answer is always "C:/Program Files" (or "C:/Program Files (x86)" if you use a 64-bit version of Windows, which is a horrible directory name since parentheses are special characters in most scripting languages).  Your personal data is always in your  home directory (C:/Users/<name> by default).  It's easy to back up data, to separate user files from third-party software, etc.  This is good for you, for anyone sharing your computer, for anyone writing software for your computer, and for anyone repairing your computer.

3.  Saving games in your home directory is the only logical solution.  Saving them in the same directory that the program resides in poses security risks since it requires that your user account has writer permissions for that directory.  Fortunately for you, Microsoft provides you with the functionality to locate your home directory to wherever you'd like it to be.  Further, BioWare provided you with the ability to change where save game data is stored if you really insist on not putting it in your user directory.  Thus, you have no room to complain about any of this.

The only problem is that BioWare chose to create their own folder in My Documents rather than creating a settings/addons directory in "C:/Users/<name>" and a saved games folder in "C:/Users/<name>/Saved Games" where it belongs.  That annoys me.

[Seifz]

Targonis1 wrote...

Basically, if you have a computer in a house(not business), and you have five different people who use the computer, do you REALLY want the save games from everyone thrown into the same place?   Different user directories, each with a different desktop, set of downloaded music(most don't listen to the same music as their parents for example), and so on really make the idea of keeping saved ANYTHING under the home directory a good idea.    In general, I would discourage people from dumping their data files they will want to keep under a place like c:\\\\program files\\\\company\\\\product, just because finding the stuff will be more difficult than it should be.

Further, there's a fantastic directory for shared files, too.

[JerseySeven]

< rant>

I hear what you are saying about Microsoft stipulations etc., but then tell me... why does Vista and Win 7 have a "SavedGames" folder that not a single game ever uses!! Especially irksome are the ones that put saves in the hidden AppData folder. It's like an easter egg hunt sometimes to figure out where in the world your saves are (not your problem, Bioware - good job with DAO).



Apparently, the folks at Redmond aren't really that strict, are they? Then there is the problem when poorly written games won't install under a user account, and all your saves end up in the Administrators My Documents folder. How's that for security?

</end rant>

[wonko33]

learn about symbolic links, you can have the files wherever you like.


www.maximumpc.com/article/howtos/howto_master_your_file_system_mklink

I do it for my steam games on my dual boot system all the time, works great.

Modifié par wonko33, 16 décembre 2009 - 06:44 .

[whtnyte-raernst]

This has become absurd to the extreme. How dare Bioware put all user data in one easy to find and backup directory! The game must be broken because I can't tell it where I want that data to go! We should all demand our money back from Bioware and Microsoft for having the audacity to try and make life less complicated, and make computers easy for non-tech people to use!

[Sarevok Anchev]

I think there is no problem.

When all your data and personal files are collected in one "hotspot", why not? Makes life easier.

My point was: It is near the Operating System. If it blows up, the data is lost(for most non-IT's)

But it seems -by Clarification of guys like "whtnyte-raernst" and "Targonis1"- that you can change the location of this folder(in XP, Vista and 7); so there should be enough sweets for amateurs and experienced users.

[whtnyte-raernst]

I like that! "Hotspot"

I look at My Documents as short term storage. Things that may change often, or be used for a short time and deleted go there. Anything I want long term, I move myself to another hard drive.



Here's an example: I'm a photography hobbyist. When pictures get imported from the camera memory card, they go to My Pictures. From there, they are edited in my favorite photo processing software, and the bad shots are deleted.

Some are exported to Flickr to share with friends, and the rest are then sent to more permanent storage on an external hard drive.

[Stronghand]

Seifz wrote...

This argument holds no merit.

