Close all programs?

[Guest]

This might sound like a stupid question, but I have never been able to get a
satisfactory answer to it. Can somebody please explain it to me? When an
Install Wizard (or anything else for that matter) advises you to close all
browser windows and all Windows programs before continuing install, just
exactly does that mean? I know that I need to close all IE windows I may
have open, and shut down Word, or Notepad, or Media Player, etc, but does
that include all the programs that you may have running in the background,
such as your firewall, anti-spyware programs, printers, etc? I hope someone
hare can give me a difinitive answer to this question. Thanks for your time.

 

[Mike Hall \(MS-MVP\)]

Close down as much as is obvious, but leave the firewall running.. some
program installations will ask for anti-virus to be shut down too, but do
not do it unless specifically asked..

 

[Guest]

Ok, I take that to mean that I SHOULD shut down all the programs possible
that are in my notification area with the exception of the firewall and
anti-virus. That is about the most specific answer I have had from anybody
so far, so thank you very much. If someone will tell me how to do it, I will
close this post (and the duplicate I mistakenly stuck in here). I've looked
around, but I haven't found out how to mark a posted problem as solved.
Thanks a lot, Mike.

 

[Mike Hall \(MS-MVP\)]

You place the mouse cursor over each item in turn, right click and select
EXIT or CLOSE, or whatever the particular function may be called.. there is
no mystery to it.. if an icon does not have the facility to exit, don't
worry about it..

It is mainly a precaution that prevents running code from interfering in the
install process.. 99% of what you have running would probably not have any
effect at all..