With the ability to let you download music, organize your music collection, rip tracks from CDs, and function as a media player, iTunes is one of the most popular application downloads. We’ll guide you step-by-step through the iTunes installation to demonstrate the basics of installing a program from a Web site. It’s best to download applications from the software creator’s Web site, and iTunes can be downloaded from www.apple.com/itunes. Next, locate a link on the Web site that lets you download the software. iTunes is free, but note that if an application isn’t free, you’ll need to buy it (this typically involves providing credit card information) before you can download the installation file.

To reach the download page for iTunes, click the Download Now button in the upper-right corner of the iTunes Web site. In some cases, the software manufacturer’s Web site will immediately initiate the download, while others, such as iTunes, redirect you to a download page. At the Download iTunes Web page, click the Download iTunes Free button, and a dialog box will appear that asks if you want to Run or Save the file. The advantage to saving the installation file is that you won’t have to redownload the application if you need to install it at a later date or on another PC.

We suggest that you save the file to a location on your hard drive, such as the C:\USERS\PUBLIC\PUBLIC DOWNLOADS folder in Windows Vista, where it’ll be easy to find. Depending on the speed of your Internet connection and the size of the file, applications may take from a few minutes to a few hours to download. When you want to install the program, open Windows Explorer, navigate to the folder where you saved the file, and double-click it.

For security reasons, Vista may display a User Account Control prompt to make certain you—not a computer virus or other type of malware—want to install the application. Click Continue at the prompt. At the Welcome To The iTunes Installer window, click Next, select the I Accept The Terms In This License Agreement radio button, and choose Next. At the Choose iTunes + QuickTime Installer Options window, you can configure how and where iTunes installs itself on your PC. Note that at this point with purchased software, you’ll often need to enter a license key that the manufacturer provided via email.

Most applications generally allow you to set program defaults, such as whether or not it will load at Windows startup, before the install wizard copies application files to your PC. In the case of iTunes, there are three software default options: Add iTunes And QuickTime Shortcuts To My Desktop; Use iTunes As The Default Player For Audio Files; and Automatically Update iTunes, QuickTime, and Other Apple Software. Under the Destination Folder, iTunes lists the default folder on your hard drive where the program will install. If you want to choose another location, click the Change button and select a new destination folder. Click the Install button and the iTunes installation program will set up the application on your PC. To run iTunes, click the iTunes shortcut located on your computer’s Desktop or select iTunes from the Start menu.

Installation From Disc

Although digital downloads allow you to get the application at any time, you don’t get the retail box and a hard copy of the instructions that come with applications installed from CD or DVD. Typically, retail boxes also include the license key you’ll need to activate the program during or after the installation. Often, the key code can be found on a jewel case or other internal packaging. For instance, the license key for Adobe Premiere Elements 4 is located on the back of the disc’s DVD jewel case. We’ll walk you through the installation of Adobe Premiere Elements 4 to show you how to load the program using the included DVD.

Begin by inserting the Premiere Elements 4 disc into an available DVD drive on your PC. Note that with games and larger applications, such as Premiere Elements 4, you'll need a DVD-ROM to load the app onto your PC. That being said, most applications still come on a single CD. Assuming you have AutoPlay enabled, an Adobe Premiere Element 4.0 dialog box will appear after you insert the disc. If nothing happens, click Computer and double-click the optical drive that contains your Premiere Elements DVD. From the dialog box, click the Install Adobe Premiere Elements button.

At the Choose Setup Language menu, click OK and Windows will load the InstallShield Wizard. After a quick initial scan of your PC, which helps ensure that your PC meets the minimum system requirements, choose the Next button and click the Accept button at the License Agreement window. Under Customer Information, enter your name and serial number into the requisite fields. In the case of Adobe Premiere Elements, you won’t need to add hyphens between the four digit numbers, but some programs may require you to enter the product key exactly as you see it on the packaging. Select your country from the Please Select The Country In Which You Live drop-down menu and click Next.

Next, the installation will ask you to select the appropriate TV format to use with Adobe Premiere Elements. By setting key program defaults during installation, the installation wizard helps you avoid the need to search through menus and system settings later on. Assuming you live in the United States, select the NTSC TV Format radio button and click Next. At the Destination Folder window, the installation wizard lists the location on your hard drive where it plans to load Premiere Elements 4.0. Click the Change button if you want to install Premiere Elements 4.0 to another location.

Some applications also allow you to select whether or not to install optional tools for the program. For instance, under the Content Installation Options heading, you can select the Install Additional Movie Themes, Templates For Titles And Disc Menus checkbox to include the extras from Adobe. After making any changes, click Next. Finally, click the Install button to load Premiere Elements. When the installation finishes, it will indicate that you must restart your PC before you can use the software.

Set It Up

Once you've installed the application, you may still need to do a little maintenance before using the program. For instance, when you first start iTunes, the iTunes Setup Assistant helps you locate and organize the music on your PC. First, you’ll need to accept the license agreement. Then, you can configure the Setup Assistant to find all the MP3 and AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) files or WMA (Windows Media Audio) music on your PC. In turn, the music files will be added to your iTunes Music Library. Additionally, iTunes will offer to organize how the music files are stored on your hard drive. Because iTunes may move your music to a different folder, you may want to select No, I’ll Change The File And Folder Names Myself.

Finally, the iTunes software will ask if it can check and see if any updates are available for the software. If you just downloaded the newest version, checking for updates may seem silly, but with applications you install from disc, it’s a good idea to allow the program to patch itself to the newest version. Besides new features, the updated title may offer greater stability and run more efficiently that the original version.

File It Away

Once the application is up and running, you’ll want to keep most, if not all, of the material included with the application. For downloaded applications that you purchased, you should write down the product key and any other information that could be necessary for reinstalling the software and keep it in a safe place. For reference sake, you may want to keep the product manual handy until you’re sure you won’t have any questions about using the software.

by Nathan Lake