Installing & Upgrading Software

Omour Ali BTEC National Diploma IT & Business
Installing & Upgrading Software
Installing
&
Upgrading software
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Table of content
Potential prompt ..........................................................................................................3
Potential Risks of Installing or Upgrading Software................................................4
Advantages and Disadvantages of Installation or upgrade......................................4
Advantages ................................................................................................................5
Disadvantages.............................................................................................................5
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Introduction: ICT Technician has different roles and responsibility on
maintaining computer system. Installation and upgrading software has many
responsibilities in order to reduce any potential risks. A computer system relays on
combination of software in order that to communicate with the hardware and other
system components. Logically the system to interact with the hardware the software
needs to be installed correctly to use it for different purposes. The software need to be
configured to the systems requirement so it performs precisely and meet for purposes.
The primary purpose of installing & upgrading software is to perform in better way
and improve systems interaction. However different criteria need to be considered
before installing or upgrading new software. It could be the right version of software,
additional features/functions, systems requirements for the software to run etc.
Admittedly installing and upgrading software has differences in between them.
Installing software normally means installing a new software into the system and
upgrading software means that the installed software is been upgrading to latest
version.
Potential prompt
New software should be beneficial for the system and the business purpose. It should
improve system reliability, business operation by adding the new features and
functions. It should meet the business needs and operations. It must be compatible
with the system and other software.
A new software will have better reliability, functions and features for the business
requirements. It will perform better task and better labour and better interaction. An
old system such as accounts system SAGA will have less functionality and features. It
will have less information about employees, finance, TAX, VAT to input. SAGA 50
Accounts Plus has many new features then old version. It includes money flow, error
corrections, a head plan, additional payment methods, improved bank reconciliation
etc. that allows the accountants to manage the accounting system of the business
effectively. It allows them to process more data quickly which increases the business
growth. It can be done quicker and accurately without making any major mistakes.
A gaming or multimedia industry may need to upgrade to new graphics processor so
they can produce high quality of graphics. Old graphics processor will have limited
features of graphics and video handling capacity that will prevent them to produce
high quality graphics. Surprisingly it results in losing money, competitions and
business mission statements. Upgrading to a new graphics card will allow the industry
to produce better or high quality graphics. However new graphics software need to be
installed for to create high quality graphics and use the new graphics processors
features. In this case organisation loses money and efforts by training the user,
maintenance, software licensing etc costs. Alternatively the new system and software
will be beneficial for the business purpose because it will allow to-do more task, work
and better quality products. It will help the business operation, employers and
productivity growth.
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Potential Risks of Installing or Upgrading Software
Unfortunately installing and upgrading software involves many risks that can results
data loss. Before going ahead for installing or upgrading, it is important to work out
the consequences of installing or upgrading the software. To reduce the risks from
disaster the technician must work out an alternative route in case if any major error
occurs. Evidently risks could be the loss of data, system corruption, and system
failure, alteration or modification of systems configuration etc. However this could
cause from different factors.
1. Security threats
2. Data loss
3. Incorrect installation
Security: During the installation of software that has been downloaded from the
Internet could have a security threat to the system. It could result in system disaster. A
virus could wipe out the hard drive or infect the system data and performance. It can
damage, alter, corrupt, and modify any sensitive data. Keyloggers can transfer
important or personal data to third parties and a computer hacker. During installation
process a Spyware can easily be installed into the system so unauthorised user can see
or know the activity within the system.
Loss Data: Data loss is a huge risk on installation or upgrading software process.
The data can get lose, corrupted, and altered by any virus. It can be modified or over
written during upgrading the software to a new version.
Incorrect installation: Surprisingly during software installation process, it is
possible to choose the wrong installation by not paying enough attention by not
reading the dialog box appropriately. Apparently installation wizard will install the
setup in default setting so the correct installation needs to be selected by the user
according to systems requirements. Incidentally the consequences of incorrect
installation could outcome in various inconveniences such as preventing from
working, system response or operation, changes of user area directory etc. Incorrect
Installation could alter or modified any system configurations e.g. Installing Dark
GDK will need to install DirectX SDK and Visual C# Express Edition. Unfortunately
the application will not operate if installation progress in wrong way. Wrong
installation also can block or remove system drivers.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Installation or
upgrade
The most important purpose of installing or upgrading software is to help the business
operation by changing work station or working environment. New or upgraded
software should have better impact in the business and should allow performing better
task and improving interaction with the system. Although installing new software has
many advantages, but predicatively it also has many disadvantages that can have
major impact on the business.
