Manually Install Games in Windows 7 Professional

While Windows 7 Home Premium is the mainstream version of Microsoft’s latest operating system, the Professional version is intended for business environments including home offices. However, the games that ship with Windows 7 Professional are not installed by default. Learn how to install the games that ship with Windows 7 Professional.

Windows 7 Home Premium versus Professional

Windows 7 Home Premium edition is the mainstream version of the operating system for home users. Although Windows 7 Professional is aimed at the commercial (business) market, there are no license restrictions that prevent a home user from buying and installing the Professional edition on a home or home office computer.

Some people like some of the features offered in Windows 7 Professional and opt to install it on a home computer instead of the Home Premium edition. One feature found in Professional but not in Home Premium is Windows XP Mode, an application that allows compatibility for software that only runs in a Windows XP environment or another previous version of Windows.

By default, the games the ship Windows 7 are automatically installed with Windows Home Premium during a standard installation; for Windows 7 Professional, however, the games are not installed. Even so, you can still install the games in Windows 7 Professional; you just have to install them manually.

Manually Installing Games in Windows 7 Professional

Begin by logging into Windows 7 Professional using an account that has administrative privileges. Then, click on Start>Control Panel>Programs>Programs and Features. You should now be looking at the Uninstall or Change a Program window. To the far left of the window, locate and click on a link titled Turn Windows Features On or Off.

Near the top of the list, click on the plus sign next to the folder labeled Games.

You’ll notice the following games listed:

1. Chess Titans
2. FreeCell
3. Hearts
4. Mahjong Titans
5. Minesweeper
6. More Games
7. Purple Palace
8. Solitaire
9. Spider Solitaire

You’ll also notice a folder with the following games inside:

1. Internet Backgammon
2. Internet Checkers
3. Internet Spades

These three games are not actually Windows 7 games. They are simply links to a website where you can play these games online. Place a check mark next to all of the games you want to install. If you want them all, you can alternatively place one check mark next to the Games folder.

Click the OK button when you are done and follow any onscreen directions. At most, you may simply have to approve the installation of the games at the administrative level. When done, you will find the games listed under Start>Games.

Unlike Windows 7 Home Premium, Windows games are not automatically installed in the Professional edition of the operating system. Too many systems administrators and managers complained that with a standard installation of Windows, the games were installed and too many workers were playing solitaire and other games while they were supposed to be working.

Starting with Windows XP, Microsoft removed the games from a standard installation of the operating system for those aimed at commercial markets. From that point on, games in those operating systems had to be installed manually by a systems administrator.