Applications (programs)

See also Software for install/uninstall issues and Programs/Applications and Features

The terms application and program are not necessarily synonymous.  All applications are, or have programs but not all programs are applications.   

• A program is a single file containing a set of instructions that are executed by the computer.
• An application is software containing one or more (often many) programs having a "user interface" allowing you to perform whatever operations are desired.  

Examples:

• Microsoft Word requires many libraries and other files in addition to the actual Word.exe program file to work.
• But there's always exceptions.  The Windows calculator is just a single program file having a user interface so it crosses the line a bit.

• There are many other files also considered programs as they contain code (instructions) to carry out various operations.  This also makes them potentially dangerous when attached to email messages or via downloads from the Internet.  See Extensions.

So even if Microsoft still calls it "Programs and Features" in the Control Panel, we will (try to) stop using the term program and instead use application (or app if we're feeling lazy).

Troubleshooting: 

This is a huge subject and we will expand on it as time allows.  But a few things you can try if an application is not working correctly...

• There could actually be a problem with Windows itself.  So first thing, reboot the computer! 
  • Often we have found customers complaining about certain applications not opening when the problem was Windows itself.  The quick diagnostics: If you can't open the Start menu and/or other applications it's a Windows issue.
• Run through these various operations Clean it up
• Try "repairing" from the Control Panel's Programs and Features.
• Try right clicking desired the icon and from the popup menu, select Run as administrator.
• Right click the icon and select properties then click the Open file location button.  That opens the Windows Explorer to the actual file.  Once there, right click that file, move to the Compatibility tab and try different variations of running it in the compatibility mode for...  Windows XP, etc.
  • Only really old applications would require the options found under Settings.  We have never found an application we had to change anything under there...  
• Last resort of course, uninstall and reinstall the entire application.

If when trying to open an applications you get a message indicating Windows cannot find the application, try the suggestions found in our (somewhat cryptic) notes.  We'll clean those up some day...

• Also see our newsletter index for a variety of miscellaneous subjects and Working in Windows

• Access database

  • We will expand on this as time allows (and we remember)

• Adobe Reader problems

  • When PDF's crash out, won't print, zoom rate, etc...

• Calculator

  • A bit improved in Windows 7+

• Google's Chrome

  • Browser vs. Home/Start page

  • Hangs at print preview

  • Menu

  • Other browsers

  • Settings (corrupt, add-ons that won't go away, etc...)

• http://www.irfanview.com/

  • When you need to quickly resize or adjust images...  But review our downloading hints.

• Installing freeware?

  • A quick word of warning

• Live Mail for Windows

  • Windows 8 does not come with a pop friendly email client, but fortunately Microsoft is still offering Live Mail that will install on Windows 7 as well as 8. 

  • HOWEVER, it does not work well in Windows 10 use Thunderbird instead

• Office default "save in" folder

  • When you want to change the default folder from Documents to a networked drive, perhaps a folder on your Desktop or elsewhere.

  • Office 365 and newer default save location may be the cloud.  You may want to change that!

• Office Converter

  • If you have Office '03 and cannot open documents from '07 or 10 with the longer extension (DOCX, etc.), Microsoft is offering this free converter...

• Office prompting to purchase or is missing altogether?

  • If you need to reinstall office after a disk crash or other problem, here is the link to Microsoft. 
    Doing a Google search for "Office download" is NOT the way to find it...

• Office uninstaller cleanup tool (when having odd problems with Office that the "repair" does not resolve).

  • There are other office suites, even a fairly nice free one OpenOffice.ORG.

• Outlook (Microsoft's higher-end Email client application). 

• Protecting Office documents

  • Password protecting Word, Excel, etc. documents.

• Run as an Administrator

• Saving as PDF

• Setting an application as default (be careful)

• Word document templates

  • Great way to have consistent and easy to complete forms, documents, etc...

• Word's status bar

  • That little bar at the bottom of Word (Excel, etc.) can give you a lot of information at a glance...

• Word Section break, table of contents and other Word features

  • When you need the document to have multiple section, e.g., landscape and portrait layouts or chapters

• Word Alt select

  • Selecting just a portion of a paragraph for copying...

• Word Watermark

  • With the newer versions of Word, making watermark documents is very easy...

• Word merge

  • mailing labels, etc.

• Using a local application like Outlook or Thunderbird for Gmail or Outlook.com

• Uninstalling antivirus applications

  • When you have problems uninstalling an AV application you will have to use an uninstaller.

  • Windows Defender off?  See: http://www.thewindowsclub.com/windows-defender-is-turned-off

• Uninstalling/reinstalling applications

  • Also try MicrosoftFixit.zip

    • Use at your own risk!  This compressed file contains two uninstaller helpers: 

      • One is the newer Microsoft FixIt wizard that will search the computer for installed programs and help you uninstall

      • The second is the older Microsoft brute uninstaller (no longer available from Microsoft). 
        We have not tried this older brute uninstaller on Windows 8 or later yet...