In This Chapter
Adding programs to your PC
Starting programs
Pinning programs
Creating desktop shortcuts
Removing software
Updating and upgrading software
Using Windows Update
A computer system is a thing to behold, but it’s not worth a darn unless ¥ \ it has software inside the thing that actually gets something done. Those programs are the things that make the computer useful to you, make you productive, keep you entertained, or distract you to the point of obsession. This chapter covers the topic of computer programs.
Installing Software
Computer programs don’t magically jump from the (mostly empty) software box into your PC. Nope, all software in your computer must be properly granted entry. The process, called install or setup, is something you’ll do often as you use your computer and explore its possibilities.
Here are some generic steps for installing computer programs. These steps assume that you purchased a software program at the store or had it shipped to you. For information on installing software you download from the Internet, refer to Chapter 18.
1. Open the software box.
This step may seem obvious, but I recommend that you try not to rip up the box. You should keep it intact, either for long-term storage or in case the store lets you return the software.
2. Savor the industrial epoxy odor of the box’s insides.
3. Scour the box for printed information.
Specifically, you want to find a Read Me sheet or Getting Started booklet.
You may have a manual in the box. The manual is a joke. Gone are the days when computer software came with manuals. The manual is now “on the disc,” in the form of a Help file, which isn’t very helpful.
If installation instructions are in the box, follow them.
4. Locate the installation disc or discs.
When you have more than one disc, note in which order they’re used; the discs should be numbered, and you start with the first disc.
5. Insert the installation disc into the PC’s optical drive.
6. Run the installation program.
If you’re lucky, the installation program runs automatically when you insert the disc. Or, you see the AutoPlay dialog box, from which you can choose the Install or Setup command. Otherwise, obey these substeps:
A. Open the Computer window.
B. Right-click the optical drive’s icon.
C. Choose from the menu the command Install or Run Program from Your Media. If that command isn’t available, choose the AutoPlay command.
7. Obey the instructions on the screen.
Read the information carefully; sometimes they slip something important in there. My friend Jerry (his real name) just kept clicking the Next button rather than read the screen. He missed an important notice saying that an older version of the program would be erased. Uh-oh! Poor Jerry never got his old program back.
You may also be hit with a User Account Control (UAC) warning here. If so, type the administrator password or click the Yes or Continue button to proceed.
You have to agree to abide by the software license.
The software may ask for a serial number. It can be found somewhere inside the box, in the manual or on a piece of paper.
If asked to, replace one disc with another. This process may go on for some time.
8. Eventually, you’re done.
Wait for the Installation program to end. You see a message telling you whether the installation was successful.
9. Close the Installation program window.
10. If prompted, restart Windows.
11. Start using the program!
Put the installation discs back into the software box, and store the software box somewhere for long-term keeping.
See the next section for information on running your newly installed program.
It takes time to learn new software: There’s a learning curve — even for computer games. It’s natural to be frustrated at first. That’s okay; you’re only human. Just keep trying and eventually you’ll learn the program. Of course, buying a good topic about the software is an excellent idea!
You may find, in addition to the installation disc, other discs in the software box, bonus programs, supplements, and libraries of clip art. You don’t need to install that stuff, if you don’t want to.
Many applications require some form of validation or registration, which means that you need to connect to the Internet to complete the installation process. For folks without an Internet connection, a phone number might be provided to help activate the product the old-fashioned, human way.
Running a Program
After the software gets into your PC, the next thing you do is Run That Program. As with other tasks in Windows, you have many different ways to run your programs, some of them actually useful. The following sections describe the necessary methods.
The Start button menu
All programs installed on your computer can be found on the Start button menu; specifically, in the All Programs submenu. To start the program hunt, click the All Programs button on the Start menu and then start sifting through the list, plus any submenus, to find your program.
The Start button menu also lists recently used programs on the left side of the menu, shown in Figure 23-1.
Figure 23-1:
Your programs and the Start button menu.
New applications you install appear highlighted on the Start button menu (refer to Figure 23-1). You may even see the program’s icon displayed at the bottom of the Start button menu, ready for action.
Recently used programs appear on the Start button menu as you use those programs. You typically have to open a program twice for it to show up in that list.
The triangle to the left of a recently used program can be clicked to display a submenu of recently opened files. To start the program and open a file, choose it from the submenu displayed.
The pin areas
It’s handy to have a program always available right on the Start menu, such as the Paint program (refer to Figure 23-1). Programs that you want to quickly access can be pinned to the Start menu and then they’ll always appear on the top of the list. Likewise, programs can be pinned to the taskbar. Either way, one click starts the program.
To add any program to the pin-on area, right-click the program’s icon and choose the Pin to Start Menu command from the pop-up menu. For example, you can right-click any icon displayed on the Start button menu or on the All Programs menu.
