How to install Prism 5. A guide for IT people.
Note: This page is for Prism 5. If you are responsible for installing Prism 6 on many computers, contact us to get a copy of our IT guide for installing Prism 6.
This page discusses installing Prism on individual computers. Network installation instructions.
The Prism installer just works, so there is little reason to know much about what it does. Unless you are an IT person installing Prism for many. In that case, read on...
The essential steps performed by the Prism installer
The Prism installer only has one essential function: Creating a program folder (and subfolders) and copying files into it.
If you use a /S switch on the Windows installer, it will silently install Prism without any dialogs or messages. There is no such option for the Mac installer.
The nonessential steps performed by the Prism installer
The installer for Prism 5 WIndows also installs an indexing service. This allows Microsoft index and Google Desktop Search to find Prism files when you search for any text within.
The installer for Prism 5 for Mac also installs addins for Spotlight (to search for Prism files), Automator (to create some macros) and QuickLook (to preview graphs in Leopard's Finder).
What Prism does on start up.
On first launch, Prism asks you to enter the serial number. Starting with 5.04 and 5.0d, it also activates Prism. This entails linking a particular serial number to a particular computer.
Every time Prism Windows starts, it creates (or checks) the registry entires that tie the Prism file extensions to the Prism application, and that allow Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) to work. Prism Mac creates the link between file extensions and the Prism application. Note that these tasks are done by Prism itself, not by the installer.
Creating your own installer
If you don't mind skipping the nonessential steps listed above, it is easy to create your own installer. All it has to do is load the appropriate files into the Prism folder and subfolders within.
It is also possible (with a bit of work) to create a .msi Windows install system.