- 1). Prepare for installation. If you have a previous version of OpenOffice on your computer, make sure the Quickstarter is closed before installing a new version. Find the OpenOffice icon in your system tray (at the bottom right of your screen). Right-click on it and select "Exit Quickstarter" from the menu that pops up. If you don't have a previous version installed, proceed to the next step.
- 2). Download the OpenOffice installation file, and double-click on it to run it, or insert the installation CD in your computer. The Installation Wizard will open. Click "Next" to continue.
- 3). Approve the license agreement and enter your name and the name of your organization, clicking "Next" to continue in each box.
- 4). Choose "Custom" in the window where it asks you to choose a setup type, and click "Next" to continue.
- 5). Choose the options you want to install. In the Custom Setup dialog box, you will see a list of the various modules of OpenOffice: Writer, Calc, Draw, Impress, Base and Math. Next to each you will see an icon indicating a drop-down menu. If you click on one of these, you will see components for that specific module. Below the last one you will also see an "Optional Components" entry. If you click on each specific entry, you will see a brief description of it on the right. You can choose to install each module in its entirety, or any or all of the components, by putting a check in the box next to it. Those without a check will not be installed. Once you've made your choices, click "Next" to continue.
- 6). Choose a location on your hard drive for the installation files. You will be given a default choice, but you can choose a different folder by typing its location or by browsing to it. Click "Next" to continue when you are done.
- 7). Select default file types. OpenOffice has its own file types associated with each type of document you can create, but you can also set it up so that OpenOffice will automatically be the program your computer uses to open files that were created in Microsoft Office, such as Word and Excel files. You probably want to do this if you don't also have Microsoft Office on your computer. You will be able to save files in Microsoft Office file formats even if you don't choose to associate Microsoft Office file formats with OpenOffice.
- 8). Choose launch options. You can run OpenOffice from the Windows menu, from an icon on the desktop, or from the quick launch menu. You can choose any or all of these options and the installation program will create the shortcut for you. You can also opt for the Quickstarter to be installed, which gives you an icon in your system tray from which you can launch the various modules. Click "Finish" to complete the installation process.
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