Please make sure you have a copy of the activation key information prior to running Stata for the first time.
Note that the product you are installing is Stata/SE.

Download the STATA installer and read the installation instructions for your operating system:
Please note you will be asked to log in with your netid and password to download the binaries.

Windows Installer	|	Windows Installation Instructions
Mac Installer	|	Mac Installation Instructions
64 bit Linux Installer	|




Save the installer and note where you have saved it.

Follow the installation instructions using the access codes provided to you separately. (You need those codes.)

When Stata is installed on your machine, delete the file that you downloaded.

Please do not share STATA. Our site licence is limited and sharing the licence information will jeopardize use of the licence.

If you run into problems or have questions about installing Stata, please contact the ECS Helpdesk by sending email to: helpdesk@econ.duke.edu

• Double click on the downloaded SetupStata18.exe

• You may get a security warning when opening the file. It can be ignored.

• Click 'Next'

• Read and accept the software license agreement.

• The installer will display options for personalizing your installation and making Stata accessible to all users who share your computer. We recommend you accept the default choices, click Next to continue.

• At the Select Executable step, choose '64-bit Stata/SE' if it is available. If not, choose '32-bit Stata/SE'. Choosing a version of Stata/SE is important.

• The installer will ask you where you want to install Stata.

  • We recommend that you choose the default directory.

  • Click Next.

• The installer will then ask you where you want to set the default working directory.

  • The default working directory is the default location for your datasets, graphs, and other Stata-related files.

  • We recommend that you choose Use Each User's Document Folder.

  • When you have chosen a default working directory, click Next to begin the installation.

• When the installation is complete, click on Finish to exit the installer.

Initialize the License (Important)

You now need to start Stata and initialize the license. Go to the Stata 18 program group in the Start menu, and click on the Stata/SE icon.

You need to enter the licensing information you received from your class. You must enter the Serial number, Code, and Authorization as provided. If you have them electronically (e.g. on the class web site), they can be copied and pasted. If you type them, be careful. Anything that looks like "o" is the letter oh, anything like "0" is a zero, and anything like "1" is the number one, and anything like "L" is the letter el. They are not case sensitive.

If you make a mistake typing the codes, you will get the message "The serial number, code and authorization are inconsistent." Try the initialization again.

Update Stata

Stata is often updated with new and improved features. You should update Stata regularly.

The first time Stata is launched, a dialog will open asking you if you would like to check for updates now. Click on OK to do so. If an update is available, follow the instructions. If you have trouble connecting to the Internet from Stata, visit http://www.stata.com/support/faqs/web/ for help.

By default, automatic update checking is enabled. This ensures that your Stata is up to date, it is convenient, and it causes no problems even if you are not connected to the Internet. If you disable automatic update checking, it is a good idea to periodically check for updates to Stata. See [GSW] 19 Updating and extending Stata--Internet functionality for more information about updating.

Other ways to start Stata

You can start Stata in multiple ways:

• From the Start menu
• Double-click on its application icon (as with any other application).
• Double-click on a Stata do-file. See [GSW] 13 Using the Do-file Editor--automating Stata and [U] 18 Do-files for more information.
• Double-click on a Stata data file. Stata data files are files created by Stata and have the extension .dta. When you double-click on a Stata data file, Stata is started and the data file is loaded into Stata; see [GSW] 5 Opening and saving Stata datasets.

If, after successfully installing STATA/SE and initializing the licence, you experience any problems, see Getting Started with Stata for Windows and read the chapter onTroubleshooting Stata.

Exiting Stata

To exit Stata, select Exit from the File menu or press Alt+F4. If you have made any changes to the data in your dataset, including creating a new dataset, you will be prompted to save the changes.

If you exit Stata by typing the equivalent exit command, you will see the following in the Results window if you have made changes to your data:

. exit
no; data in memory would be lost
r(4);

If you would like to save your changes, you could save the dataset as you save any other file by using File > Save or Ctrl+S. You can also save the dataset by typing save filename. You could then type exit again, and Stata will exit. If you do not wish to save your changes, you can force Stata to exit without saving the dataset by typing exit, clear.

• Double click on the downloaded Stata18.dmg
• This will open a disk image. In the window that opens, double click on Install Stata.pkg.
• You may get a warning about running an application downloaded from the internet. If you do, click Open.
• After reading the Introduction, click Continue.
• After you have read the software license agreement, click on Continue.
• If you agree to the license agreement, click Agree.
• Uncheck the Stata/IC Package and click the checkbox for the Stata/Se Package. This is important.
• Click Continue.
• If you wish to change the folder that Stata will install to, click the Change Install Location. We recommend installing into the default location.
• Click the Install button.
• If you would like to add Stata to the Dock, click the Yes button. Otherwise, click No
• Click on Close after you see the message that the installation was successful.

Initialize the License

You now need to start Stata so that you can initialize the license. If you added the icon to your doc, click on the Stata doc Icon to launch, otherwise double click the StataSE icon in your Applications folder.

You need to enter the licensing information you received from your class. You must enter the Serial number, Code, and Authorization as provided. If you have them electronically (e.g. on the class web site), they can be copied and pasted. If you type them, be careful. Anything that looks like "o" is the letter oh, anything like "0" is a zero, and anything like "1" is the number one, and anything like "L" is the letter el. They are not case sensitive.

If you make a mistake typing the codes, you will get the message "The serial number, code and authorization are inconsistent." Try the initialization again.

Update Stata if Necessary

Stata is often updated with new and improved features. You should update Stata regularly.

The first time Stata is launched, a dialog will open asking you if you would like to check for updates now. Click on OK to do so. If an update is available, follow the instructions. If you have trouble connecting to the Internet from Stata, visit http://www.stata.com/support/faqs/web/ for help.

By default, automatic update checking is enabled. This ensures that your Stata is up to date, it is convenient, and it causes no problems even if you are not connected to the Internet. If you disable automatic update checking, it is a good idea to periodically check for updates to Stata. See [GSW] 19 Updating and extending Stata--Internet functionality for more information about updating.

Other ways to start Stata

You can start Stata in multiple ways:

• Double-click on its application icon (as with any other application).
• Double-click on a Stata do-file. See [GSW] 18 Using the Do-file Editor--automating Stata and [U] 18 Do-files for more information.
• Double-click on a Stata data file. Stata data files are files created by Stata and have the extension .dta. When you double-click on a Stata data file, Stata is started and the data file is loaded into Stata; see [GSW] 5 Opening and saving Stata datasets.

If, after successfully installing STATA/SE and initializing the licence, you experience any problems, see Getting Started with Stata for Mac and read the chapter onTroubleshooting Stata.

Exiting Stata

To exit Stata, select Exit from the File menu or press Alt+F4. If you have made any changes to the data in your dataset, including creating a new dataset, you will be prompted to save the changes.

If you exit Stata by typing the equivalent exit command, you will see the following in the Results window if you have made changes to your data:

. exit
no; data in memory would be lost
r(4);

If you would like to save your changes, you could save the dataset as you save any other file by using File > Save or Ctrl+S. You can also save the dataset by typing save filename. You could then type exit again, and Stata will exit. If you do not wish to save your changes, you can force Stata to exit without saving the dataset by typing exit, clear.