Adding a Program to a Windows 7 desktop

Milton Smith 20 Reputation points
2026-06-22T00:54:38.3133333+00:00

Please excuse this rather lengthy statement and question. I have a Windows 7 desktop computer that has Microsoft's Train Simulator (with a boatload of add-ons). I know that Microsoft no longer supports this simulation game, and that many other companies and individuals have developed and are marketing their own versions of train simulators in the last 20+ years. A company called "Open Rails" developed a system that is able to utilize the old MSTS architecture and thus allows people like me (who are not computer literate) to still enjoy the original Train Simulator. My Windows 7 has not been used in 2 years or so, and when I attempted to install the Open Rails system, I received a message that the game needs MICROSOFT.NET FRAMEWORK 4.7.2 in order to operate. My old computer did not have this, so I found the needed program on the Microsoft site and downloaded the Net 4.7.2 into a Download File on my Windows 11 desktop. When I clicked on it, I get the message "do I want this program to make changes to my computer?" I have not said "yes" to this message. My fear is that if I say "yes," my Windows 11 will not like it, and I will have a professional "clean out" the computer, which will cost $$$. This download continues to reside in my Downloads File. My questions are: (1) Can I move this item from the Download File to a thumb drive? NOTE: when I tried this, I got a message saying, "do I want to transfer this item WITHOUT its properties?" More confusion. (2) Should I just bring inside my old Windows 7 desktop, (currently only used for games or watching DVD's). connect it to the internet provider, and download/transfer what I need that way?

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2026-06-22T00:54:53.0533333+00:00
  1. The .NET 4.7.2 file in the Downloads folder

The file that was downloaded (the .NET Framework 4.7.2 installer) is just a setup program. It does nothing until it is run. Simply having it in the Downloads folder does not change anything on the Windows 11 PC.

  1. Moving it to a USB/thumb drive

Yes, it can be copied to a USB/thumb drive like any other file.

  • When copying, Windows may show a message such as “Do you want to copy this file without its properties?”
  • This usually happens when copying from an NTFS drive (your system drive) to a drive formatted with a simpler file system (like FAT32 or exFAT) that does not support all NTFS file properties.
  • Choosing to continue and copy “without its properties” is normal and safe; the installer will still work on the target machine.

So it is safe to:

  1. Insert a USB/thumb drive into the Windows 11 PC.
  2. Open the Downloads folder.
  3. Right‑click the .NET 4.7.2 installer file and choose Copy.
  4. Open the USB drive in File Explorer and choose Paste.
  5. If prompted about copying without properties, choose to continue.
  6. Installing on the Windows 7 desktop

To get .NET 4.7.2 onto the Windows 7 desktop without installing it on Windows 11:

  1. Safely remove the USB drive from the Windows 11 PC.
  2. Connect the USB drive to the Windows 7 desktop.
  3. Open the USB drive in Windows Explorer on the Windows 7 machine.
  4. Double‑click the .NET 4.7.2 installer file to run it.
  5. Follow the on‑screen instructions to install .NET Framework on Windows 7.

This installs .NET 4.7.2 only on the Windows 7 PC, not on Windows 11.

  1. Whether to connect the Windows 7 PC to the internet

There are two options to get .NET 4.7.2 onto the Windows 7 machine:

  • Using the USB drive (as above):
    • No need to connect Windows 7 to the internet.
    • Uses the installer already downloaded on Windows 11.
  • Downloading directly on Windows 7:
    • Connect Windows 7 to the internet.
    • Use a browser on Windows 7 to download the .NET 4.7.2 installer from the Microsoft site.

Either method is valid. Using the USB drive avoids putting Windows 7 online if that is a concern.

  1. About running the installer on Windows 11

The “Do you want this program to make changes to this computer?” prompt is the standard User Account Control (UAC) prompt that appears for any installer. Selecting Yes would install .NET 4.7.2 on Windows 11. If the goal is only to update the Windows 7 machine, it is not necessary to run the installer on Windows 11 at all; just copy it to USB and use it on Windows 7.

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