Installation

Setting up IrfanView for use:
 
For the experienced computer user:
Download a copy of IrfanView, and unzip the files into
a directory of your choice. There is only one executable
for the viewer - you can install it wherever you like.
Create a shortcut to the program in the Windows start
menu, or on your desktop.
 
For the less-experienced computer user:
We have to assume here that you have already downloaded
a copy of IrfanView.  Now you need to “unzip” the file
(what you downloaded,) before you can use it. For this,
you need a copy of one of the many programs that unzip
files. The best is the shareware program WinZip, but
there are many others, some even free, that will do the
trick. They can be found at the various download sites
on the WWW. Use the program to unzip IrfanView into one
of the directories (folders) on your hard-drive. Each
program will have its own instructions for doing this,
but most of them are pretty easy to use.
 
Unzipped, the file contains several files, which were
compressed into the one. The 3.02 version contains:
 
  · about.txt
  · changes.txt
  · commandline_options.txt
  · i_view32.exe
 
"About.txt" describes the viewer, and gives information
about the author. "Changes.txt" is a history of versions
of the program; a copy is here. "Commandline_options.txt"
outlines some advanced features of the program; read
about them here. "i_view32.exe" is the program, that
is, the written material that makes IrfanView work.
It is complete - you don't need any other files to
make it work. i_view32.exe can be placed anywhere on
your hard drive (so long as you can find it again!)
 
The easiest way to find it again is to create a “shortcut”
to IrfanView, either on your Start Menu, or on your
Desktop, or both. The Start Menu is the list you bring
up when you click the button at the lower left corner
of your Windows Desktop. Shortcuts are the labels you
click in the Start Menu, or the icons on your Desktop,
that start programs for you.
 
To make a shortcut on the Start Menu, click the Start
button. Move the cursor up to point at Settings. On the
sub-menu that appears, point at Taskbar, and click it.
A dialog box opens, with two tabs. Click the tab that
says: Start Menu Programs. In the top half of the
dialog, click the Add button. A box called Create
Shortcut comes up for you to put in the name of the
program you want to add. Click the Browse button, and
another box opens, allowing you to locate your copy of
IrfanView. Once you find it, click it, then click the
Open button. The box closes, and IrfanView is now
selected. Click the Next button at the bottom of
the dialog. A box comes up called Select Program
Folder. Browse through this to find the folder in
which you want the shortcut for the viewer, that is,
where you want it to appear on your Start Menu. Click
the folder name, then click the Next button below.
Finally, a box comes up called Select a Title for
the Program. All you need to do here is click the
Finish button at the bottom of the dialog. Next
time you open you Start Menu, a click-able label
for IrfanView will be in the folder you selected.
 
There are several ways to create a desktop shortcut
for IrfanView. The easiest, and the only one we'll
go into here, is to use the viewer, itself. Open
IrfanView. Click the Options menu, then click
Properties. A dialog box opens, with many tabs.
Click the tab called Others 1. There are many
options on this tab. You want the one almost to the
bottom: the button labeled Create desktop link for
IrfanView. Click this button, and the icon for the
viewer will appear on your desktop. Next time you
want to use the viewer, just double click the icon.
When you are finished creating the link, click the
OK button below to close the dialog.

 
 
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