Training, Teaching and Learning Materials Development

MANBUK TVET COLLEGE

Under

Ethiopian TVET-System

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
SUPPORT SERVICE
Level I

LEARNING GUIDE # 2
Unit of Competence : Install Software Application
Module Title : Installing Software Application
LG Code : ICT ITS1 MO2
TTLM Code : ICT ITS1 TTLM 0617

LO 1: Determine software and upgrade requirements

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INTRODUCTION Learning Guide # 2

This learning guide is developed to provide you the necessary information regarding the following content coverage and
topics –

 Introduction to Application Software

 Hardware Requirements for Installation of the Application

This guide will also assist you to attain the learning outcome stated in the cover page.
Specifically, upon completion of this Learning Guide, you will be able to –

 Document and report client requirements to appropriate person in accordance with the workplace standard.
 Act on instructions to meet client requirements in line with organizational requirements.

Learning Activities
1. Read the specific objectives of this Learning Guide.
2. Read the information written in the “Information Sheets 1” in pages 3-6.
3. Accomplish the “Self-check” in page 7.
4. If you earned a satisfactory evaluation proceed to “Information Sheet 2”. However, if your rating is unsatisfactory, see
your teacher for further instructions or go back to Learning Activity # 1.
5. Submit your accomplished Self-check. This will form part of your training portfolio.
6. Read the information written in the “Information Sheet 2” in pages 8-12.
7. Accomplish the “Self-check” in page 13.
8. If you earned a satisfactory evaluation proceed to “Operation Sheet” in pages 14-15. However, if your rating is
unsatisfactory, see your teacher for further instructions or go back to Learning Activity # 2.
9. Read the “Operation Sheet” and try to understand the procedures discussed.
10. Do the “LAP test” in page 16 (if you are ready) and show your output to your teacher. Your teacher will evaluate your
output either satisfactory or unsatisfactory. If unsatisfactory, your teacher shall advice you on additional work. But if
satisfactory you can proceed to Learning Guide 2.

 Your teacher will evaluate your output either satisfactory or unsatisfactory. If unsatisfactory, your teacher shall
advice you on additional work. But if satisfactory you can proceed to the next topic.

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Information Sheet 1 Introduction to Software

Computer Software

Computer software, or just 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.

The term was coined to contrast to the old term hardware (meaning physical devices). In contrast
to hardware, software is intangible, meaning it "cannot be touched".

Software is also sometimes used in a more narrow sense, meaning application software only.
Sometimes the term includes data that has not traditionally been associated with computers, such as film,
tapes, and records.

Examples of Software

Computer software have facilitated the interaction between human beings and computers. What
are the different kinds of software? Go through the examples of different computer software.

If hardware can be said to form the physical aspect of a computer system, software forms the
brains of a computer! 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.
A. 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.

B. 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.

C. 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.

D. 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.

E. 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 software, animation software like
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Flash, audio and video editors as well as the web development software are some well-known examples
of media development software.

F. Product Engineering Software: This software is used in the development of hardware and software
products. Application programming interfaces and integrated development environments are the well-
known examples of product engineering software. Program testing tools, debuggers, compilers and CAD
are some of the other instances of product engineering software.

G. Simulation Software: They are used for the simulation of physical and abstract systems. Computer
simulators that are used for simulating scientific concepts and social ideas, battlefield, vehicle and flight
simulators are some of the popular examples of simulation software.

H. Programming Software: Programming Languages are used to write programs that control the
functioning of a computer system. They are the building blocks of computer applications. Go through the
complete list of the different programming languages.

I. System Software: It is a computer software that manages and controls hardware in order to enable
application software to perform its tasks. System software performs the functions like transferring data
from memory to the disk or delivering text onto a display device.

J. Device Drivers: They are computer programs, which facilitate the interaction of high-level computer
programs with the hardware devices. Drivers also provide interrupt-handling mechanisms.

K. Network Managers: They check computer networks, data transfers and log events.

L. Virus Scanners: They scan for viruses on a computer system. They are widely known as antivirus
software.

Here is an overview of some of the other important kinds of software.