1.  The My Documents folder has improved with each major release of Windows.  In the most recent version of Windows (Windows 7), there is a home directory (C:/Users/, by default).  This directory includes settings for programs that follow the rules.  In addition, this directory includes My Documents, My Pictures, My Videos, My Music, Saved Games, and some other useful organization folders.  These folders can contain any number of subfolders, and you can change their names, locations, and icons to suit your tastes.  Further, you can organize your folders into libraries, which allow you to see multiple related folders at once.  There is not "one big Clusterf*** of a folder" in any modern version of Windows.  Even WinXP has separate folders for documents, pictures, videos, and music.

2.  The idea that an operating system shouldn't have a standard base layout is absurd.  Should we do away with every folder except for C:/Windows?  Do you realize how much of a mess third-party software would make of your disc if they weren't expected to follow some rules about where to store settings, data, and binaries?  Having standard directories is a Good Thing.  You never have to ask yourself, "where did I install that program?"  The answer is always "C:/Program Files" (or "C:/Program Files (x86)" if you use a 64-bit version of Windows, which is a horrible directory name since parentheses are special characters in most scripting languages).  Your personal data is always in your  home directory (C:/Users/ by default).  It's easy to back up data, to separate user files from third-party software, etc.  This is good for you, for anyone sharing your computer, for anyone writing software for your computer, and for anyone repairing your computer.

3.  Saving games in your home directory is the only logical solution.  Saving them in the same directory that the program resides in poses security risks since it requires that your user account has writer permissions for that directory.  Fortunately for you, Microsoft provides you with the functionality to locate your home directory to wherever you'd like it to be.  Further, BioWare provided you with the ability to change where save game data is stored if you really insist on not putting it in your user directory.  Thus, you have no room to complain about any of this.

The only problem is that BioWare chose to create their own folder in My Documents rather than creating a settings/addons directory in "C:/Users/" and a saved games folder in "C:/Users//Saved Games" where it belongs.  That annoys me.

Hold on now, if I might jump in here. When you, Microsoft or anyone in particular pays for my hardware, then they can feel free to put files wherever they feel like.  Until then, I prefer if I decide where I want my files. That goes for all software, not just DAO, but especially for non-critical software like games.
They already do this with the install-directory. I don't claim to know all the inner workings of Windows, but I fail to see the problem with fixing the installer to prompt (while still having My Documents/Whatever as default) for where user data should go, except adding more variables into the mix, that is. Most users just click next-next-next (or "Standard Install" or whatever the one I never use is called) anyway, so it would only affect those of us who want to change things.
I'm not saying one should do away with all the system folders and standard directories, that would indeed be stupid. All I want is options. Sometimes MS seems to have a bit of a problem with that word though.

Modifié par Stronghand, 16 décembre 2009 - 09:01 .

[montana_boy]

[/quote]

"The 4 people on 1 computer example?  Pretty weak.  My family is nowhere near middle-class, let alone wealthy, and there are 3 PCs that get used and 2 PCs that could be fired up if need be.

The days of 1 PC per household are about as old as the one tv per household."

[/quote]
____________________________________________________

So true... two of us in my house... me and the little lady... 4 computers.  One for games and three for money.

Modifié par montana_boy, 16 décembre 2009 - 08:17 .

[Sarevok Anchev]

[quote]montana_boy wrote...



[/quote]

"The 4 people on 1 computer example?  Pretty weak.  My family is nowhere near middle-class, let alone wealthy, and there are 3 PCs that get used and 2 PCs that could be fired up if need be.

The days of 1 PC per household are about as old as the one tv per household."

[/quote]
____________________________________________________

So true... two of us in my house... me and the little lady... 4 computers.  One for games and three for money.
[/quote]

"One for the money... two for the show..."
or did you mean:
"Money for nothing and Chicks for free..."
Or maybe:
"Show me the Money"
?

[montana_boy]

Stronghand wrote...

Seifz wrote...

This argument holds no merit.

