Windows 7 : Installing and Running Your Software (part 1)

Whether you are using your computer to create Word documents, view photos, or send email, you are running software that handles these tasks for you. Windows 7’s job is to provide a framework for you to install, configure, and run your software.

1. Installing Software

Unlike Windows XP and earlier releases of Windows, Windows 7 doesn’t provide a tool for adding, reconfiguring, or removing software. Instead, as mentioned earlier, it relies on the software itself to provide these features through a Setup program.

Most of the time installing and running your software using its Setup program is easy, and you can install your software from a CD or DVD by following these steps:

1. Insert the media disk into your computer’s CD or DVD drive.

2. If Windows 7 displays the AutoPlay dialog box, click Run Setup.exe or a similar option under Install or Run Program. When Setup starts, follow the prompts to install the software, and skip the remaining steps.

3. If Windows 7 doesn’t display the AutoPlay dialog box, click Start→Computer. In the Computer window, double-click the CD or DVD drive.

4. If Windows 7 detected the software’s Setup program (using Autorun.inf or a similar file), you are then prompted for permission or consent to run the Setup program.

5. If Windows 7 doesn’t detect the software’s Setup program, the contents of the disc are displayed in Windows Explorer. Double-click the Setup program.

6. When the Setup program starts, follow the prompts to install the software.

7. Most software applications have a setup program that uses Windows Installer, InstallShield, or Wise Install. If the installation fails and the software has an installer, follow the prompts to allow the installer to restore your computer to its original state. Otherwise, exit Setup and then try rerunning the Setup program to either complete the installation or uninstall the program.

NOTE

In some cases, the Program Compatibility Assistant may not be able to determine whether the software installed properly, and may prompt you to tell it whether it installed correctly. If not, it will give you a chance to retry the installation using the compatibility mode settings that it thinks will work.

You can run installed software by selecting the software’s menu option or double-clicking its desktop shortcut. If you run into problems installing or running the software, be sure to read the sections of this article titled Section 2, Section 3, and Section 5.

However, not all programs have distribution media discs. If you download a program from the Internet, it’ll probably be in a ZIP or self-extracting executable file, and you can install the program by following these steps:

1. Start Windows Explorer.

2. Extract the program’s setup files using one of the following techniques:

   • If the program is distributed in a .zip file, right-click the file and select Extract All. This displays the Extract Compressed (Zipped) Folders dialog box. Click Browse, select a destination folder, and then click OK. Click Extract.

   • If the program is distributed in a self-extracting executable file, double-click the .exe file to extract the setup files. You’ll see one of several types of prompts. If you’re prompted to run the file, click Run. If you’re prompted to extract the program files or select a destination folder, click Browse, select a destination folder, and then click OK. Click Extract or OK as appropriate.

3. In Windows Explorer, browse the setup folders and find the Setup program. Double-click the Setup program to start the installation process.

4. When Setup starts, follow the prompts to install the software. If the installation fails and the software used an installer, follow the prompts to allow the installer to restore your computer to its original state. Otherwise, exit Setup and then try rerunning Setup to either complete the installation or uninstall the program.

2. Making Software Available to Others

Most software programs written for Windows 2000 or later are made available automatically to all users on a computer. This occurs because the software writes to areas of the registry and filesystem available to all users, and because the software makes its program shortcuts available to all users. During installation, some software programs prompt you to choose whether you want to install the software for all users or only for the currently logged-on user. Other programs—typically older programs written for Windows 98 or earlier—install themselves only for the current user.

For software that requires per-user configurations, you can make the software available to multiple users by completing the following steps:

1. Log on to the computer using an account that should have access to the program.

2. Install the software using its Setup program.

3. Repeat this process for each user.

For software that doesn’t require per-user configuration, you can make the software available to all users on your computer by completing the following steps:

1. Log on as the user who installed the program.

2. Click the Start menu and right-click All Programs. Choose Open from the menu that appears.

3. In the Programs folder, right-click the folder for the program group or the shortcut you want to work with. Then select Copy or Cut from the shortcut menu.

4. Click the Start menu and right-click All Programs. Choose Open All Users from the menu that appears.

5. In the Programs folder, right-click an open space and then select Paste. The program group or shortcut should now be available to all users of the computer.

6. Repeat steps 2–5 as necessary to copy all the related program groups and shortcuts for the software application.

NOTE

These instructions are very important in Windows XP mode. In Windows XP mode, the list of Windows XP applications that you can launch from Windows 7’s Start menu is drawn from applications that have been installed for all users. Because Windows XP Mode is used for troublesome applications, it’s not unusual to find that one of these applications is installed for the logged-in user rather than for all users.