M. Content-control software: It refers to the software designed for controlling the content that is
permitted for the user to access. It can determine what content will be available on a particular machine or
network. Content-control software are commonly used at homes and in schools to restrict the content that
can be accessed over the net by the students.

N. Data Recovery Software: Apart from the facilities of copying of data files, data recovery software
supports the user needs of backing up important computer data. It allows the user to specify what is to be
backed up and when.

There are different types of computer software. What are their major types? Let us see.

I. System Software: It helps in running the computer hardware and the computer system. System
software is a collection of operating systems; device drivers, servers, windowing systems and utilities.
System software helps an application programmer in abstracting away from hardware, memory and other
internal complexities of a computer.

II. Application Software: It enables the end users to accomplish certain specific tasks. Business
software, databases and educational software are some forms of application software. Different word
processors, which are dedicated for specialized tasks to be performed by the user, are other examples of
application software.

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Apart from these three basic types of software, there are some other well-known forms of computer
software like inventory management software, ERP, utility software, accounting software and others.
Take a look at some of them.

Different Types of Application Software

What is application software? What are the different types of application software? Know
it all along with some interesting examples of application software.

o What is Application Software?

Application software utilizes the capacities of a computer directly to a dedicated task. Application
software is able to manipulate text, numbers and graphics. It can be in the form of software focused on a
certain single task like word processing, spreadsheet or playing of audio and video files.

Different Types of Application Software

1. Word Processing Software: This software enables the users to create and edit documents. The most
popular examples of this type of software are MS-Word, WordPad, Notepad and some other text editors.

2. Database Software: Database is a structured collection of data. A computer database relies on

database software to organize the data and enable the database users to achieve database operations.
Database software allows the users to store and retrieve data from databases. Examples are Oracle, MS
Access, etc.

3. Spreadsheet Software: Excel, Lotus 1-2-3 and Apple Numbers are some examples of spreadsheet
software. Spreadsheet software allows users to perform calculations. They simulate paper worksheets by
displaying multiple cells that make up a grid.

4. Multimedia Software: They allow the users to create and play audio and video media. They are
capable of playing media files. Audio converters, players, burners, video encoders and decoders are some
forms of multimedia software. Examples of this type of software include Real Player and Media Player.

5. Presentation Software: The software that is used to display information in the form of a slide show is
known as presentation software. This type of software includes three functions, namely, editing that
allows insertion and formatting of text, methods to include graphics in the text and a functionality of
executing the slide shows. Microsoft PowerPoint is the best example of presentation software.

Hardware Requirements for Installation of the Application

Software Requirements

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 (computer) 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.

With increasing demand for higher processing power and resources in newer versions of software, system
requirements tend to increase over time. Industry analysts suggest that this trend plays a bigger part in driving
upgrades to existing computer systems than technological advancements.

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Recommended system requirements

Often times manufacturers of games will provide the consumer with a set of requirements that are
different than those that are needed to run software. These requirements are usually called the Recommended
Requirements.

These 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.

Hardware requirements

The most common set of requirements defined by any operating system or software application is the
physical computer resources, also known as hardware, A hardware requirements list is often accompanied by
a hardware compatibility list (HCL), especially in case of operating systems. An HCL lists tested, compatible,
and sometimes incompatible hardware devices for a particular operating system or application. The following
sub-sections discuss the various aspects of hardware requirements.

Architecture

All computer operating systems are designed for a particular computer architecture. Most software
applications are limited to particular operating systems running on particular architectures. Although architecture-
independent operating systems and applications exist, most need to be recompiled to run on a new architecture.
See also a list of common operating systems and their supporting architectures.