1.  The My Documents folder has improved with each major release of Windows.  In the most recent version of Windows (Windows 7), there is a home directory (C:/Users/, by default).  This directory includes settings for programs that follow the rules.  In addition, this directory includes My Documents, My Pictures, My Videos, My Music, Saved Games, and some other useful organization folders.  These folders can contain any number of subfolders, and you can change their names, locations, and icons to suit your tastes.  Further, you can organize your folders into libraries, which allow you to see multiple related folders at once.  There is not "one big Clusterf*** of a folder" in any modern version of Windows.  Even WinXP has separate folders for documents, pictures, videos, and music.

2.  The idea that an operating system shouldn't have a standard base layout is absurd.  Should we do away with every folder except for C:/Windows?  Do you realize how much of a mess third-party software would make of your disc if they weren't expected to follow some rules about where to store settings, data, and binaries?  Having standard directories is a Good Thing.  You never have to ask yourself, "where did I install that program?"  The answer is always "C:/Program Files" (or "C:/Program Files (x86)" if you use a 64-bit version of Windows, which is a horrible directory name since parentheses are special characters in most scripting languages).  Your personal data is always in your  home directory (C:/Users/ by default).  It's easy to back up data, to separate user files from third-party software, etc.  This is good for you, for anyone sharing your computer, for anyone writing software for your computer, and for anyone repairing your computer.

3.  Saving games in your home directory is the only logical solution.  Saving them in the same directory that the program resides in poses security risks since it requires that your user account has writer permissions for that directory.  Fortunately for you, Microsoft provides you with the functionality to locate your home directory to wherever you'd like it to be.  Further, BioWare provided you with the ability to change where save game data is stored if you really insist on not putting it in your user directory.  Thus, you have no room to complain about any of this.

The only problem is that BioWare chose to create their own folder in My Documents rather than creating a settings/addons directory in "C:/Users/" and a saved games folder in "C:/Users//Saved Games" where it belongs.  That annoys me.

Hold on now, if I might jump in here. When you, Microsoft or anyone in particular pays for my hardware, then they can feel free to put files wherever they feel like.  Until then, I prefer if I decide where I want my files. That goes for all software, not just DAO, but especially for non-critical software like games.
They already do this with the install-directory. I dont' claim to know all the inner workings of Windows, but I fail to see the problem with fixing the installer to prompt (while still having My Documents/Whatever as default) for where user data should go, except adding more variables into the mix, that is. Most users just click next-next-next (or "Standard Install" or whatever the one I never use is called) anyway, so it would only affect those of us who want to change things.
I'm not saying one should do away with all the system folders and standard directories, that would indeed be stupid. All I want is options. Sometimes MS seems to have a bit of a problem with that word though.

"Say What... duhh"

... said the technically obtuse, after letting out a big belch and slurping down another gulp of Mountain Dew.
All I want to know is where is the BFG?

Modifié par montana_boy, 16 décembre 2009 - 08:28 .

[Ibian]

So just how many of the people who like how MS does things actually share their computer(s) with someone else with separate logins?



I smell hypocrisy.

[montana_boy]

Ibian wrote...

So just how many of the people who like how MS does things actually share their computer(s) with someone else with separate logins?

I smell hypocrisy.

Absolutely... my wife even looks at my game computer I hit her with my +5 Mace.

[whtnyte-raernst]

Ibian wrote...

So just how many of the people who like how MS does things actually share their computer(s) with someone else with separate logins?

I smell hypocrisy.

It's not a matter of "like"
My first experience on a PC was in the good old days of early DOS. Microsoft has always been considered the "Evil Empire"

Could I set up a Linux machine and get the game running in it? Absolutely.
If I so desired, I have enough knowledge and equipment to build a cluster and have my very own supercomputer.
Why don't I?
I'm 47 years old, and partially disabled in workman's comp hell.
Sometimes, I just want to PLAY and have fun and forget all the evil things I have learned about computers and the internet.

[wonko33]

I think "my documents" is a good place for the save games, that is the folder that most people backup anyway. As for system failure it would be just the same then because there is an even chance of one drive or the other to fail.

[Ibian]

whtnyte-raernst wrote...

Ibian wrote...

