I just bought a new computer that I think should be able to play Skyrim. According to the tracking number from the Post Office, it's "out for delivery" as we speak.

It's supposed to have Windows 7 installed on it.

I remember using this computer (that is ... the old computer I'm using right now, hopefully for the last time) had Vista installed on it. When I played Oblivion, I had to install it in a different folder than the default "program files," because if I didn't, then none of the mods I downloaded (as opposed to ... mods I made myself) would work.

Does this problem carry over to Windows 7? If I install Skyrim (which I already have; due to a delay in shipment, the computer arrived much later than the game did) in the default "program files" folder, will it still let me use mods I download, instead of make make myself?

Just install it outside of of C:/ProgramFiles or C:/ProgramFiles(x86). The reason is that Windows' security feature UAC requires you to have administrator access to modify those folders, and thus you need to give admin credentials whenever you want to change anything about your mods, and Skyrim needs to run as Admin if the mods want to change anything in the /Skyrim folder.

Does this mean that I also need to install Steam outside the Program Files folder?

I have Steam installed to c:\steam
The result of this is all the steam games sit outside the UAC areas and mods work 100%.
Once set up in c:\steam, the games default installs will also be in a place not covered by UAC.

UAC has been a problem for modders since Vista came out.
Other games I install to c:\games which also bypasses UAC.

You can install it in program files(x86). I never have issues with anything installed there. I can easily modify files in that folder.

However, it can be a problem for some it seems. You can simply install steam to root like C:\Steam or something like C:\Games.

I would recommend installing Steam outside of your Program Files folder, but it's also possible to create a separate "SteamLibrary" directory for some games that exists outside of the regular steam installation, if for some reason you'd prefer that. I forget how exactly to do that, but a quick google will hook you up with the step-by-step I'm sure.

In my experience, UAC has never been so much of a hassle but it can be configured (or completely turned off, although in Windows 8 that's a pain in the ass).

Do you have UAC turned off? If that's the case:

Alternatively is your main account an Administrator? If that is the case:

Not necessarily. You can have the client itself in the Program Files folder and just create a library outside of there that Steam can access. That's what I'm doing. My client is in a completely different partition from where my actual games are.

UAC is on. I use an admin account. I know it's not best practice security wise. I would never recommend it to a client. Honestly though Im not worried. I havent been infected with anything in years.

I think viruses and malware are more hyped in the consumer world. In the business corp world you would obviously use these best practices.