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So you've downloaded a game that looks like it will be fun... How do you get it to run on your machine?
Steps
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Find the file you just downloaded. Hopefully you paid attention to the location that you downloaded it to and the name of the file. -
Scan the installer file with your antivirus program to ensure that you're not about to destroy your pc.Advertisement -
Double click the icon for the downloaded file. This will typically either open the installer automatically, or decompress the file(s) needed to install the program. -
Locate the executable file, if files were only uncompressed in the previous step. It will typically be called setup or install (with a .exe or .com file extension, or possibly a .bat extension, instead). Skip this step if the installer opened automatically. -
Pay attention to the installer. You may want to tell it where to install the program, and where to put icons (i.e. many times it will put an icon in the programs menu, on the taskbar, and on the desktop, which can quickly lead to clutter). -
Complete the installation process and be sure to carefully read any instructions or "readme" files when complete. -
Activate the game by selecting it from a menu or double clicking its icon.
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Community Q&A
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QuestionWhen I download online games, they are often in a ZIP or RAR file. What do I do first?Community AnswerYou must first unzip the game. If your game is in a simple ZIP file, it can be unzipped using Windows' built-in unzipping tool. If your game is in a RAR or 7z file, you will have to use a third-party unzipping tool like 7-zip, WinRAR, or WinZip to unzip your game.
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Tips
- Installation on Macintosh, Linux, and other systems follow a different set of instructions.Thanks
- Be sure that your virus protection program is up to date, with current virus definition. Online games downloads are notorious vectors for virus attacks.Thanks
- If you don't know where the file was downloaded to: Use the search function (in the Start menu of a windows PC) to find it if you know the name. If you don't, go through the steps to downloading it again, and pay attention to what it's called and where it's being saved to. You don't have to actually commence the download again, just see where it was saved.Thanks
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Warnings
- Computer viruses can destroy all your data. Be sure that you check the file with an up to date program.Thanks
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About This Article
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 62,803 times.
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