The correct place to create a working folder in Windows is NOT under the .exe directory, but in the AppData folder for the user. This means that if you have two different people who can log into the computer, their Arduino working directories are separate. Only amateurs create working directories under the .exe directory.
I built windows apps for over 25 years. The problem is learning to not follow the mistakes of people who didn't know what they were doing when they did it, and adopt the methods that are guaranteed to work.
joe