Section 6.10. Installing Software | Windows Vista for Starters: The Missing Manual

6.10. Installing Software

As you probably know, Microsoft doesn't actually sell PCs (yet). Therefore, you bought your machine from a different company, which probably installed Windows on it before you took delivery.

Many PC companies sweeten the pot by preinstalling other programs, such as Quicken, Microsoft Works, Microsoft Office, more games , educational software, and so on. The great thing about preloaded programs is that they don't need installing. Just double-click their desktop icons, or choose their names from the Start All Programs menu, and youre off and working.

Sooner or later, though, you'll probably want to exploit the massive library of Windows software and add to your collection. Today, almost all new software comes to your PC from one of two sources: a disc (CD or DVD) or the Internet.

An installer program generally transfers the software files to the correct places on your hard drive. The installer also adds the new program's name to the Start All Programs menu and tells Windows about the kinds of files (file extensions) it can open .

6.10.1. The Preinstallation Checklist

You can often get away with blindly installing some new program without heeding the checklist below. But for the healthiest PC and the least time on hold with tech support, answer these questions before you install anything:

Are you an administrator? Windows derives part of its security and stability by handling new software installations with suspicion. For example, you can't install most programs unless you have an administrator account (see Section 15.2.1).
Does it run in Windows Vista? If the software or its Web site specifically says it's compatible with Vista, great. Install away. Otherwise, consult the Microsoft Web site, which includes a listnot a complete one, but a long oneof all Vista-compatible programs.
Is the coast clear? Exit all your open programs. (One quick way is to right-click the buttons on the taskbar, one at a time, and choose Close or Close Group from the shortcut menu.) You should also turn off your virus-scanning software, which may take the arrival of your new software the wrong way.

6.10.2. Installing Software from a CD

Most commercial software these days comes on a CD or DVD. On each one is a program called Setup.exe, which, on most installation discs, runs automatically when you insert the disc into the machine. You're witnessing the AutoPlay feature at work.

If AutoPlay is working, a few seconds after you insert the disc, the "wait" cursor appears. A few seconds later, the Welcome screen for your new software appears, and you may be asked to answer a few onscreen questions (for example, to specify the folder into which you want the new program installed). Along the way, the program may ask you to type in a serial number, which is usually on a sticker on the CD envelope or the registration card.

When the installation is overand sometimes after restarting the PCthe words All Programs appear with orange highlighting in the Start menu. If you click, the new program's name also appears highlighted in orange, and your Start All Programs menu is now ready for action.

6.10.3. Installing Downloaded Software

The files you download from the Internet (see Figure 6-8) usually aren't ready-to-use, double-clickable applications. Instead, almost all of them arrive on your PC in the form of a compressed file, with all the software pieces crammed together into a single, easily downloaded icon. The first step in savoring your downloaded delights is restoring this compressed file to its natural state.

Figure 6-8. You can find thousands of Windows programs (demos, free programs, and shareware) at Web sites like www.download.com, www. tucows .com, or www. versiontracker .com.
Top: When you click a link to download something, this box appears. Click the Save button.
Bottom: To avoid losing the download in some deeply nested folder, click Desktop in the left-side pane. After the download is complete, quit your browser. Unzip the file, if necessary, and then run the downloaded installer.

Nthat that it's much work; most Zip files unzip themselves . If you get one that doesn't, just double-click it. You'll usually find, among the resulting pieces, an installer, just like the ones described in the previous section.

6.10.4. Installing Windows Components

The Windows installer may have dumped over a gigabyte of software onto your hard drive, but it was only warming up. Plenty of second- tier programs and features came on the Vista DVDstuff that Microsoft didn't want to burden you with right off the bat, but copied to your hard drive just in case.

To see the master list of software components that you have and haven't yet installed, choose Start Control Panel Classic View Programs and Features. Click the "Turn Windows features on or off link at the left side of the window.

You've just launched the Windows Features Wizardbasically a list of all the optional Windows software chunks . Checkmarks appear next to some of them; these are the ones you already have. The checkboxes that aren't turned on are the options you still haven't installed. As you peruse the list, keep in mind the following:

To learn what something is, point to it without clicking. A description appears in a tooltip balloon.
Turn on the checkboxes for software bits you want to install. Clear the checkboxes of elements you already have, but that youd like Windows to hide.

Note: In Windows Vista, turning off an optional feature doesn't remove it from your hard drive, as it did in Windows XP. Turning off a feature simply hides it, and doesn't return any disk space to you. You can make a feature magically reappear just by turning the checkbox back on (without having to hunt down your Vista installation disc).

Some of these checkboxes titles are just titles for bigger groups of independent software chunks (see Figure 6-9).

Figure 6-9. Most of the optional installations involve networking and administrative tools designed for corporate computer technicians. Still, you might want to turn off Games if you don't have that kind of time to kill, or Tablet PC Optional Components if your computer doesn't have a touch screen.