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Advantages
Ergonomically: Installing new software can improve interaction between systems
more effectively. It will improve ergonomically issue that concerns many end-users.
The new software should have better accessibility. It could have a different way of
interaction such as MS Office 2007 is different from Office 2003 although it has the
same purpose. It could be that many people find 2003 is better to work in then 2007.
Better functionality: New or upgraded software could have added functions and
features that will allow the system to perform better and it could allow performing
better task for business. Upgrading windows 2000 to Windows Vista will improve the
business and users communication. Windows vista will have better functions and
features to work effectively. It has better user control facility and better security that
can help securing the system.
Better reliability: Installing new software can have better reliability so it won’t
give a lot of trouble. It can allow faster processing, loading and quicker response from
the system. There’ll be less chance of software crash or data loss. New software will
enable to do more tasks quicker whereas old system can prevent that from happening.
Better compatibility: Installing new software could improve the compatibility. It
will give comfort to the end-user to interact with. User interface will be improved.
New software will have multiple ways of navigation tools so the user can do a task
quicker.
New features: New features can enable and accelerate the tasks a system
performs. Windows vista has the search feature that allows the user to find any
documents, or applications by typing the word.
Legislation: It could be a legal requirement for many purposes. The data need to be
secure and up to date. Any system that deals with personal data it needs to be secured.
Security software is needed to be installed and it should be kept up to date.
Increase productivity: Installing new software will improve productivity. It will
facilitate to gain more growth for the business by increasing productivity. Fortunately
communication will improve and large business data could be maintained effectively.
Logically the processing will be faster so the business runs quicker. Most common
example could be that an EPOS system can help a supermarket to take transactions,
calculate, track orders, supply, track stocks level in one system.
Disadvantages
System failure: Installing new software can result in system failure. System might
fail to operate and communicate with other system because server doesn’t recognise it
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correctly. The organisation will face a disaster if the system fails to operate. It can
stop internal and external operation until problems have been solved.
Data loss: The installation process could delete or remove any important data from
the system. Data can get modified or destroyed so a backup data is needed. However
it will cost time and efforts to restore the data. User area or network drive might
change.
Cost effective: Introducing a new system can cost money and effort. The end-user
has to be trained so they get familiar with the new system. Users have to get used to
the new system that takes time. If a new server installed then it need to be maintained
according to business needs. The technician has to be trained to maintain the new
system so there is new labour cost involved.
Operation Failure: Installing new software such as an OS can prevent the system
from operating. The system might change the network routes. User might not find
their work into their user area.
Error committing: Installing or upgrading software could generate many errors
that can affect the system and the working environment. The email system may not
work properly. The system hardware such as sound device may not operate so new
driver need to be installed. Some software may not be suitable for the system so the
system will crash more often. Upgrading to a new version could change the systems
behaviour.
Conclusion: - It is important to install software for the system to operate
effectively and help to do a better task. Software that is already installed which need
to be upgraded so it uses the latest features and functions. It is a way of keeping up
with the new technology and keeping the system up to date. However before installing
the software it is important to check the systems compatibility and the systems
specification. Apparently some software requirements are high so many old systems
won’t be able to run the software e.g. Windows XP with minimum RAM size 512MB.
Unfortunately software will not run if the requirement hasn’t met correctly. Although
installing progress could take time, effort and money. Alternatively those issues could
be solving by creating an installation plan. Before starting the installation process all
data should have backup copies in order to avoid disaster. Start the installation
carefully and follow the prompts so correct setup is installed. It is important to
identify the need of software installation and how will it benefit the organisation
differently for the same business purpose.
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Installing & Upgrading Software

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