How to install software

Updated: 04/12/2021 past Computer Hope

Microsoft Excel

The installation process for software or apps depends on your operating system (Windows and macOS), device (figurer, smartphone, or tablet), and the program yous are installing. As a result of these many combinations, we have created the steps below as a general guideline. The post-obit does not cover errors during the installation process, every bit they are besides vast for one page. Search our site for further information on specific errors during the setup.

Full general tips

  • Brand sure your computer meets the system requirements of the program, game, or utility y'all are attempting to install.
  • The manual, or a README file, commonly contains instructions on how to install a programme. Find it online at the software website or in a text file in the aforementioned directory every bit the installation files.
  • If you accept bug installing software, or it takes a long time, close or disable whatsoever other running programs.
  • After installing a new program, if it prompts you to reboot the computer, exercise then.

Microsoft Windows users

How to install from a CD or DVD

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

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

  1. Open My Computer.
  2. In the My Computer window, open up the drive containing the installation files. For case, if the files are on the CD-ROM drive, open up the D: bulldoze or letter of the alphabet of your CD-ROM drive.
  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 there 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 accept the same proper name.

Install a CD on a estimator with no disc drive

Many new computers no longer accept disc drives. If your computer does not have a disc drive, try finding the software online. Computer drivers, software for hardware devices, games, and other programs are bachelor for download and installed from a download. If yous have the production key, information technology doesn't affair where y'all become the program.

If the plan is not bachelor for download, re-create all the CD or DVD contents to some other drive on another computer. For case, you could re-create the disc's contents to a USB flash bulldoze and so install the plan from the USB flash bulldoze.

How to install from a Download

  1. Download the programme from the website providing the program.
  2. Open up the download folder.
  • Where are the files I downloaded using my spider web browser?
  1. If the file yous downloaded is executable, double-click the file icon to outset the setup process. If the downloaded file is compressed (due east.g., .null), you must excerpt the file's contents earlier setup tin can begin. Fortunately, this function is built into about versions of Windows.
  • How to excerpt 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 flash drive

  1. Open Windows Explorer or My Computer and find the USB drive that is frequently the last bulldoze letter.
  2. Once the drive is opened, discover the setup or executable file, and double-click the file icon to start the setup procedure.

Installing from MS-DOS or the Windows command line

Users installing a program from Microsoft DOS should have a basic agreement of the MS-DOS commands. If you're unfamiliar with whatsoever of the commands listed beneath, click the link to get boosted data on that specific command.

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

How to install on a Mac

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

How to install from a download

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

Finder icon in the dock

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

Downloads on a Mac

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

Moving a program to the Applications folder.

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

Applications in macOS