Programs can also be pinned to the taskbar, such as the three icons shown earlier, in Figure 23-1. To pin a program to the taskbar, right-click the program’s icon and choose the command Pin to Taskbar. (In older versions of Windows, the programs pinned to the taskbar were said to be part of the Quick Launch toolbar.)
The desktop shortcut icon
Another handy way to start a program is to open its icon on the desktop. The icon isn’t the full-blown program. No, it’s a shortcut icon, which references the real program. Still, by double-clicking the program’s shortcut icon on the desktop, you start the program. It can be handy.
To place a shortcut icon to a program on the desktop, right-click the program’s icon and choose the Send ToODesktop (Create Shortcut) command from the pop-up menu. The shortcut file is created, and its icon appears on the desktop. For example, you can right-click any program found on the All Programs menu to place a shortcut copy of that program’s icon on the desktop.
Uninstalling Software
Programs installed on your computer must be properly uninstalled. You can’t just delete the program or its folder. Fortunately, the uninstall procedure isn’t complex. In fact, all computer applications anticipate being uninstalled someday, so an easy uninstall procedure is available. Here’s how it works:
1. Open the Control Panel.
2. Click the link Uninstall a Program, found beneath the Programs heading.
The Programs and Features window appears. It lists all software installed on your PC.
3. Select the program you want to uninstall.
4. Click the Uninstall/Change button on the toolbar.
5. If prompted by a User Account Control, type the administrator password or click the Continue button.
6. Continue reading instructions on the screen to uninstall the program.
The uninstall directions vary from program to program, but eventually the program is removed.
Updating and Upgrading
It’s a common saying in the computer industry that software is never done. In fact, if it weren’t for managers, the programmers would never finish. Even when they do finish, things called bugs need to be fixed and people demand new features, which are added. The result is the software update or, more drastic, software upgrade.
What’s the difference between an update and an upgrade? Updates are gradual and tiny. They repair, or patch, software you’ve already purchased. For example, an update may fix a bug or problem. An update can fine-tune some features. And, generally speaking, updates are free.
Upgrades, however, are complete revisions of programs. An upgrade presents a new release of the software, along with a version number. For example, the latest version of Microsoft Office is an upgrade, not an update. Also, upgrades cost money.
My advice: Update frequently. If the manufacturer offers a patch or a fix, install it as recommended. On the other hand, updates are necessary only when you desperately need the new features or modifications or when the upgrade addresses security issues.
Update: A minor fix to some software you own. A patch. No charge.
Upgrade: A new version of the program. You pay for it.
Here’s something else to keep in mind: If you’re still using Doodle Writer 4.2 and everybody else is using Doodle Writer 6.1, you may have difficulty exchanging documents. After a while, newer versions of programs become incompatible with their older models. If so, you need to upgrade.
In an office setting, everybody should be using the same software version. (Everybody doesn’t have to be using the latest version, just the same version.)
Windows Update
I highly recommend that you keep your PC’s operating system updated. This task requires regular communications between your computer and the Microsoft mothership. No need to fret: The scheduling happens automatically. If any new updates, or patches, are needed, they’re automatically installed on your computer. You need to do nothing.
Well, you do need to ensure that you configured your PC to accept automatic updates by using the Windows Update service. Here’s how:
1. Open the Control Panel window.
2. Click the System and Security heading.
3. Click the link Turn Automatic Updating On or Off, beneath the Windows Update heading.
Ensure that updates are being checked regularly, on a schedule.
4. Click the OK button if you made any changes.
You may need to type the administrator’s password or click the Continue button to confirm your choice.
5. Close the window.
Windows updates your PC regularly. Occasionally, you may see a pop-up message from the notification area, shown in Figure 23-2, telling you about pending updates or informing you of updates that have just been installed.
Figure 23-2:
Windows updates will be installed.
When you leave your PC on all the time, you may notice that Windows has restarted in the middle of the night, just after an update. That’s okay: it’s part of the update process.
“Shoutd 1 upgrade Windows?”
Microsoft produces a new version of Windows about once every few years. As with previous Windows upgrades, the newer version offers better features and a different way of doing things than did the previous version. Even so, you don’t have to upgrade to the newer version of Windows. In fact, I strongly recommend against it.
Windows is your PC’s operating system. It’s closely geared to the hardware in your computer. In fact, it has been so customized that replicating that specific customization, especially with a newer version of the operating system, is very difficult. That’s why upgrading Windows causes lots of people problems, compatibility issues, and unnecessary headaches.
If you really want the new version of Windows, my advice is to buy a new computer with the new version of Windows preinstalled. That’s the best way to do it.
