Darlene writes:

<<Sometimes when I am loading a program, I will get a message that says
something like:
You are about to load a file xyz.
Your version xyz version 2
old version xyz version 1
blah, blah, blah.
Do you want to keep this file? (which file is "this file", the new file or
the old file???)
I know I want to keep the newer file!
The question is: HOW do I answer the question to KEEP the newer file.  The
choices are usually  "Yes"  "No" and "No to ALL".>>

A very good question, one which has vexed most of us (and, for me, still
does on occasions).

By "loading" you presumably mean "installing".

Unfortunately, there's really no black and white answer.  It's asking you
if you want to keep the older file, to which the answer usually is
"NO".  In most, but not all, cases, the newer file will be backwards
compatible, and as a general rule you'll be safe in answering "No". If you
answer "No to all" then it will just proceed without asking you again.

You are really very much in the hands of the programmer who wrote the
program you are newly installing.  And sometimes it depends on what sort of
file is being replaced.

The difficulty is this:  If you don't allow the new file, then the new
program may not run properly. If you do allow it to overwrite the old file,
then some other, older, program may not run properly.

What to do?

Firstly, if it's a well-known and respected program, then you'd usually be
pretty safe in allowing it to install the later file.  Good programmers are
aware of this possibility, and you really have little option but to place
your computer's well-being in their tender loving care.  Occasionally
you'll even find that a new program will backup any files it overwrites.
That always gives me a lovely warm glow, to think there's a programmer out
there who really cares!

Otherwise, if it's a Windows system or .dll file being replaced, you can
always replace it off your Windows CD or off the internet if the new file
stuffs things up too much. But if it's some strange rare file, then if you
are in any doubt, make a note of it from the message, abort the
installation if necessary, copy the about-to-be-replaced file, then
continue with the installation.  This procedure can become pretty tedious
if there are several files of this nature.  But at least you still have
copies of the original files in case some other program needs them.

Having said that, I must say that I've never come across a new file that
has stuffed up anything by my answering No to this message, but I suppose
there's bound to be a first time.  Maybe if it looked like a real important
system file ("Rundll.exe" for example) I'd be pretty wary of overwriting
it--I don't think later versions of Windows will even allow it anyway.

I guess you just have to go with your gut feeling sometimes.

In actual fact, I've protected some of my "vital" Windows files by making
them Read-only, just to prevent that sort of thing happening without my
knowledge.

Don Penlington








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