Install Software Application
Install Software Application
Administration
Level I
Based on March 2022, Curriculum Version 1
September, 2022
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Contents
Acknowledgment .......................................................................................................................................... 3
Unit one: Determine software and upgrade requirements .......................................................................... 6
1.1. Document and report client requirements................................................................................ 7
1.2. Act on instructions to meet client requirements..................................................................... 14
Self-check-1............................................................................................................................................ 20
Unit Two: Obtain Software or Software upgrade ...................................................................................... 21
2.1 Software that conform to the organization need .................................................................... 22
2.2 Licensing requirements ............................................................................................................ 25
Self-check-2............................................................................................................................................ 31
Unit Three: Install or Upgrade Software .................................................................................................... 33
3.1 Installing New or Upgrading Software ................................................................................... 34
3.1.1 Upgrading software........................................................................................................... 34
3.1.2 Installing Software ............................................................................................................ 36
3.2 Complete installation process with minimal disruption ........................................................ 39
3.2.1 Minimal Disruption to the client...................................................................................... 39
3.2.2 Test Procedures ................................................................................................................. 40
3.3 Verify client requirements and client satisfaction.................................................................. 41
Self-check-3............................................................................................................................................ 42
Operation sheet 3.1:Download and Install office 2016 ...................................................................... 43
Installing on Windows ......................................................................................................................... 43
Operation sheet 3.2: Install application Program .............................................................................. 47
Lap Test ................................................................................................................................................. 49
Reference ............................................................................................................................................... 50
OS – Operating System
CD – Compact Disk
Computer software is a collection of computer programs and related data that provide the
instructions for telling a computer what to do and how to do it. In other words, software is a
conceptual entity which is a set of computer programs, procedures, and associated documentation
concerned with the operation of a data processing system. We can also say software refers to one
or more computer programs and data held in the storage of the computer for some purposes. In
other words software is a set of programs, procedures, algorithms and its documentation.
Computer software has facilitated the interaction between human beings and computers. What are
the different kinds of software? Software refers to the computer programs, procedures and
documentation that perform certain tasks on a computer system. Following is an extensive list of
examples of the different kinds of software.
I. Application Software: Application software is that, which is designed for the end-users
and hence known as end-user programs. It employs the capabilities of a computer to
execute the tasks that the user wishes to perform on a computer system. Look at the
various examples of application software.
II. Educational Software: They are used to deliver tests and track progress. They are used
for educational purposes. Training management and classroom management software are
some examples of educational software. The software used for purposes of edutainment,
a form of entertainment that aims at educating the masses, is also a form of educational
software.
III. Enterprise Software: It caters to the needs of organization processes and data flow.
Customer relationship management and supply chain management software are the well-
known examples of enterprise software. Enterprise infrastructure software supports the
enterprise software systems.
IV. Information Worker Software: It caters to the needs of an individual to manage
information pertaining to a project or a single department. Resource management
software and documentation tools are some of the popularly used information worker
software.
V. Media Development Software: They are used for the generation of print and electronic
media in the educational and commercial sector. Image organizers and image editing
To be used efficiently, all computer software needs certain hardware components or other software
resources to be present on a computer. These pre-requisites are known as system requirements and
are often used as a guideline as opposed to an absolute rule. Most software defines two sets of
system requirements: minimum and recommended.
i. Minimum specifications are the absolute minimum requirements for hardware you
should have in your system in order to install and run the OS you have chosen.
ii. Recommended hardware specifications are what you should have in your system to
realize usable performance.
iii. Always try to have the recommended hardware (or better) in your system. If you don’t,
you may have to upgrade your hardware before you upgrade your OS.
iv. Make sure you have a good margin between your system’s performance and the
minimum requirements.
v. Always run Windows on more hardware, rather than less!
vi. Recommended requirements are almost always of a significantly higher level than the
minimum requirements, and represent the ideal situation in which to run the software.