Processing power

The power of the central processing unit (CPU) is a fundamental system requirement for any software.
Most software running on x86 architecture define processing power as the model and the clock speed of the
CPU. Many other features of a CPU that influence its speed and power, like bus speed, cache, and MIPS are
often ignored. This definition of power is often erroneous, as AMD Athlon andIntel Pentium CPUs at similar
clock speed often have different throughput speeds. Intel Pentium CPUs have enjoyed a considerable degree of
popularity, and are often mentioned in this category

Memory

All software, when run, resides in the random access memory (RAM) of a computer. Memory
requirements are defined after considering demands of the application, operating system, supporting software and
files, and other running processes. Optimal performance of other unrelated software running on a multi-tasking
computer system is also considered when defining this requirement.

Secondary storage

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Hard-disk requirements vary, depending on the size of software installation, temporary files created and
maintained while installing or running the software, and possible use of swap space (if RAM is insufficient).

Display adapter

Software requiring a better than average computer graphics display, like graphics editors and high-
end games, often define high-end display adapters in the system requirements.

Peripherals

Some software applications need to make extensive and/or special use of some peripherals, demanding
the higher performance or functionality of such peripherals. Such peripherals include CD-ROM
drives, keyboards, pointing devices, network devices, etc.

System requirement to install operating system

These are the minimum requirements for basic functionality. Actual requirements vary, depending on the
system configuration and the programs and features that you choose to install. In installing new software, it is
but necessary to know its hardware requirements before installing. You can check form the manufacturer, the
accompanied read me file or in the web. Here are some hardware requirements for some common operating
system software:
The minimum hardware requirements for Windows XP Professional include:
 Pentium 233-megahertz (MHz) processor or faster (300 MHz is recommended)
 At least 64 megabytes (MB) of RAM (128 MB is recommended)
 At least 1.5 gigabytes (GB) of available space on the hard disk
 CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive
 Keyboard and a Microsoft Mouse or some other compatible pointing device
 Video adapter and monitor with Super VGA (800 x 600) or higher resolution
 Sound card
 Speakers or headphone

The minimum system requirements for Windows 7 are listed below.

• 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster 32-bit or 64-bit processor.
• 1 gigabyte (GB) RAM (32-bit) or 2 GB RAM (64-bit).
• 16 GB available hard disk space (32-bit) or 20 GB (64-bit).
• DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver.

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Self-Check 2 Written Test

Name:____________________ Date:_________________

Please ask your teacher for the questionnaire for this Self-Check.

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Operation Sheet 1 Installing a software program

How to install a software program?

This is a basic overview on how to install software programs, games, and utilities on your computer.
Installing a software program can depend on the operating system being used and the program being installed.
Because of all the different possibilities, we have created the below steps as guidelines for installing programs in
each of the major operating systems.

General Tips

 Make sure your computer meets the requirements of the program, game, or utility you are attempting to
install.
 The manuals for the program or the readme file located in the same directory as the install commonly
contain exact instructions on how to install a program.
 After installing or during the installation, a program may need to install other programs, files, or utilities
before it is able to run. If this is the case, the program will commonly prompt you to install the program or
you may need to run a separate install before the program can be fully used.
 When installing a program, utility, or game, it is always a good idea first to close or disable any other
programs that are running.
 After installing a new program if it prompts you to reboot the computer, do it.

Microsoft Windows users

Many software programs, games, and utilities have an AutoPlay feature that will automatically start the
setup screen for the software program when the CD is placed in the computer. If your program, game, or utility
contains this feature, run the installation through the screen that appears after inserting the disc.

If you are installing a program, game, or utility that does not contain this feature or you are installing a
program from a floppy diskette, follow the below steps.

1. Open My Computer.
2. Within the My Computer window, open the drive that contains the installation files. For example, if the
files are on a floppy diskette, open the A: drive. If they're on a CD or DVD open the D: drive or the letter
of the disc drive.
3. Within the drive that contains your files, locate either a setup or install file. Double-clicking on this file
should start the installation for the program, game, or utility. If you see multiple setups or install files, try
to locate the Application file or double-click each of setup or install files until you find the file that starts
the installation. Many times the icons associated with the installation files have the same name.

