deannab

Thanks, Nathan, that was indeed the problem and it's all good now. 

any news on this issue ...?
this is very frustrating , why nobody answers...!? 

I quite agree, if I had known it was an app and installed like this, I would not have bought it.
I bought it based on my experience of the other one, must say I am massively disappointed, fell I have paid for something I did not want!
 
I avoid installing apps, I did not find out about this until it was installed and I couldn't find it in Programme files

Please make this a normal exe install again so we do not have to go through any troubleshooting procedures at all. Thank you.

I am also very annoyed by the fact that Affinity has decided to go the Windows App route, so I want to add my comment here.
Please consider that many of your users like Affinity because it is not an Adobe/Microsoft/[Insert other big software company names here].
We want to retain some control over the software we own and we install in our machines and do not like the route computing is taking.
I am very happy to see that I am not the only one concerned.
Annoy your customers, and you might find you lose them.

The whole "App" thing is very annoying. Where the hell is the .exe? This breaks my whole working pipeline.

I have to watch what apps are installed on my SSD.
Installing v2 doesn't allow me to install to another hard drive.
Tried the suggested "Setting" change to change location of content, but still installs to SSD.
WHY DID YOU CHANGE THIS. I HATE IT!!!!
You just pulled an Adobe stunt. That's why I ditched them. Trying to do APP things on a PC is A BIG NO NO!!!!
I guess if there is no solution. I am getting a refund and going back to v1.
Or I may just go back to CorelDraw or Inkscape and ditch you too.
Seriously... what who thought to do this!?
Now how do change my install location since there is no EXE???

This is a stupid move by the developers. I own my PC, it is not a phone or a tablet and I want to control what goes on the PC and where it goes. I didn't spend time setting up partitions and drivers for fun. I have a particular drive for programs and that is where they go or they don't get installed - end of!
Version 2 is now uninstalled and I will never buy another Serif product until they fix this. The reason I went to Affinity suite in the first place was because Adobe ruined photoshop by their subscription/online nonsense.

Just bought the Suite and could not find the installation files so was unable to create shortcuts and worse unable to find a way to run the software! The only way I could launch the software was to double-click on the downloaded installation files which gave me the option to Launch from there. Total irritation and confusion.
However in the meantime after much faffing about through the Forum I discovered to my dismay that these are "App" files and do not install into the Program folder of my C drive and do not appear in my Programs & Features... How do I uninstall them?
I absolutely hate this unexplained change to installing/removing software and am not happy with the way this has been implemented, particularly as no advanced notification (as far as I could tell) was given.
I very much like what Serif is doing with Affinity and love the software but cannot stand this insane change to the standard installation procedure.
Please Serif fix this unwanted installation mess asap. and please retain some independence from the dumbing-down that Micro$oft continually applies to Windows in the so-called attempt to make it better.
I sincerely hope you listen.

If you purchased Affinity V2 for Windows directly from the Affinity Store, you will have downloaded an MSIX package. You will notice when installing Affinity V2 you will not be offered the ability to create a Desktop shortcut. This is expected and is down to how MSIX packages work.
However, you can manually create a desktop shortcut after installation. Go to Start > Run and enter Shell:AppsFolder and press OK - This will take you to a folder where you can drag and drop a copy of the Affinity V2 shortcut to your desktop.

after a bunch of back and forth with expressVPN, i learned of a setting called split tunneling, which tells certain programs not to use the VPN. that seems to have taken care of it.

finally have a day where it didn't run when i started the computer. i did force close express VPN and then all three started; even after i turned it back on. so far that looks like where the issue is. gonna run maintenance again just to be sure that doesn't trigger anything.

I have Affinity Designer, not Photo, but i tried your trick anyway. When i start the app, it just creates another folder named "1.0" .  This software is driving me crazy lol 😁