Generally speaking this is a better guideline than minimum system requirements in order
to have a fully usable and enjoyable experience with software.
A. Hardware Requirements
B. Software Requirements
Software requirements deal with defining software resource requirements and pre-requisites that
need to be installed on a computer to provide optimal functioning of an application. These
requirements or pre-requisites are generally not included in the software installation package and
need to be installed separately before the software is installed.
i. Platform
In computing, a platform describes some sort of framework, either in hardware or software,
which allows software to run. Typical platforms include a computer's architecture, operating
system, or programming languages and their runtime libraries.
Operating system is one of the first requirements mentioned when defining system
requirements (software). Software may not be compatible with different versions of same
line of operating systems, although some measure of backward compatibility is often
maintained. For example, most software designed for Microsoft Windows XP does not run
on Microsoft Windows 98, although the converse is not always true.
ii. APIs and Drivers
Software making extensive use of special hardware devices, like high-end display adapters,
needs special API or newer device drivers. A good example is DirectX, which is a collection
of APIs for handling tasks related to multimedia, especially game programming, on
Microsoft platforms.
iii. Web Browser
Most web applications and software depending heavily on Internet technologies make use
of the default browser installed on system. Microsoft Internet Explorer is a frequent choice
of software running on Microsoft Windows, which makes use of ActiveX controls, despite
their vulnerabilities.
The installation of new software or a software upgrade involves a number of carefully planned
activities and people who specialize in the installation of computer applications. These activities
begin with the initial request from the client for new software or a software upgrade. Once the
client's request has been evaluated, the computer supports person first analyses:
• The system components including the capabilities of the client's computer
• The processes that manipulate the data
• The current system deficiencies
• The system constraints
• The specific objectives and the performance requirements of the new system
• The corporate desktop software used by the organization.
The next step is to determine and recommend hardware and software components that will satisfy
the client's information needs and comply with the stated constraints. There are two questions that
you must answer before any recommendations can be made.
• Is it possible to solve the problem?
• Can the organization afford to solve the problem?
Other things that need to be considered include timeframe, cost, technical, legal, environmental,
hardware, software, human, organizational and operational implications.
Every client has different needs and therefore there will be considerable variation in the factors
which go towards installing new software or software upgrade. Among these variations are
software, licensing and organizational considerations.
i. Software
Variables for new software and upgrade requirements includes software versions, commercial
software applications, organization-specific software, operating systems, network operating
systems, stand-alone PC systems, word processing, spreadsheets, database, graphics,
communication packages, software installation instructions and manuals and the range of
suppliers. The relationship between you and the client, and ease of access to them, will vary;
There are a number of different people involved in the installation of software, whether it is a
new license or upgrades to existing licenses. The degree of their involvement will depend on the
complexity and extent of software applications being installed.
The main participants in the installation of new software include:
i. Clients or End-Users - the people or group of people for whom the software is being
installed. You interview them in order to find out what software they currently have, and
their information needs.
There are many documents that need to be produced and exchanged between clients and suppliers
of software applications. Two important documents that are exchanged at the initial stages are the
Project Request form and the Feasibility Report. The Project Request form outlines the general
requirements of the client. The Feasibility Report determines if the client's needs can be met.
Included in the Feasibility Report are possible software applications, their costs, benefits and
impact on the organization.
Although the initial request for change may be verbal, it is formalized using a Project Request
form. This is the first official item of documentation that the user must submit to the organization
installing the software. Below is a description and an example of the Project Request Form.
B. Feasibility Report
The first purpose of this report is to describe in detail the business and computer requirements of
the client. Secondly, the person or team installing the software will recommend software and
hardware necessary to successfully fulfill the needs of the client.
