Why is it that whenever you install most windows programs it is reccomended that you close all other programs? Is this really a good idea, or do they just say that so they don’t get sued in the unlikely event that not closing a program causes a problem? Or is it a remnant from sometime in the past when closing other programs actually mattered?
And what about programs that run in the background. Should you close them too?
It probably doesn’t matter that much. The issue is basically that if the program you’re installing tries to overwrite a file that another program is using (ie, some kind of DLL file), then the new program might not function properly.
9 times out of 10 this won’t be a problem, and most programs only recommend that you close existing versions of the same programs (AIM, for example, only requires you to close any AIM running-- reason being, the new AIM files are usually installed in the same place as existing AIM files, and if AIM is running, those files can’t be written over.)
Did that make any sense?
By and large, I think it’s just a safety measure. As already mentioned, if the computer tries to overwrite a file that’s already in use, you’ll get some interesting results. But my own computer, which is ridiculously powerful against the programs I routinely install on it, doesn’t seem to mind doing several things at once. I have a feeling the makers of such programs aren’t really paying attention anymore and have simply forgotten to remove the notice, since back in the Win95 days a computer just wasn’t capable of doing more than one relatively complicated task at a time.
Of course, there is also the still existant problem of installation programs crashing Windows during the install process, so closing all other programs “cleanly” and in a controlled manner is much better.
It can be either the program you are installing using a file that other programs may be sharing or the program wishing to update the Registry. We have a couple of programs at work that if you leave another program open during installation you fuck up the future operations both programs. I routinely do my installs with nothing else open - it requires no effort.
For the reasons stated above, clearly contention. And also to free up system resources so the install goes smoothly. More memory and CPU utilization means a faster install, and less hang-ups. I, however, am a rebel and don’t follow those rules, no problems here.