I had some one help me get an older version of blender 2.69 and I also have the newest one 2.71, how do I switch between the two…I have the blender icon on my desk top but when I open it, it is the old version…how do I get a 2.71 icon on my desk top…is it possible.??
Use a zip file version of one of them, and extract it to the location you want it in, possibly a folder under the same directory next to your other install. Rename the shortcut in the new folder to show the version, and then create a desktop short cut to it. This way, you can use both versions side by side.
Are you on Windows and which one?
Windows 64 bit…could you walk through it step by step…I am preflex age has something to do with it.
when I open the 6.9 version next to 7.1 version in my hard drive I get three folders in 6.9 Datafiles, python, and scripts where do I go from there?
I install with the installer and then have a directory for Blender Foundation - in there, I have a 2.71 folder, so I add a new folder for 2.69 and unzip to that location. I then right click the blender.exe and rename it 2.69, and then right click and choose 'send to desktop(create desktop shortcut), and this gives me the ability to run 2.71 and 2.69 side by side. I do this also with all the Graphicall builds I download as well.
are you using windows 8 or 7
I have both 2.69 and 2.71 in a separate folder extracted from the zip files.
I simply create a shortcut for both ‘blender.exe’ files in the respective directory. Name them appropriately and copy the shortcuts to the desktop, job done. 
I have windows 7…
Earlier you wrote
when I open the 6.9 version next to 7.1 version in my hard drive I get three folders in 6.9 Datafiles, python, and scripts
You’ve gone too far. back up one folder. Now look for a file called Blender.exe. Right click on it and choose make shortcut. Windows will probably say, “can’t put it here, put it on the desktop?” Say yes, and afterwards go straight to the desktop and change the name of the shortcut, adding the number of the version whose folder you were in when you made the shortcut. Repeat this process for the other Blender folders.
If this does not work then what do you have in these locations:
C:\Program Files\Blender Foundation?
and/or
C:\Program Files\Blender Foundation\Blender?
I am trying to determine how many versions of Blender you have installed.
you can as many SVN as independent build
but only one installed one!
if you want independent start up file you can also make a new start folder for each SVN and it wont use your installed start up file!
happy bl