How to install software

Updated: 04/12/2021 past Computer Promise

Microsoft Excel

The installation procedure for software or apps depends on your operating organization (Windows and macOS), device (computer, smartphone, or tablet), and the program yous are installing. As a issue of these many combinations, we have created the steps below as a general guideline. The following does not cover errors during the installation process, as they are too vast for one page. Search our site for further information on specific errors during the setup.

General tips

  • Make sure your figurer meets the organisation requirements of the programme, game, or utility you lot are attempting to install.
  • The manual, or a README file, usually contains instructions on how to install a program. Find it online at the software website or in a text file in the aforementioned directory as the installation files.
  • If you have problems installing software, or it takes a long fourth dimension, close or disable any other running programs.
  • After installing a new program, if it prompts you to reboot the computer, do and so.

Microsoft Windows users

  • How to install from a CD or DVD.
  • How to install from a download.
  • How to install from a USB flash drive.

How to install from a CD or DVD

Many software titles (similar the Microsoft Part suite), games, and utilities have an AutoPlay feature. This characteristic automatically starts a setup screen for the software when the CD or DVD is inserted. If your program contains this feature, follow the steps that appear after inserting the disc into the computer.

If AutoPlay is disabled on your reckoner or unavailable on the software disc, follow these steps.

  1. Open My Figurer.
  2. In the My Reckoner window, open the drive containing the installation files. For example, if the files are on the CD-ROM drive, open the D: drive or alphabetic character of your CD-ROM bulldoze.
  3. In the drive containing your files, locate either the executable setup (e.g., "setup.exe") or install file. Double-clicking this file starts the installation process. If in that location are multiple setup or install files, locate the executable file or double-click each setup or install file until y'all find the file that starts the installation.

Tip

Many times the icons associated with the installation files have the same name.

Install a CD on a computer with no disc drive

Many new computers no longer have disc drives. If your computer does not accept a disc drive, try finding the software online. Reckoner drivers, software for hardware devices, games, and other programs are available for download and installed from a download. If yous accept the product primal, it doesn't matter where yous get the program.

If the program is non bachelor for download, re-create all the CD or DVD contents to another drive on some other computer. For example, yous could copy the disc'south contents to a USB wink bulldoze and so install the program from the USB flash drive.

How to install from a Download

  1. Download the program from the website providing the program.
  2. Open up the download binder.
  • Where are the files I downloaded using my web browser?
  1. If the file you lot downloaded is executable, double-click the file icon to start the setup procedure. If the downloaded file is compressed (e.thousand., .zip), you must extract the file'southward contents before setup can brainstorm. Fortunately, this function is built into near versions of Windows.
  • How to extract or decompress a compressed file.
  1. Once the files are extracted, double-click the setup or install file to install the program.

How to install from a USB wink drive

  1. Open up Windows Explorer or My Computer and find the USB drive that is often the final drive letter.
  2. Once the bulldoze is opened, find the setup or executable file, and double-click the file icon to kickoff the setup process.

Installing from MS-DOS or the Windows command line

Users installing a program from Microsoft DOS should accept a basic understanding of the MS-DOS commands. If you lot're unfamiliar with any of the commands listed beneath, click the link to become boosted data on that specific command.

  1. Before installing an MS-DOS plan, you lot must switch to the drive or directory containing the installation files. If you're installing a plan from a CD or diskette, switch to that drive. If the installation files are located in a different directory, use the dir command to list directories and the cd command to switch directories.
  • How to change drives in MS-DOS and Windows command line.
  1. One time y'all are in the directory or bulldoze containing the installation files, run the executable setup file. Many times this tin be washed by typing setup or install at the prompt to start the installation. If both of these commands give a bad command or file name fault message, type dir *.exe or dir *.com or dir *.bat. These commands list any executable files found in the directory or drive. If any files are listed, execute these files to run the installation or setup of the program. If no files are listed when typing all three of the commands above, you're in the incorrect directory or drive letter for that programme.
  • How do I run a file from MS-DOS?

How to install on a Mac

Modern Apple computers, like the iMac and MacBook, don't take CD-ROM or DVD drives. Consequently, the following department shows you how to install from a download.

How to install from a download

  1. Click the Finder icon on the Dock at the bottom of the screen.

Finder icon in the dock

  1. On the left side of the window that appears, under the Favorites section, click the Downloads selector in macOS. selector.
  2. Locate the program you'd like to install and double-click information technology.

Downloads on a Mac

  1. Follow the guided instructions to install the program.
  2. Once the program is installed, drag it to the Applications binder and delete the installation file (in this instance, FileZilla_3.49_macosx-x86.app.tar.bz2).

Moving a program to the Applications folder.

  1. Click the Applications selector selector to encounter the program you installed.

Applications in macOS