December 08, 2005
Installing CD/DVDs
This guide covers the rules of thumb about installing CDs that have emerged from GPL's experience managing a large and varied CD collection. These rules should give readers a pretty good idea of what to expect from an interaction with a CD, but don't forget: Murphy's Law is still in force just as much as it ever has been...
Autorun
Current CDs (from the late 1990s forward) typically have a program called an "autorun.exe" or a file called "autorun.inf". That means that when you put it in the drive for the first time, it will automatically start up. Usually, autorun files start up an installation procedure. See the image below for an example.
Setup.exe
All CDs have a special file that starts the installation procedure. The names for these files are pretty standard, with install.exe and setup.exe being used almost exclusively. The ".exe" stands for "executable", as in a file that executes commands. In the Windows Explorer, these files are labeled "Application" in the the Type column. See the image below for an example.
Readme.xxx
The common name for the "all the stuff we learned too late to incorporate properly".xxx file is the Readme.txt. Like the setup files mentioned above, these describe the program, installation, known bugs, changes from prior editions, and sometimes brief user guides. These files are always worth reading if you're having trouble with a CD. See the image below for an example.
Notes:
1. When installing, you must always answer a series of questions about how much to load, where to put the new program and so forth. Newer CDs (roughly 1995 forward) usually have default answers programmed into their installation that will work just fine. When you're dealing with a CD that's new to you, don't worry about this part. Read the questions and answers, but go on and enter your way past them. If the installation program doesn't have suggested defaults, it's always ok to install a program into the C:\temp directory. The program can be moved later if necessary.
2. CD installation generally goes perfectly well or not at all. If it doesn't work and the reason isn't obvious, that means that the problem lies in the CD and not the user. If a tech support contact is listed somewhere on the case insert, contact them or ask the department e-resources coordinator to do it.
3. Not every CD needs to be installed. Many CDs are just collections of .pdf pages which need only Acrobat to read them, so there's nothing to install. There are also a few statistical CDs that contain no retrieval software and whose contents must be accessed through something like MSExcel.
Posted by bgi at December 8, 2005 02:21 PM | Email This Entry