This report includes:
• System summary-a small paragraph describing what the current system does
• Project summary-chief user name, support officer's name, scope, start date, end date,
budget
• Current system summary-system description and deficiencies
• New software constraints and assumptions-performance requirements, hardware
constraints, software constraints and any interfaces to other automated systems, backup
and recovery requirements, security and privacy issues
• Performance requirements and acceptance constraints-workload and volume, system
growth, response times, data access and data validation new software alternatives-
description of each alternative
• Improvements to the business-improvements in service, increases in income, reductions in
cost
• New software impacts-hardware, software, organizational and operational
Once a need for software has been identified a requirement specification should be created to
specify what software is required.
For example a business identifies that they need some office productivity software that will do
word processing and spreadsheets. The requirements specification will detail all relevant
information as to how word processing and spreadsheets need to work for the business. Once you
have this information you can then start looking for software.
Once your supervisor has checked and approved the client's software requirements you will need
to obtain the software.
A. Source of software’s
Information available on software products can be accessed from many sources. These sources
have varying degrees of objectivity ranging from the authoritative to the informal. Some of
common sources of information for searching a product are:
• Computer magazines
• Newspapers
• The Internet
• IT consultants
• IT department
• Computer suppliers
Other sources of information may include industry colleagues, contacts and organisations similar
to your own.
Depending on the size and the type of your organization, you will choose one of several different
ways of collecting the software. For example, large organizations usually have a section or a
department which controls purchases and deals only with a selected number of suppliers. In such
cases, you will be provided with a catalogue of available products from which to choose.
Such organizations also use a Purchase Requisition document (usually called a PR book) provided
by the administrative department. You will need to fill in and submit a Purchase Order which also
needs to be signed by your supervisor.
Prerequisites are conditions that will ensure the correct running of a software application.
Software prerequisites may include:
• Specific system requirements such as hardware or operating systems [but these are
listed as system requirements]
• The prior installation of another software package
• Services such as security and access systems, networks, Internet connections, and so
on.
Here are some examples of software prerequisites:
'To browse the World Wide Web using Netscape or other Web browsers, you must have a
connection to an ISP (Internet service provider).'
B. System Incompatibilities
System incompatibilities are mismatches between the software and the system configuration and
or other installed software. System incompatibilities may prevent the software being installed or
prevent the software from operating as expected.
For example, many applications are only available for a single operating system. Some of the
powerful graphic design tools can only be run on the Macintosh platform, whilst many Windows
based applications that you are familiar with do not have versions that can be run on Macintosh or
Linux systems.
Another example is programs that have been written for a specific computer chip. For example
Windows programs are designed and built to run on Intel processors. In order to run on alternative
processors like the Power PC or Alpha processors, the software needs to be ported and compiled
for that machine.
During your investigation of minimum system requirements and prerequisites, it is important to
recognize any incompatibilities with your target systems.
Whenever you install a piece of software on a computer you must ensure that you comply with the
legal obligations outlined in its license agreement. Since a particular piece of software can be
installed in many different environments and used by several users, licensing rules may also vary
to accommodate each environment.
A. Software Licensing
• Is a legal instrument (by way of contract law) governing the usage or redistribution of
software
• Allowing an individual or group to use a piece of software. Nearly all applications are
licensed
• Some are based on the number machines on which the licensed program can run whereas
others are based on the number of users that can use the program
Whenever you install any type of software on a client computer you must record details of the
installation according to organizational policy.
Depending on the organizational guidelines used, required details to be recorded may vary, but at
least the following should be included:
• Name of the software installed
• Version number
• Information whether it is up grade or original software
• License number
• License details
• Vendor name and contact phone number
• Date of installation
• Asset/serial number of the computer on which it is installed
• Name and contact phone number of a person installing the software
A wizard - is a user friendly interactive program designed to simplify and control software
installation. Before you attempt to install any software you must carefully read the installation
instructions provided with the software. Information included in the installation instructions
always lists a detailed description of steps required for correct installation.
It may also contain a list of parameters you will need to supply during installation. For example,
you may be asked to provide an alternative name for a folder where you wish to install the software
or which currently installed programs you would like to link with the new software.
