How to...
Installing SPSS on your PC
This is a step by step guide to installing the statistical program SPSS.
Before you start
To perform the installation you will need:
- The SPSS installer and serial number both of which are available on the IT Services web site at sussex.ac.uk/its/spss (login required)
- Administration rights on the PC
- An internet connection
Note: This document contains screen shots taken from a typical installation on a Windows PC.
Installation
Extract (unzip) the downloaded file, then double-click on the IBM SPSS Statistics 25 installer package. Installation should start automatically and display the SPSS installation menu, shown below. Then follow these step by step instructions:
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Wait until the InstallShield Wizard window is displayed |
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Read the information Click Next > |
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Select Authorised User and click Next > |
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Read the License Agreement If you agree, select I accept the terms in the license agreement Click Next > |
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Enter IT Services for your User Name and University of Sussex for Organisation Click on Next > |
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Select the language for Help pages Click on Next > |
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If you use JAWS screen reader software and want to use it with SPSS, choose Yes. If you don't use JAWS or aren't sure, choose No. Click on Next > |
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Choose if you want to install Python for use with SPSS - choose Yes if you aren't sure. Click on Next > |
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Click Change if you want to change the destination folder where SPSS will be installed The default destination folder will be fine for most installations Click on Next > |
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Click on Install The SPSS installation will take several minutes |
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Wait until the installation is complete Click on Next > |
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At this stage you may be prompted to restart your computer to complete the installation - choose to restart and then wait while your computer reboots and finishes installing SPSS. When the installation has finished, go to Start > All Programs > IBM SPSS Statistics and choose the License Authorisation Wizard |
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To obtain your licence via the internet, make sure your internet connection is working and select License my product now and click Next > |
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Enter the SPSS for Windows version 25 authorisation code that you got from our SPSS page (login needed. Link opens in new window and you will need to login to fetch the code if you have not already done so) Click on Next > |
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You should see this screen when SPSS licensing has been successful Click Next > If you do not see this screen, you may have entered the code incorrectly, try clicking < Back and re-entering the authorisation code |
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Your copy of SPSS has now been successfully installed and licensed Remember that you will have to renew the codes each year, in July The new codes are put on our SPSS page (login needed) as soon as we receive them. Click on Finish > |
Installing on a Mac
The screenshots above are on a PC but if you install on a Mac, you will find the process is very similar. First download the Mac dmg file from our SPSS page, open the file and double-click the SPSS_Statistics_Installer. When the installation is complete, you probably won't have to restart your Mac but you will then need to license the program by opening the Finder and going to Applications > IBM > SPSS > Statistics > 25 and launching the License Authorisation Wizard. The licence authorisation screens on the Mac are almost identical to the PC versions shown above.
Other Resources
A full set of SPSS manuals are available in our how to guides.
created on 2010-02-03 by Patricia O-Brien
last updated on 2020-07-28 by Alexander Butler