1. Window/Desktop Application Testing
Testing in general can be categorized into Windows Application Testing and Web
Application testing. Windows Application Testing is subcategorized into Desktop
testing and Client Server Application Testing. Though, the concept of testing and
its requirements remain the same across testing in general, the elements of
testing differ in each category.
For example, Windows Application Testing is simpler in nature as testers have
control over the application and the maximum complexity is in testing through
the intranets where the number of clients and servers are known whereas web
application testing is more complicated as the tester does not have much control
over the applications as different browsers, platforms run the application
A comparison chart between Desktop, Client Server and Web Applications
Desktop
Client Server Application Web Application
Application
Single tier
2 tier application 3 tier application
application
Application
Application runs in two or Application runs in two or more
runs in single
more systems systems
system
Single user Limited number of users Unlimited number of users
Connection exists until Disconnected mode (stateless) –
logout management of cookies
Application is menu driven Application is URL driven
Many issues exist like hardware
Known network issues in
compatibility, browser
case of intranet as number
compatibility, version
of clients and servers are
compatibility, security issues,
known
performance issues
Known users Unknown users
10 things to remember in Testing of Windows Application
Understanding the Important functionality of the Application

2. Identifying the High-risk module of the Application
Identifying the most visible functionality of the Application
Identifying the high security functionality of the Application
Identifying the functionality of the largest financial Impact of the
Application
Identifying the most import aspects of the Application
Identifying the modules of code complexity in terms of error incidents
Collecting Developers view of high risk aspects of the application
Listing out Problem areas which could cause Worst Publicity
Identifying Problem areas which could cause most customer service
complaints
Let’s have discussed various types of testing carried out during windows
application testing.
1. Install/uninstall Testing
The Application is tested for full along with partial, or upgrades install/uninstall
procedures on different platforms under different operating systems operating
under different hardware, software environment. The below checklist was written
by ‘Devankur Thakur’ ,when I search for it
Checklist for testing Install/uninstall Testing
Support of the different platforms and configurations needed?
Does the installer is able to calculate needed disk space?
Does the installer capturing the baseline free space before launching the
installer?
Does the amount of space the installer claims it needs for the various type
of installation is actually taken up or is there any discrepancy?
How much disk space is used by the installer if the installation is quit
midway (this would help gathering information on temp files that’s deleted
on quitting).
Does the installation recover in case an error is met during the installation?
Does the installer able to Repair any corrupt installation?
If the application installed properly for each type of installation (for typical,
custom and complete)?

3. Does Installation over network working?
If any file association is made during installation, upon uninstallation, does
the association is removed and the base file association is returned to the
files?
Does running the installer, followed by launching the program to run some
tests, and then running the uninstaller, also return your machine to the
base state?
Does uninstallation leave any registry entry, data files in the system?
If there exists a version of the app to be installed already on the machine,
does the installer identify that?
Does the installer identify if some needed components (such as, MSDE etc.)
are already installed on the system?
Does running two instances of the installer should prompt a message to the
user that an installation setup is already running?
If the user logged in, doesn’t have write permission for the machine, how
installation reacts to this?
What happens if the installer tries to install to a directory where there is no
write access?
Is the installation path configurable/non configurable?
Check to ensure that when installing the product, it should provide a
browse button which enables the user to install at any folder, and it should
provide by default folder (For ex: C:program files)
Is the registering and un-registering the components (dlls) on installation
and uninstallation is occurring properly?
Are all the files installed in the respective folders and path?
Whether all the files/registry values/services are installed properly.
Check whether the shortcuts are installed properly and also the PATH (any
other ENV variables) is updated properly. (It can be CURRENT USERS profile
or All Users profile based on your requirements).
Does the installation support, 'UnInstall', 'Modify', 'ReInstall' options?? If
yes, does it work?
If the installer is supporting upgrade feature, does it preserve all the
necessary settings (mostly user preferences)?
Check for the user privileges before starting installation. (In most of the
cases, installer requires ADMIN privileges).
Check the uninstaller entry in add-remove programs. (Check for display

4. string, Display icon and Support information etc.).
Does running the installer, and then running the uninstaller, return the
machine to the base state?
Reinstallation should, apart from identifying previous versions, also should
give an option to Remove and Repair.
Check to ensure that license key is properly stored in Windows Registry
library.
Check to ensure that if an evaluation version is installed, then a proper
message should be displayed when the date of period is expired for
evaluation version with proper error message.
Check to ensure that, if Windows Services are installed then it should install
in the Services folder of windows directory.
Check to ensure that if any product is installed and it is dependent on some
other product, then it should give proper message as "The Product is not
installed and it should exit". Check for dependencies.
If the product to be installed uses any third party dll and if it is already
installed by some other product confirm that the current installation
doesn’t un-register/tamper it and uses the existing one.
If the dll is already there in the system how does the installation work?
And also while uninstalling, check should be made as to whether that the
shared dll is left without affecting other product.
“Usability” consideration of the installer.
2. Compatibility Testing
This Testing focuses on the software performance in a particular configuration
which might include hardware, software, operating system and network
environment and also on cross platform functionality
Upgrade & Backward Compatibility Testing
In any software program, new releases or new versions are inevitable.
Organization spends lots of money and resources to improvise the existing
software. Continuous improvisation is necessary for any software product so that
they can remain competitive in the market. On an average, every software is
upgraded at least once in every year.
This arises the need of testing different aspect of software known as Backward