Knowing what is expected from you during installation always simplifies and speeds up the actual
installation process. Installation instructions now are being replaced by installation "wizards".
A wizard is capable of checking technical features of a computer on which it is installed, and
making appropriate changes without user intervention. It is also able to inform you about detected
limitations of the computer system which may cause problems during the installation or operation
of the software. Its interactivity is very basic. That is, it uses simple dialogue boxes where the user
can make a selection, type text or just click a button.
Dialog boxes demonstrate the type of interactivity provided by installation wizards. It is not a full
sequence of an installation wizard but a set of selected screens with options typically provided by
an installation wizard.
Help Desk Staff: Provide timely advice to users (over the phone).
All software developers provide some kind of support for users of their product. The levels of
support vary; some suppliers offer free support, and others may charge some fee for their service.
Also, the same software developers may offer different level of support for each product they sell.
If the software requested by your client is a commercial product, it is recommended that you check
the level of provided support prior to purchasing the software.
To be entitled to any form of support you need to register the software with its developer. To do
this, you can fill in the registration form provided with the software or you can do it online. Online
registration is much faster and much more convenient. However, your customer must have
connection to the Internet. Online registration is often a part of the installation process.
You also have to be aware that whenever you accept conditions specified in the software user's
policy you also agree with the software developer's indemnity. It means that the software developer
is not liable for any damages which could be caused by the software.
It also means that known problems with the software can very likely be resolved by appropriate
advice from the user support section. However, if some unknown problems appear (and that can
happen any time), it is best to report them to the user support team (or Help Desk Staff) and hope
that they will find a solution.
source code is made available under a copyright license. D. Open Source Software
The term upgrade refers to the replacement of a product with a newer version of the same product.
It is most often used in computing and consumer electronics, generally meaning a replacement of
hardware, software or firmware with a newer or better version, in order to bring the system up to
date. Common software upgrades include changing the version of an operating system, of an office
suite, of an anti-virus program, or of various other tools.
A. Risks of Upgrading
Although developers produce upgrades in order to improve a product, there are risks
involved—including the possibility that the upgrade will worsen the product.
Upgrades of hardware involve a risk that new hardware will not be compatible with other
pieces of hardware in a system. For example, an upgrade of RAM may not be compatible
with existing RAM in a computer. Other hardware components may not be compatible
after either an upgrade or downgrade, due to the non-availability of compatible drivers for
the hardware with a specific operating system. Conversely, there is the same risk of non-
compatibility when software is upgraded or downgraded for previously functioning
hardware to no longer function.
Upgrades of software introduce the risk that the new version (or patch) will contain a bug,
causing the program to malfunction in some way or not to function at all Upgrades can also
worsen a product subjectively. A user may prefer an older version even if a newer version
functions perfectly as designed.
B. When Should You Upgrade Your PC Software?
With new versions of the software being released regularly; one of the questions we get
often is how someone should decide whether they should upgrade their software to the
current version. In addition to the cost of the upgrade, which seems to be rising steadily,
there is the hassle factor in using new software - learning the new features or interface, the
bugs that inevitably there and the resulting temporary loss of productivity. When we are
talking about software, we are referring to both the software drivers that guide the operation
of the computer components as well as the application software, such as a word processor
or spreadsheet.
Some software can be executed by simply copying it to a computer and executing it with no further
argument; no installation procedure as such is required. Other programs are supplied in a form not
suitable for immediate execution, and require an installation procedure. Installation may include
unpacking of files supplied in a compressed form, copying them to suitable locations, tailoring the
software to suit the hardware and the user's preferences, providing information about the program
to the operating system, and so on. The installer may test for system suitability and available mass
storage space.