An alternate method of starting the installation in Microsoft Windows

1. Click Start and Run.

2. In the Run Window, type x:\setup or x:\install where x is the letter of the drive you wish to start the
installation from. For example, if you are attempting to install a program from the floppy disk drive you
would type a:\setup or a:\install.

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MS-DOS users

Users installing a program from Microsoft DOS should have a basic understanding of the MS-DOS
commands.

1. Before installing a program in MS-DOS, you must switch to the drive or directory that contains the
installation files. If you are installing a program from a CD or diskette, switch to that drive. If the
installation files are located in a different directory, use the dir command to list the directories and the cd
command to switch into the appropriate directory.
2. Once you are in the directory or drive that contains the installation files, run the executable for the setup.
Many times this can be done by typing setup or install at the prompt to start the installation. If both of
these commands give a bad command or file name error message, type dir *.exe or dir *.com or dir
*.bat. These commands will list any executable files; if any files are listed, execute these files to run the
installation or setup of the program. If no files are listed when typing all three of the above commands, it
is possible that either you are in the incorrect directory or drive letter, or that the program.

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Lap Test Practical Demonstration

Name: _________________________ Date: ________________

Time started: ________________________ Time finished: ________________

Please ask your teacher for the instruction for this Lap Test

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LO 2: Obtain software or software

upgrade
INTRODUCTION Learning Guide # 2
This learning guide is developed to provide you the necessary information regarding the
following content coverage and topics –

 Software that conform to the organization needs

 Licensing requirements

This guide will also assist you to attain the learning outcome stated in the cover page.
Specifically, upon completion of this Learning Guide, you will be able to –

 Investigate application program that best conforms to requirements and

organizational policies
 Obtain application program under instruction from appropriate person
 Determine licensing requirements and record in line with organizational guidelines
 Ensure target computer to conform with the minimum hardware and operating
system requirements of the application program
Learning Activities
1. Read the specific objectives of this Learning Guide.
2. Read the information written in the “Information Sheets 1” in pages 3-5.
3. Accomplish the “Self-check” in page 6.
4. If you earned a satisfactory evaluation proceed to “Information Sheet 2”. However, if your rating
is unsatisfactory, see your teacher for further instructions or go back to Learning Activity # 1.
5. Submit your accomplished Self-check. This will form part of your training portfolio.
6. Read the information written in the “Information Sheet 2” in pages 7-13.
7. Accomplish the “Self-check” in page 14.
8. Do the “LAP test” in pages 15-16 (if you are ready) and show your output to your teacher. Your
teacher will evaluate your output either satisfactory or unsatisfactory. If unsatisfactory, your
teacher shall advice you on additional work. But if satisfactory you can proceed to Learning
Guide 3.

 Your teacher will evaluate your output either satisfactory or unsatisfactory. If unsatisfactory,
your teacher shall advice you on additional work. But if satisfactory you can proceed to the
next topic.

Information Sheet 2 Software that conform to the organization needs

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Software upgrade plan

The most exciting and at the same time, most frustrating things about
information technology is that it is fast changing with which requires new software.

New software products emerge, with fantastic new "must have" features that
make it easier for you and your employees to perform your jobs.

There are two extreme approaches to upgrading:

1. The desire to be updated. Some companies, especially those in the technical

industry themselves, desire to be on the cutting edge and always have the latest
and greatest. These early adopters toss out their old systems and replace them
with the new as soon as it's available.
2. The conservative outdated way. Some companies, especially those in more
"traditional" or conservative fields, go by the "if it's not broke, don’t fix it"
philosophy. They tend to hang onto their old tried and systems and software and
upgrade only when forced to do so because a new feature set is absolutely
required to get the job done or, more often, because the old machines finally
break down and the new one would work better using a new software.

