Windows 7 - Google Chat

Good Day to all you tech wizards on the forum:

The problem I have is not related directly to Windows 7, although there may be some connection of which I'm not aware. I've tried going through the various Google forums and all I get in reponse is basicall a big "Huh?" Since many of you folks are very technically literate you are my last option.

Recently my wife asked me to install a webcam so she could see her new grandaughter in real time. I installed a Logitech C260 camera and it seems to be working fine. (I can see my bleary-eyed self in the morning with unkempt hair and unshaven face, in my housecoat with a cigarette dangling from my mouth.) I then set up an account for her on gmail which is the program her daughter uses.

After opening her gmail page, I then went to the chat icon, opened the drop-down window, and clicked to install the voice & video app. The downloader went through it's routine and informed me that the app had been installed. When I tried to use it to initiate a call I got routed back to the installation window. After much dicking around with this I clicked on the "problems with download" link and this time I got the Windows banner asking me if I wanted to install the download. I clicked on yes and got the window asking me if I wanted to run the program, to which I replied run. Back to gmail. Same thing. I get routed to the app installation screen. I checked my add-ons manager and it shows the app as being installed. I checked my Revo uninstaller and the icon for video chat shows up there. I then tried to install the program from the saved downloads folder and I get a message the the Google installer failed for an unknown reason. ????

I've been messing with this thing for three days and I'm at a loss. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Full Disclosure: I am not familiar with the intricacies of Google's labyrinthine social networking apps (I use the computer as a tool, not a toy) or, for that matter, any other social networking site, it may be that I have missed some small tweak or failed to sign in to one of their hundreds of personal data gathering apps to get this thing operational. I have tried some Google apps in the past (including gmail) and found them to be complete disasters so maybe the system just recognizes me as a Google hater and therefore refuses to co-operate.

Best Regards
Powell Lucas