So just how many of the people who like how MS does things actually share their computer(s) with someone else with separate logins?

I smell hypocrisy.

It's not a matter of "like"
My first experience on a PC was in the good old days of early DOS. Microsoft has always been considered the "Evil Empire"

Could I set up a Linux machine and get the game running in it? Absolutely.
If I so desired, I have enough knowledge and equipment to build a cluster and have my very own supercomputer.
Why don't I?
I'm 47 years old, and partially disabled in workman's comp hell.
Sometimes, I just want to PLAY and have fun and forget all the evil things I have learned about computers and the internet.

That didn't answer the question. Do you share your personal computer(s) with others or not?

Modifié par Ibian, 16 décembre 2009 - 08:41 .

[Dauphin2]

With files scattered in 500 different directories, you can never be sure when you remove a program, you're removing *all* of it. This is the simple reason all the files associated with a program, need to be stored in the directory with the program itself. Not in 'My Documents'. Not in C\\Documents and Settings\\AppData\\Bioware\\Whatever.



Saying that this throwing of files in 8 different directories is simpler and more organized, is drivel.

[Dex1701]

Ibian wrote...

whtnyte-raernst wrote...

Ibian wrote...

So just how many of the people who like how MS does things actually share their computer(s) with someone else with separate logins?

I smell hypocrisy.

It's not a matter of "like"
My first experience on a PC was in the good old days of early DOS. Microsoft has always been considered the "Evil Empire"

Could I set up a Linux machine and get the game running in it? Absolutely.
If I so desired, I have enough knowledge and equipment to build a cluster and have my very own supercomputer.
Why don't I?
I'm 47 years old, and partially disabled in workman's comp hell.
Sometimes, I just want to PLAY and have fun and forget all the evil things I have learned about computers and the internet.

That didn't answer the question. Do you share your personal computer(s) with others or not?

I do.  I typically have my profile, my girlfriend's profile, and a guest profile.  Like I said before, I just re-map the profile and program data folders to a separate drive than the one my OS and programs are on (two separate partitions...one for profiles and one for program data...this isn't necessary, though).  It works wonderfully.  If you want you can even use software like nLite or vLite to create a custom Windows install disc that sets this up by default when you install the OS.

Once you have it set up all you have to do is create an image of your OS and programs partition using drive imaging software (Acronis offers a free version of TrueImage that works great).  Then if you ever hose your Windows install all you have to do is restore the image to the OS and programs partition (leaving your user profiles and program data alone completely) and you're up and running again in 10-20 minutes.  Combine that with a periodic backup of your profiles and program data partition(s) and you're unlikely to ever be stuck with a broken OS or loss of data.

Honestly, it's the least technical solution of all that have been offered.  If you really hate using the user profile storage locations (which is what most OS's do....including most flavors of Linux and Unix), you can dig into the system registry and map things however you want.  I really don't see the point, though.  It's easier for most users to use the user profiles and allow the OS to manage permissions and such.

Modifié par Dex1701, 16 décembre 2009 - 09:00 .

[Sarevok Anchev]

Dex1701 wrote...

Ibian wrote...

whtnyte-raernst wrote...

Ibian wrote...

So just how many of the people who like how MS does things actually share their computer(s) with someone else with separate logins?

I smell hypocrisy.

It's not a matter of "like"
My first experience on a PC was in the good old days of early DOS. Microsoft has always been considered the "Evil Empire"

Could I set up a Linux machine and get the game running in it? Absolutely.
If I so desired, I have enough knowledge and equipment to build a cluster and have my very own supercomputer.
Why don't I?
I'm 47 years old, and partially disabled in workman's comp hell.
Sometimes, I just want to PLAY and have fun and forget all the evil things I have learned about computers and the internet.

That didn't answer the question. Do you share your personal computer(s) with others or not?

