I always install old games outside of x86 folder so I do not have that issue. If you install as adm, but fail to use adm to run the game, the game cannot write to the x86 folder.

It puts it in a common windows folder. If you bounce between adm and not you will only see any files written in the folder with the proper access.

Adm exe will write to program x96, non adm will write to a common folder. I got burnt by that often in civ3. I sometimes ran as adm and other time failed to and was missing files.

I finally made the shortcut have adm, so that stopped.