5. and Upgrade testing. Considerable efforts are spent in making sure that software
can be upgraded without affecting user in any adverse ways. With every new
version of the product, one of the main criteria should be to make sure that
whatever efforts user have spent on the older version, should not be wasted.
Though Backward and Upgrade testing are different, but both are very much
similar as you will understand in the following section.
Backward Testing
Testing that ensures that new version of the product continues to work with the
assets created from older product is known as Backward compatibility testing. For
example, consider a simple case of Excel worksheet. Suppose you have created a
very complex excel sheet to track your projects schedule, resources, expenses,
future plans etc. Now if you upgrade from Excel 2000 to Excel 2003 and some of
the functions stop working, you will not be delighted with this. So crux of the
Backward compatibility testing is to make sure that assets created using older
version should continue to work. In cases where it is not possible to use assets
created by older versions due to any reason, then proper migration path should
be given to the user so that they can migrate smoothly from old version to new
version.
Upgrade Testing
Scope of upgrade testing becomes a bit broader than backward compatibility
testing. In upgrade testing, apart from making sure that assets created with older
versions can be used properly, we also make sure that user's learning is not
challenged. We also make sure that upgrade process is simple and users do not
have to invest lots of time and resources to upgrade the product. Following items
can be included in upgrade testing, but not limited to Upgraded product should
continue to work with the same version of old component. For example, upgrade
of your product should not force user to upgrade their database as well.
As far as possible, look and feel of the product should be changed incrementally
so user feel comfortable with the upgraded product as well.
Same terminology should be used wherever possible.
Old functionality should remain intact, it should not be dropped until unless you
have business reasons to drop it.

6. 3. Interoperability Testing
4. Smoke Testing – This testing is a generalized test of the functionality without
getting into the core functionality in depth.
5. Sanity testing – Testing used for determining if the application is sane enough
to be considered for a Test effort. If application crashes during initial use then
the system is considered unstable for further testing and build or application is
assigned for Build fix or Application fix.
6. GUI or Interface Testing
In software or application, if look and feel is not good then customer will not
attract to buy your product or application. In this case your interface must be
tested very properly.
Checklist for GUI or Interface Testing
The entire spell should be correct on interface
The entire tab index should be proper
All the alignment of label and other fields should be proper
All the mandatory fields should mark with astric (*) sign or some
mandatory indication should be there
All the menu items and buttons should have short cut keys to access it
functionality
All over application’s CSS and interface design should be same
Tool tip of the elements should be proper
7. Unit testing – Unit testing deals with the testing parameters of the program as
a independent functional unit.
8. Functional Testing
While matter comes to functionality of the application, it must work proper.
For selling the application or product also. Think you are going to give demo of
your product to client and if it gets crash then think… how shame!!! So in any
condition, your functionality should work proper. This type of testing ignores
the internal parts of an application and focuses on the output generation
matching the requirement. This is a Black-box type testing improvised to cater
to the functional requirements of an application

7. Checklist for Functional Testing in Desktop application
Check all your buttons should work proper
Check all your menu items should work proper along with shortcuts
Check database entry if any
Check all the business rules
Test forms in all pages along with validation, default values, wrong field
inputs etc
Check print functionality if any
Check reports if any
9. Integration testing – This testing cross checks integrated modules to verify
combined functionality after integration. Modules are typically code modules,
individual applications, client and server applications on a network, etc. This
type of testing is especially relevant to client/server and distributed systems.
10.Incremental integration testing - This testing adopts the Bottom up approach
for testing i.e repetitive testing of an application as enhancement to
functionality is done. This testing is mandatory on enhancements and patch
applications. Application functionality and modules should be stand-alone to
test separately. This testing can be done either by programmers or can be
undertaken by testers.
11.System testing – The entire functionality of the system is tested as per the
system requirement documents. This is also a Black-box testing that is based
on overall requirements specifications, which covers integrated parts of a
system.
12.Acceptance testing - Normally this type of testing is done to verify if system
meets the customer specified requirements. The End user is the entity who
determines the functionality meeting their requirements.
13.Regression testing – This Testing applies to the application in totality for the
modification in any part of functionality. Automation tools provide the needed
support in this testing as it is difficult for the human tester to cover all aspects
of regression

8. 14.Usability testing
This is a critical part of testing concentrating on User-friendliness. The
Application’s flow is tested on terms of ease of use, help documentation
availability at appropriate instances. Basically system navigation is checked in
this testing.
Checklist for Usability Testing in Desktop application
Check all the navigation of the pages should work proper
Verify content of the application
Verify if any documentation like help file is there then its content
Verify easiness of the application with respect to end user
15.Alpha testing – In this testing, an In house virtual user environment is created
similar to the implementation environment. This testing is done at the end of
the development cycle. Scope for slight design changes exists at this phase of
testing
16.Beta testing – This Testing is typically performed by end-users or users outside
the purview of the project. This marks the final testing before releasing
application for commercial purpose
17.Comparison testing – The product strength in terms of functionality with
respect to competitor products and in case of version or release, the
comparison to the existing version in terms of change request.
18.Performance testing – Can be subjectively called as load or stress testing
depending on the application to be tested. The purpose of this test is to check
whether system meets performance requirements.
19.Stress testing - System is stressed beyond its specifications to check the cause
and incidence of failure. This testing is performed under heavy load by
subjecting the application to huge information beyond storage capacity,
performing complex database queries, Rapid and continuous input or
requesting heavy retrieval of information from the database.
20.Load testing - It is a type of performance testing to check the system’s
behavior under load. The application is subjected to heavy loads to determine

9. the system’s response time and the point of degradation and failure to
perform the intended functionality.
21.Security testing – This testing is done to check if the system can be penetrated
by any hacking methods. It is the security testing process on the reaction of
the system against possible unauthorized internal or external access. The
Testing concentrates on the system and the database security against external
attacks.