These two strategies have something in common: they aren’t really

strategies at all. They’re both reactive - the first driven by reaction to the marketing
of new products, and the second driven by reaction to necessity. The smarter
course is to develop a plan and timeline for upgrading, taking many factors
into consideration including scalability. A long-term plan must take into account
future growth and changes anticipated by your company and the way those
changes will affect your upgrade needs

The five software upgrade plans

1. Categorize and prioritize

The first step in putting together your upgrade plan is to categorize and
prioritize potential upgrades. Some categories of upgrade items include:

 Operating System
 Client software
 Server software
 Word Processing
 Database software
 Graphics software
 Device drivers
 Etc.
Of course, you don’t have to upgrade all of the items in a particular category
at the same time. For example, you might plan to upgrade the client computers in a
particular department, such as the graphics department, based on those users'
greater need for the features of new operating systems and applications. Or you
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might upgrade only server software, such as your mail servers, to take advantage of
a new release of the mail server software that will make it easier to support your
mobile users.

Software is a very broad category and you may upgrade operating systems
and/or specific applications while continuing to use older versions of other
applications.

2. Set priorities
Once you’ve identified the categories, you can prioritize them based on the
cost/benefits ratio of upgrading a particular category. What items are serving as
the bottlenecks that keep work from getting done as efficiently as it could with
newer software? Identify the software that doesn’t anymore meet the work
demands or there might be new software highly needed in the business operations.

Of course, in real life your upgrade priorities may not always be based strictly
on need. If the big boss wants the top of the line software, there’s a good chance
he/she will get it. In general, though, don’t over-upgrade. Plan to give your users
the software that’s required to most effectively perform their job tasks and no more.

3. Consider dependencies
Upgrading some categories may be dependent on first upgrading other
categories. For example, you may not be able to upgrade your productivity
applications until you first upgrade the operating systems – and you might not be
able to upgrade the operating systems until you’ve upgraded the hardware. In
upgrading or installing new software, you need to also check the hardware
requirements. It can work the other way, too; if you upgrade the operating system,
you might be forced to upgrade the productivity application because the old version
doesn’t run well (or at all) on the new operating system.

These dependencies affect your upgrade priorities and timeliness.

4. Phased rollout
Once you’ve decided to upgrade a particular category, you shouldn’t jump in
feet first and roll out the upgrade to every system or device in that category. What
if the upgrade causes major problems that make systems or the network unusable?
The most prudent strategy is to rollout each upgrade in phases. Test it first in a non-
production environment. This gives you a chance to work the bugs out without any
impact on employee productivity.

Next, select a pilot group to test the upgrades in the production environment.
If the new hardware or software entails a learning curve, roll it out first to power
users, those who are more technically savvy and thus better able to handle the new
way of doing things without overwhelming your support staff. Once they’ve
mastered it, they’ll serve as a resource for helping other users make the transition
when you roll it out to the rest of the department or the rest of the company.

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5. Keeping it scalable
Your upgrade plan should be set out in writing, and you should get input from
different departments and different levels to help you create a plan that will create
the least disruption and proceed smoothly.

Upgrading can be costly and traumatic, but sooner or later it’s inevitable.
Proper planning, with scalability in mind, can make the difference between a
smooth deployment of nifty new and needed software and an upgrade disaster.

Self-Check 2 Written Test

Name:____________________ Date:_________________

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Please ask your trainer for the questionnaire for this self-check.

Licensing requirements
Software license

A software license (or software license in commonwealth usage) is a

legal instrument (usually by way of contract law) governing the usage or

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redistribution of software. All software is copyright protected, except material in the
public domain. Contractual confidentiality is another way of protecting software. A
typical software license grants an end-user permission to use one or more copies
of software in ways where such a use would otherwise constitute copyright
infringement of the software owner's exclusive rights under copyright law. The
license terms are often enforced by a built-in license manager.

Some software comes with the license when purchased off the shelf or
an OEM license when bundled with hardware. Software can also be in the form
of freeware or shareware.

Software licenses can generally be fit into the following categories:

 proprietary licenses
 free and open source licenses, which include free software licenses and
other open source licenses.

The features that distinguish them are significant in terms of the effect they
have on the end-user's rights.