Some software is designed to be installed simply by copying their files to the desired location, and
there is no formal installation process. This was once usual for many programs running under MS-
DOS, Mac OS, Atari TOS, and Amiga OS. This is the "de facto" standard in Mac OS
X applications and is also used for many Windows applications. Windows applications that do not
require installation are often times called "portable," as they do not require an installation to run,
and may be run for many different computers with only the executable. There are versions of some
operating systems which do not require installation and can be run directly from a bootable CD,
DVD, or USB drive. This allows one to test out the operating system without altering the existing
setup.
Installation usually implies that once installed, the program can be executed again and again,
without the need to reinstall before each execution. Some software does not need installation at
all. There is server-based software that mimics locally-installed software, and can be run inside of
a web browser, using only the local system's cache. This allows portability among computers with
access to the server. This technique is often referred to as cloud computing.
Common operations performed during software installations include creation or modification of:
• Shared and non-shared program files
• Folders/directories
• Windows registry entries
• Configuration file entries
• Environment variables
• Links or shortcuts
Just like when installing hardware, one important consideration when installing or upgrading
software is to try and install the software with minimal disruption to the client.
You could consider the same installation schedule as of hardware maintenance such as:
• quiet periods (for example, during holiday periods)
• before or after normal office hours
• while the client/user is out of the office
• when the client will not be needing their computer
Installation would vary depends on the software to be installed and the hardware speed. You can
check your manuals or documented procedures on how much time it would take to install specific
software for a specific hardware. You can also check the web on how much time your software
installation would take given your hardware.
Once you have known the how much time it would take for the software installation, you can now
arranged a suitable time, make sure you adhere to it or give advanced notice if you will be delayed.
Remember that clients may have scheduled their daily workload around the installation.
The use of cloning software would be another option when installing the same software’s to several
computers that needs to obtain the same software’s. Just make a clean installation of all software’s
on one computer then you can clone the other computers to obtain the same software’s at a
minimum time. It would be advisable for new computers having the same hardware specifications.
After completing essential verification of suitability of hardware and software according to
supervisor's instructions, you have to work out when will be the most suitable time to install the
software. The major point which you need to consider is to ensure that the installation process will
minimize client disruption.
To achieve that, it is recommended you approach the software installation process in a structured
way. That is:
• Establish the approximate time for the installation (include time to resolve problems which
may arise during installation)
• Discuss with your client when the projected time for installation will cause minimal
disruption to the organization’s operation
Computer Support Officer – The person who receives a technology-free statement of the user
requirements and transforms it into a computer system.
• Installs and tests the software.
Once the software has been installed you need to check out its correct operation. Testing
procedures used will depend on the type of software being installed. However, for each type of
software there are three basic functions which should be tested:
• Starting software
• Software operation
• Closing software
Starting software may involve provision of instructions on how to start the software. It may also
involve creation of shortcuts to simplify access to the software.
Testing software operation will require testing data. Data selected for testing purpose should
involve use of fundamental features of the software to demonstrate their correct operations.
Closing software will demonstrate the conclusion of the full cycle software operation. Testing all
three stages will confirm that there are no side effects in operation of any part of the software.
Such are usually the responsibilities of the Computer Support Officer.
4a. Open download folder and double click on the office setup files
✓ To install the program immediately, click Open or Run and follow the instructions
on your screen. If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation,
type the password or provide confirmation.
✓ To install the program later, click Save and download the installation file to your
computer. When you are ready to install the program, double-click the file and
follow the instructions on your screen. This is a safer option because you can scan
the installation file for viruses before you proceed.
Notes
✓ If the program you want to uninstall is not listed, it might not have been written for this
version of Windows. To uninstall the program, check the information that came with
the program.
https://www.synopsys.com/blogs/software-security/5-types-of-software-licenses-you-need-to-
understand/
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https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/basic-computer-skills/how-to-update-your-software/1/
https://snyk.io/learn/what-is-a-software-license/
https://www.wikihow.com/Install-Microsoft-Office-2016
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Wesley.