I do.  I typically have my profile, my girlfriend's profile, and a guest profile.  Like I said before, I just re-map the profile and program data folders to a separate drive than the one my OS and programs are on (two separate partitions...one for profiles and one for program data...this isn't necessary, though).  It works wonderfully.  Once you have it set up all you have to do is create an image of your OS and programs partition using drive imaging software (Acronis offers a free version of TrueImage that works great).  Then if you ever hose your Windows install all you have to do is restore the image to the OS and programs partition (leaving your user profiles and program data alone completely) and you're up and running again in 10-20 minutes.  Combine that with a periodic backup of your profiles and program data partition(s) and you're unlikely to ever be stuck with a broken OS or loss of data.

Honestly, it's the least technical solution of all that have been offered.  If you really hate using the user profile storage locations (which is what most OS's do....including most flavors of Linux and Unix), you can dig into the system registry and map things however you want.  I really don't see the point, though.  It's easier for most users to use the user profiles and allow the OS to manage permissions and such.

Uh... only reinstalling the OS-partition?
Doesnt the second partition become "desynced" or sth., so the connection isnt 100% between the both?

[Seifz]

Stronghand wrote...

Seifz wrote...

This argument holds no merit.

1.  The My Documents folder has improved with each major release of Windows.  In the most recent version of Windows (Windows 7), there is a home directory (C:/Users/, by default).  This directory includes settings for programs that follow the rules.  In addition, this directory includes My Documents, My Pictures, My Videos, My Music, Saved Games, and some other useful organization folders.  These folders can contain any number of subfolders, and you can change their names, locations, and icons to suit your tastes.  Further, you can organize your folders into libraries, which allow you to see multiple related folders at once.  There is not "one big Clusterf*** of a folder" in any modern version of Windows.  Even WinXP has separate folders for documents, pictures, videos, and music.

2.  The idea that an operating system shouldn't have a standard base layout is absurd.  Should we do away with every folder except for C:/Windows?  Do you realize how much of a mess third-party software would make of your disc if they weren't expected to follow some rules about where to store settings, data, and binaries?  Having standard directories is a Good Thing.  You never have to ask yourself, "where did I install that program?"  The answer is always "C:/Program Files" (or "C:/Program Files (x86)" if you use a 64-bit version of Windows, which is a horrible directory name since parentheses are special characters in most scripting languages).  Your personal data is always in your  home directory (C:/Users/ by default).  It's easy to back up data, to separate user files from third-party software, etc.  This is good for you, for anyone sharing your computer, for anyone writing software for your computer, and for anyone repairing your computer.

3.  Saving games in your home directory is the only logical solution.  Saving them in the same directory that the program resides in poses security risks since it requires that your user account has writer permissions for that directory.  Fortunately for you, Microsoft provides you with the functionality to locate your home directory to wherever you'd like it to be.  Further, BioWare provided you with the ability to change where save game data is stored if you really insist on not putting it in your user directory.  Thus, you have no room to complain about any of this.

The only problem is that BioWare chose to create their own folder in My Documents rather than creating a settings/addons directory in "C:/Users/" and a saved games folder in "C:/Users//Saved Games" where it belongs.  That annoys me.

Hold on now, if I might jump in here. When you, Microsoft or anyone in particular pays for my hardware, then they can feel free to put files wherever they feel like.  Until then, I prefer if I decide where I want my files. That goes for all software, not just DAO, but especially for non-critical software like games.
They already do this with the install-directory. I dont' claim to know all the inner workings of Windows, but I fail to see the problem with fixing the installer to prompt (while still having My Documents/Whatever as default) for where user data should go, except adding more variables into the mix, that is. Most users just click next-next-next (or "Standard Install" or whatever the one I never use is called) anyway, so it would only affect those of us who want to change things.
I'm not saying one should do away with all the system folders and standard directories, that would indeed be stupid. All I want is options. Sometimes MS seems to have a bit of a problem with that word though.

You're free to do whatever you want with your hardware.  Nobody is forcing you to use Windows or Dragon Age: Origins.

Again, both BioWare and Microsoft give you the option of changing where data is stored.  That you fail to use these options is your own fault.