A free open source license makes software free for inspection of its code,
modification, and distribution. Some free licenses, like the GNU General Public
License, allow the product and/or derivative to be commercially sold.

 Free and open source software

A primary consequence of the free software form of licensing is that

acceptance of the license is essentially optional — the end-user may use the
software without accepting the license. However, if the end-user wishes to exercise
any of the additional rights granted by a free software license (such as the right to
redistribute the software), then the end-user must accept, and be bound by, the
software license.

Open source licenses generally fall under two categories:

 Copy left licenses. Those that aim to preserve the openness of the
software itself, and
 Permissive licenses. those that aim to give freedoms to the users of
that software

An example of a copy left free software license is the GNU General Public
License (GPL). This license is aimed at giving the end-user permission to
redistribute, reverse engineer, or otherwise modify the software under the terms of
the license. These permissions are not entirely free of obligations for the end-user,
however. The end-user must comply with certain terms if the end-user wishes to
exercise these extra permissions granted by the GPL. For instance, any
modifications made and redistributed by the end-user must include the source code
for these, and the end-user is not allowed to re-assert the removed copyright back
over their derivative work. The modified software is therefore also publicly available
for further modification by any user.

Examples of permissive free software licenses are the BSD license and
the MIT license, which essentially grant the end-user permission to do anything

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they wish with the source code in question, including the right to take the code and
use it as part of closed-source software or software released under a proprietary
software license.

Product key

A product key, also known as a CD key, is a specific software-based key for

a computer program. It certifies that the copy of the program is
original. Activation is sometimes done offline by entering the key, or with software
like Windows XP online activation is required to prevent multiple people using the
same key.
Computer games use product keys to verify that the game has not been
illegally copied; for example, one could not play Battle.net powered games such
as Diablo II or Star Craft online without an original/unique product key. Likewise,
one is not allowed to play online with two identical product keys at the same time.

Product keys consist of a series of numbers and/or letters. This sequence is

typically entered by the user during the installation of computer software, and is
then passed to a verification function in the program. This function manipulates the
key sequence according to a mathematical algorithm and attempts to match the
results to a set of valid solutions.

Self-Check 2 Written Test

Name:____________________ Date:_________________

Please ask the trainer for the questionnaire for this lap test

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LO 3: Install or Upgrade Software

INTRODUCTION Learning Guide # 2
This learning guide is developed to provide you the necessary information regarding the
following content coverage and topics –

 Installing New or Upgrading Software

 Minimal Disruption to the client

This guide will also assist you to attain the learning outcome stated in the cover page.
Specifically, upon completion of this Learning Guide, you will be able to –

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 Install new or upgraded software in accordance with appropriate person or

organizational instructions
 Complete installation process efficiently and effectively with minimal disruption
 Carry out testing and acceptance in line with corporate guidelines, paying particular
attention to possible impact on other systems
 Ensure client requirements are satisfied in accordance with the organizational
standard
 Refer outstanding client issues to appropriate person as necessary and
organizational templates are prepared
Learning Activities
1. Read the specific objectives of this Learning Guide.
2. Read the information written in the “Information Sheets 1-2” in pages 3-6.
3. Accomplish the “Self-check” in page 7.
4. If you earned a satisfactory evaluation proceed to “Information Sheet 3”. However, if your rating
is unsatisfactory, see your teacher for further instructions or go back to Learning Activity # 1.
5. Submit your accomplished Self-check. This will form part of your training portfolio.
6. Read the information written in the “Information Sheet 3” in pages 8-10.
7. Accomplish the “Self-check” in page 11.
8. If you earned a satisfactory evaluation proceed to “Operation Sheet” in pages 12-33. However, if
your rating is unsatisfactory, see your teacher for further instructions or go back to Learning
Activity # 2.
9. Read the “Operation Sheet” and try to understand the procedures discussed.
10. Do the “LAP test” in page 34 (if you are ready) and show your output to your teacher. Your
teacher will evaluate your output either satisfactory or unsatisfactory. If unsatisfactory, your
teacher shall advice you on additional work. But if satisfactory you can proceed to Learning
Guide 2.
 Your teacher will evaluate your output either satisfactory or unsatisfactory. If unsatisfactory,
your teacher shall advice you on additional work. But if satisfactory you can proceed to the
next topic.

