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What's this; please close all programs?

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by eagl

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Please remember I'm a "NEWBIE", need questions answered in very easy format, nothing too technical.
While trying to load some programs a dialog box appears that says something like this; "please close all programs before installing this". What are they talking about? How so I do this? And do I have to re-open the programs afterwards? How do I know what programs are running in the background?
PLEASE!!!! Simple easy to understand english and step by step instructions; Gratefully Yours; eagl.

3 replies

by bww5195

What it means is that if you have other programs running they could be using some of the system resources that the new programs that you are loading need.

Most of the programs that would be running will be listed on the taskbar (the screen-length bar running along the bottom of your screen with a START button on the left end, and typically a clock on the right end)

Other programs that are running may be represented by their icon in the systray (the box where the clock is enclosed on theright end of the taskbar). To close them, simply click on them with the right mouse button and select 'close' or 'exit', whichever selection is available.

If you have an antivirus program running, it may interpet the installation of the new program as being virus activity. Mine doesn't, but all the same you might want to disable or shut those down as well. Usually they will be in the systray (explained above).

However, if your pc has enough 'umph' to it you can probably get away with simply closing the programs that are represented on the taskbar.

Hope that helps.

Buddy.

by eagl

Thank you very much buddy. I wasn't sure because the "PC For Dummies" book I have said something about pressing, CTRL+ALT+DELETE and then highlighting all programs(one at a time)and press "End Task", and to do this for every program in there exceptfor Explorer and Sistray; so I'm not too sure what that's all about yet. Eagl.

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