I am trying to install Lotus Notes 8.5.1 client on a Windows XP client. When it gets to the part where you can change the location on where you want the data and program files, the “Change” buttons are greyed out, and the path is pointing to the defaults of lotus\notes and lotus\notes\data There is already a a Notes 6.5 client installed in these directories and the greyed out button is preventing me from changing it. I should be able to install two different versions on the same machine if I keep them in different directories right. Can anyone out there please let me know whats gone wrong here?Thank You!
Subject: Change button greyed out when installing 8.5.1 client
After launching the install, take note of the directory that it defaults to …usually C:\program files\lotus\notes and c:\program files\lotus\notes\data.
Close the installer.
Rename those directories to something else.
Launch the installer again.
Now the buttons will not be greyed out and you can choose the correct location.
Rename the directories back, if appropriate.
Good luck!
Subject: It worked
Thank yoo, that worked. Don’t know why we need to do that, but it worked!! I also had to recreate the shortcut icons.
Thanks!
Subject: I guess most users never use more than one clientversion at a time…
It has actually been like this for a while (can’t remember exactly when this “feature” was introduced) and since I need (as a consultant) to have a multitude of versions installed I have had to use the beforementioned “trick” a while…
It seems to have coincided with the increased amount of crap added to the registry when installing. When I started using notes (way back when) it was completely “portable” and the only thing one needed to worry about when moving an “installation” was to make sure it was the same windowsversion so DLL’s and such would match.
But that time is long since gone and any current (properly made) installation does indeed “lock” the possibility to change path thus only enabling “upgrade” to any previously installed version…
And with any hindrance comes a multitude of workarounds 
Subject: Try this method instead…
Running Notes 7 and Notes 8 clients on the same machine…
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create a file system copy of my notes 7 directory to say C:\Lotus\Notes7 (including the data dir)
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upgrade my R7 client to R8.
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create a shortcut to C:\Lotus\Notes7\nlnotes.exe to start the Notes7 client (after launching the R8 one).
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Create the shortcut and edit the field Target to: C:\Lotus\Notes7\nlnotes.exe “=C:\Lotus\Notes7\notes.ini”
Also you have to edit the lines in Notes.ini where is referred to the datadirectory (This should be c:\lotus\Notes7\data.…).