Information Sheet 3 Installing New or Upgrading Software

What means Upgrading?

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 hardware upgrades include (for example)
installing additional memory (RAM), adding larger hard disks, replacing microprocessor
cards or graphics cards, and installing new versions of software. Many other upgrades are
often possible as well. 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.
Users can often download software from the Internet. When one replaces a product made
by one supplier with a product made by a different supplier, one carries out a competitive
upgrade.

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What are upgrading Risks?

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.

When Should You Upgrade Your PC Software?

With new versions of the software we use 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.

We generally separate software upgrades into two categories:

1) Service releases or bug fixes and

2) New software versions.

For service releases or bug fixes, we tend to upgrade as soon as they are
released since they usually make the software more stable and reliable.

For new software versions, we should use four criteria to determine whether we
want to upgrade:

1. Is our current version no longer supported?

As software manufacturers release new software, they no longer support the

older versions. Most software companies support the most recent old version and
perhaps one more past version, but rarely more than two old versions. To check if
your version is supported, you can go to the software maker's website and check
the support area. When your software is no longer supported, it may be hard to get
answers to questions you have and this can lead to possible delays and frustration if
you run into a problem with the software.

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2. Does the new version have some features that will make my work more
efficient?

Almost every software release includes a slew of new features designed to

make work more efficient or easier. We should examine the list of new or changed
features to see if any will really benefit me. Most people never use more than 10-
20% of the features of a software package, so new features in that unused 80% are
of less interest.

The answers to the two questions above lead me towards or away from a new
version of software. But before we upgrade, we should consider two more factors:

3. Has the software been out long enough to detect any significant
problems?

We will usually wait 6-12 months after a major new software version is
released before upgrading. In the first few months, the software company finds
bugs that they didn't find when testing it and they prepare a service release or
minor upgrade to fix those problems. Usually wait until that first service release is
available until you upgrade. This reduces the risk of upgrading and running into
significant problems.

4. Will I run into file format compatibility issues?

If a software application has changed the file format that the information is
saved in, the new files may not be compatible with the old version of the software.
This can cause problems when sharing files with colleagues or partners. If the file
format has changed, I will wait longer to upgrade in order to ensure that most of the
people I will share files with have upgraded and we will reduce the risk of running
into file compatibility problems.

INSTALLING SOFTWARE APPLICATION

Computer Program (Application software) Installation

Some software can be executed by simply copying it to a computer and executing it

with no further ado; 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

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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.

 Shared and non-shared program files

 Folders/directories
 Windows registry entries
 Configuration file entries
 Environment variables
 Links or shortcuts

Type of Installations

 Silent installation
Installation that does not display messages or windows during its progress.
"Silent installation" is not the same as "unattended installation", though it is often
improperly used as such.

 Unattended installation
Installation that is performed without user interaction during its progress or,
in a stricter sense, with no user present at all, except eventually for the initial
launch of the process. An installation process usually requires a user who "attends"
it to make choices at request: accepting an EULA, specifying preferences and
passwords, etc. In graphical environments, installers that offer a wizard-based
interface are common. However these installers may also provide command
line switches that allow performing unattended installations.

Answer file
Some unattended installations can be driven by a script providing answers to
the various choices such as the answer file which can be used when
installing Microsoft Windows on a large number of machines.

 Self installation
Unattended installation, without the need of initial launch of the process
(i.e. Vodafone Mobile Connect USB Modem or Huawei E220's Mobile
Partner software that self-installs from the USB port).

 Clean installation
Given the complexity of a typical installation there are many factors that may
interfere with its successful completion. In particular files that are leftover from old
installations of the same program or an unstable situation of the operating system
may all act to prevent a given program from installing and working correctly. An
installation performed in absence of such interfering factors (which may vary from
program to program) is called a clean installation. In particular, a clean operating
system installation can be performed by formatting its destination partition before
the actual installation process.

