Help with installation...

[Giancarlo]

Does an install option pop up when you try and open a program that you don't have installed yet - even if you can't find a little "Install_____" icon in said program's folder?

I need to know this because i'm getting a new graphics card soon, and need to backup all my files. What i'm trying to get copied onto a disc is Paintshop Pro 7 (I already have Photoshop 7 on a disc...).

 

[Timmotheus]

Not usually. If you want to back it up, just burn the folder to a CD. Chances are, the relevent registry entries won't be deleted, and the program will still run. Of course, you could back up the registry as well, but then things start to get complicated.

 

[Giancarlo]

Registry?

 

[Solid Fro]

Why do you need to backup your files if you're just going to install a video card?

Just shutdown, install the card, reboot, install the drivers, and restart. That's it.

 

[Shannon]

Originally posted by Giancarlo
Registry?

The registry is a huge database with information about certain programs.

Example:
Photoshop 7. File > Open Recent. It lists the last 10 images you opened. Ever wondered how Photoshop remembers those 10 images? The filepath (C:\.....) to those images is kept in a registry key which Photoshop uses to list the 10 images.

To have a look at the registry go to Start > Run and type in regedit. I would advise you don't muck around too much in here unless you know what you're doing - otherwise you might run into some problems when using your software and even Windows itself.

 

[Timmotheus]

Originally posted by Shannon
To have a look at the registry go to Start > Run and type in regedit. I would advise you don't muck around too much in here unless you know what you're doing - otherwise you might run into some problems when using your software and even Windows itself.

As I said, it gets complicated...

 

[rjensen11]

Originally posted by Viper Zero
Why do you need to backup your files if you're just going to install a video card?

Just shutdown, install the card, reboot, install the drivers, and restart. That's it.

Exactly, if you're running Windows, you have no real reason to back up your images and stuff if simply swapping video cards. The only time I would is if you're copying one hard drive to another or if you reinstall your OS and had to reformat your harddrive.

 

[Giancarlo]

Originally posted by Viper Zero
Why do you need to backup your files if you're just going to install a video card?

It's really complicated, and i don't know exactly why, but my brother in-law says it's because i've already gotten 3 new graphics cards, and there's a bunch of files overlapping each other.

Again, i don't know exactly why i have to backup all my stuff...but my brother in-law certainly know his stuff.

Originally posted by Viper Zero
Just shutdown, install the card, reboot, install the drivers, and restart. That's it.

Reboot after shutting down? Could you be more specific with this plan of yours? Because it just might work...

 

[Shannon]

Originally posted by Giancarlo
Reboot after shutting down? Could you be more specific with this plan of yours? Because it just might work...

He means shutdown, install the card, turn computer back on, install drivers, restart.

 

[Giancarlo]

Originally posted by Shannon
He means shutdown, install the card, turn computer back on, install drivers, restart.

Oh, i see...

Well i suppose it wouldn't hurt to try...

 

[risingson77]

I can't say as I've ever had problems with drivers "overlapping". If you have an Nvidia card, they all use the same drivers anyway. If you switch to a different chipset, it will only use the new drivers. I've (personally) never had a graphics card install that's more complicated than popping in the card and rebooting. :shrug: