Downloading and Installation of Obsolete Versions of Protein Explorer for Windows

  1. Print these instructions now!! The most common reason people have problems installing Protein Explorer is that they skip over the simple instructions below.

    Alert!
    This page is only for downloading obsolete versions of Protein Explorer. If you want the current (best) version, please go HERE.

    If you download one of the older versions of PE for Windows below, you need to be aware of this Workaround for a problem loading PDB files from on-line in Internet Explorer. This problem arose in January, 2006, due to changes at the RCSB Protein Data Bank.

    The problem will occur only if you try to enter PDB codes in the slot on the FrontDoor (or in Empty Explorer) while using Internet Explorer with downloaded PE. If you will be loading your PDB files from your local disk (with Empty Explorer's Browse button) the problem does not arise.

  2. Download one or more PE Unzipper components. It works fine to download it to your Desktop; or you may download it to another location if you prefer. For current Protein Explorer version numbers and release dates, please consult proteinexplorer.org. Your download options are:

    • PE 2.78 Alpha (June 20, 2006): 28 Megabytes Download PE-278-All-Unzipper.exe.
      (This download includes the PE Demo movies and the Atlas of Macromolecules. It also includes the folder "my_molecules" which contains the Presentation Template and Example PiPEs and MolSlides. Installing it will automatically redirect your PiPEs to the new version of PE, but otherwise will not affect PiPEs you have made.)

    • PE 2.76 Alpha (July 24, 2005): 13 Megabytes Download PE-276-NoDemo-NoAtlas-Unzipper.exe.
      (This download does not include the PE Demo movies, or the Atlas of Macromolecules, which can be downloaded separately below. It does include the folder "my_molecules" which contains the Presentation Template and Example PiPEs and MolSlides. Installing it will automatically redirect your PiPEs to the new version of PE, but otherwise will not affect PiPEs you have made.)

    • PE 2.45 Beta (January 2005): 4.7 Megabytes Download PE-245-NoDemo-NoAtlas-Unzipper.exe.
      (This download does not include the PE Demo movies, or the Atlas of Macromolecules, which can be downloaded separately below.)

    • PE Flash Demo Movies ("Getting Started in Protein Explorer", June, 2004): 8.9 Megabytes Download PE-245-DemoOnly-Unzipper.exe.
      (Works with PE 2.45 or PE 2.7. For 2.7, you must copy or move the folder "pe_demo" from the folder "Protein Explorer 2.45 Beta" into the folder "Protein Explorer 2.7 Alpha".)

    • PE Atlas of Macromolecules (January 2005): 20 Megabytes Download PE-245-AtlasOnly-Unzipper.exe.
      (Works with PE 2.45 or PE 2.7. For 2.7, you must copy or move the folder "atlas" from the folder "Protein Explorer 2.45 Beta" into the folder "Protein Explorer 2.7 Alpha". Half of this file is some very large PDB files for the flagellar hook.)

    • PE 1.982 Beta with Protein Comparator (September 2002): 4.1 Megabytes Download PE-1982-Unzipper.exe.
      (This version will not work readily with Internet Explorer in Windows XP Service Pack 2 because of the pop-up blocker. It will work in Internet Explorer in Windows XP Service Pack 1 or earlier, and in Netscape 4.8 for both Windows [all versions] and Macintosh.)

  3. After downloading has finished, create a new directory (folder) for this obsolete version of PE, and move the freshly downloaded PE-Unzipper.exe into it. This avoids having the next step damage any more recent version of PE you may already have downloaded and installed.

  4. Double-click the PE-Unzipper.exe file. A WinZip Self-Extractor dialog will open. Click the Unzip button (leaving all other settings unchanged). When extraction has finished, click the Close button in the WinZip dialog.

  5. The previous step will create a folder named "Protein Explorer N.NN" (where "N.NN" is the current version number).

  6. Double-click the new "Protein Explorer N.NN" folder to open it. Inside you will find, among other things, a file named "How to Start PE.htm".

  7. Right-click "How to Start PE.htm" and select Send To, then Desktop (create shortcut). Do not drag it and drop it on the Desktop. This will not work!

  8. Click the Desktop Icon in your taskbar to minimize all open applications and reveal your Desktop (or hold down the Windows key and press m).

  9. Double-click the new Shortcut to How to Start PE.htm on your Desktop and follow the instructions there. (This should display the downloaded instructions in your browser. If it doesn't, please re-do the previous instructions carefully.)

    --------------------   Now you can run your downloaded Protein Explorer!   --------------------

  10. If you wish, you may copy the Shortcut to How to Start PE.htm and paste it into other locations, or drag it and drop it into another location. If you wish, you can drag it and drop it onto your main Start menu.

  11. You may now delete the file PE-Unzipper.exe if you wish.

  12. If you are updating from a previous version of Protein Explorer, optionally, you may delete the folders for the old version, along with your old bookmarks/favorites. (If you keep the old files and bookmarks/favorites, you can use either the old or the new version as you wish.)

  13. Never put any files containing your personal work in the "Protein Explorer N.NN" folder, of any of its sub-folders, since they will be deleted when you update to a future version.