How to install software

Updated: 04/12/2021 by Computer Hope

Microsoft Excel

The installation process for software or apps depends on your operating organization (Windows and macOS), device (computer, smartphone, or tablet), and the program y'all are installing. Equally a result of these many combinations, we have created the steps beneath as a general guideline. The post-obit does not cover errors during the installation process, as they are too vast for one folio. Search our site for further data on specific errors during the setup.

General tips

  • Brand sure your computer meets the organisation requirements of the programme, game, or utility you lot are attempting to install.
  • The manual, or a README file, normally contains instructions on how to install a programme. Find it online at the software website or in a text file in the same directory as the installation files.
  • If you lot take problems installing software, or it takes a long fourth dimension, close or disable any other running programs.
  • Later on installing a new program, if it prompts you lot to reboot the calculator, practice 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 (like the Microsoft Function 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 feature, follow the steps that appear after inserting the disc into the computer.

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 instance, if the files are on the CD-ROM drive, open the D: drive or letter of your CD-ROM drive.
  3. In the drive containing your files, locate either the executable setup (eastward.thou., "setup.exe") or install file. Double-clicking this file starts the installation process. If at that place are multiple setup or install files, locate the executable file or double-click each setup or install file until you lot notice 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 have a disc drive, try finding the software online. Computer drivers, software for hardware devices, games, and other programs are available for download and installed from a download. If you take the production key, information technology doesn't matter where you become the program.

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

How to install from a Download

  1. Download the program 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 you downloaded is executable, double-click the file icon to starting time the setup process. If the downloaded file is compressed (e.g., .zip), you must extract the file's contents before setup can brainstorm. Fortunately, this office is built into most 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 flash drive

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

Installing from MS-DOS or the Windows command line

Users installing a plan from Microsoft DOS should have a basic understanding of the MS-DOS commands. If you're unfamiliar with whatever of the commands listed below, click the link to get additional data on that specific control.

  1. Before installing an MS-DOS programme, you must switch to the drive 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 yous are in the directory or drive containing the installation files, run the executable setup file. Many times this can exist done by typing setup or install at the prompt to start the installation. If both of these commands give a bad command or file proper noun mistake message, type dir *.exe or dir *.com or dir *.bat. These commands listing whatever 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 iii of the commands to a higher place, you're in the wrong directory or drive letter for that program.
  • How do I run a file from MS-DOS?

How to install on a Mac

Mod Apple computers, like the iMac and MacBook, don't have CD-ROM or DVD drives. Consequently, the following section shows you lot 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 section, click the Downloads selector in macOS. selector.
  2. Locate the program y'all'd similar to install and double-click it.

Downloads on a Mac

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

Moving a program to the Applications folder.

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

Applications in macOS