You can make a program available only to you rather than to all users by completing these steps:

1. Log on using your account.

2. Click the Start menu and right-click All Programs. Choose Open All Users from the menu that appears.

3. In the Programs folder, right-click the folder for the program group or shortcut that you want to work with, and select Cut.

4. Click the Start menu and right-click All Programs. Choose Open from the menu that appears.

5. In the Programs folder, right-click an open space and then select Paste. The program group or shortcut should now be available only to the currently logged-on user.

6. Repeat steps 2–5 as necessary to copy all the related program groups and shortcuts for the software application.

NOTE

Moving the software’s program group or shortcuts doesn’t prevent other users from running the program—it simply hides the program from other users. They may still be able to start the software from Windows Explorer.

3. Using MS-DOS and 16-Bit Software with Windows 7

By default, only 32-bit versions of Windows 7 can run MS-DOS and 16-bit software. 32-bit Windows versions cannot run MS-DOS or 16-bit programs that require direct access to your computer’s hardware or that require 16-bit drivers. 32-bit Windows versions can run only MS-DOS or 16-bit programs that don’t require direct access to your computer’s hardware and that don’t require 16-bit drivers.

NOTE

One way to reliably run 16-bit DOS applications on 64-bit versions of Windows is to install an open source emulator called DOSBox. DOSBox emulates the DOS shell and can be configured for an x86 computer of the appropriate vintage, making it perfect for those of us who grew up with a fondness for certain old-school DOS games and still need to play them, as well as those of us who are saddled with some seriously old code to run. Check it out at http://www.dosbox.com. With some effort, you can get 16-bit Windows running under DOSBox, but for running 16-bit Windows applications, you should use Windows XP Mode.

When you run an MS-DOS or 16-bit program, Windows 7 performs some compatibility tasks automatically. Under MS-DOS and 16-bit filesystems, filenames and directory names are restricted to eight characters with a three-character file extension, such as Chapter3.txt. This naming convention is often referred to as the 8.3 file-naming rule or the standard MS-DOS file-naming rule. MS-DOS and 16-bit folder paths are similarly restricted. On the other hand, the filesystems used with Windows 7 support long filenames of up to 255 characters. To help ensure that MS-DOS and 16-bit applications are compatible with your computer, Windows 7 translates between long and short filenames to ensure that your computer’s filesystems are protected when an MS-DOS or 16-bit program modifies files and folders.

Windows 7 runs these MS-DOS and 16-bit programs using a virtual machine that mimics the 386-enhanced mode used by the original operating systems for which these programs were developed: Windows 3.0 and Windows 3.1. Unlike Windows XP and earlier Windows releases, Windows 7 runs multiple MS-DOS and 16-bit programs within a single virtual machine. Although each program is managed using a separate thread, all the programs share a common memory space. As a result, if one MS-DOS or 16-bit program fails, it usually means others running on the computer will fail as well.

By default, Windows 7 prevents one 16-bit or MS-DOS program from causing another to fail by running it in a separate memory space. Although running a program in a separate memory space uses additional memory, you’ll usually find that the program is more responsive. Another added benefit is that you’ll be able to run multiple instances of the program—as long as all the instances are running in separate memory spaces.

To configure a 16-bit or MS-DOS program to run in a separate memory space, complete the following steps:

1. Right-click the program’s shortcut or menu option and then select Properties. This opens the program’s Properties dialog box.

2. On the Shortcut tab, note the name of the program’s executable file and then click the Open File Location button. This opens the folder in which the program’s executable is stored in Windows Explorer.

3. Right-click the program’s executable file and then select Properties.

4. On the Compatibility tab, you can now configure the desired compatibility settings.

5. Click OK to save the changes.

4. Running Applications in Windows XP Mode

Windows XP Mode lets you run older Windows XP software on your Windows 7 desktop. The feature comes as a separate download and works only with Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate. Windows XP Mode also requires virtualization software such as Windows Virtual PC. Windows XP Mode and Windows Virtual PC are available for free on the Microsoft website. To download Windows XP Mode and the required software, visit the Windows Virtual PC website (http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/default.aspx).

The basic steps for installation are:

1. On the Virtual PC download page, select the type of Windows 7 you are running—either 32-bit or 64-bit—and then select the display language for Windows XP Mode, such as English.

2. Click the link provided to download Windows Virtual PC. Double-click the download to begin installation and then follow the prompts.

3. Click the link provided to download Windows XP Mode. Double-click the download to begin installation and then follow the prompts.

Microsoft has added features to Windows Virtual PC to make it easy to run many older Windows XP applications in Windows 7. You’ll find it is fairly easy to set up Window XP Mode, and once you do, you can run Windows XP Mode applications with one click.