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 Flat installation
An installation of a program performed from a copy (called a flat copy) of its
original media contents (mostly CDs or DVDs) to a hard drive, rather than directly
from the media. This may help in some situations where the target machine isn't
able to cope with random access reads from CD/DVD at the same time as
performing the CPU-intensive tasks often required by an installation, or where the
target machine does not have an appropriate physical drive.
 Network Installation
An installation of a program from a shared network drive. This may simply be
a copy of the original media (as in a Flat Installation), but frequently, software
publishers which offer site licenses for institutional customers provide a version
intended for installation over a network.
Computer Software Installation
The operating system of your computer is an important factor to be considered
when you install any software. The operating system is the program that is contrived to
run the computer software on your computer. The operating system is responsible for
managing the computer software and hardware. Before you install a computer software,
the first important step is to check the configuration of your computer. Also, check the
hardware and software requirement of the software you are installing. The configuration of
your computer must match the requirements of the software to be installed.

Minimal disruption to the client

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 know 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
softwares to several computers that needs to obtain the same softwares. Just make a
clean installation of all softwares on one computer then you can clone the other
computers to obtain the same softwares at a minimum time. It would be advisable for
new computers having the same hardware specifications.

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Self-Check 1

Name:____________________ Date:_________________

Please ask your trainer for the questionnaire for this Self-check.

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Operation Sheet 1 Installing or Upgrading Software

How to Install Windows 7

This step-by-step guide demonstrates how to install Windows 7 Ultimate. The guide
is similar for other versions of Windows 7 such as Home Premium.

The best way to install Windows 7 is to do a clean install. It is not difficult to perform
a clean installation. Before you start the installation process I recommend that you
check Windows 7 System Requirements list to ensure that your hardware is supported by
Windows 7. If you don't have Windows 7 drivers for all your hardware, it is a good idea to
download all the drivers from the hardware manufacturers website and save all the
necessary drivers on a CD-R or a USB drive before you start the installation.

Windows 7 DVD is bootable. In order to boot from the DVD you need to set the boot
sequence. Look for the boot sequence under your BIOS setup and make sure that the first
boot device is set to CD-ROM/DVD-ROM.

Step 1 - Place Windows 7 DVD in your DVD-ROMs drive and start your PC. Windows 7 will
start to

Boot up and you will get the following progress bar.

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Step 2 - The next screen allows you

to setup your language, time and currency format, keyboard or input method. Choose your
required settings and click next to continue.

Step 3 - The next screen allows you to install or repair Windows 7. Since we are doing a
clean install we will click on "install now".

Step 4 - Read the license terms and tick I accept license terms. Then click next to
continue.

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Step 5 - You will now be presented with two options. Upgrade or Custom (Advanced).
Since we are doing a clean install we will select Custom (Advanced).

Step 6 - Choose where you would like to install Windows 7. If you have one hard drive you
will get a similar option to the image below. You can click next to continue. If you have
more that one drive or partition then you need to select the appropriate drive and click
next. If you need to format or partition a drive then click Drive options (advance) before
clicking next.

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Step 7 - Windows 7 starts the installation process and starts copying all the necessary
files to your hard drive as shown on the image below.

Step 8 - It will go through various stages of the setup and will reboot your system few
times.

Step 9 - When your PC reboots it attempts to boot from DVD as its the first boot device.
Do not press any key during the boot prompt so Windows 7 will continue with the
installation by booting from the hard drive.

Step 10 - After the reboot your computer will be prepared for first use.

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Step 11 - At this stage you need to choose a user name and computer name. Click next to
continue. The user account you create here is the Administrator account which is the main
account for your Windows 7 that has all the privileges.

Step 12 - Choose your password and password hint just incase you forget your password
and need to jog your memory.

Step 13 - You can now type the product key that came with Windows 7 and click next. If
you do not enter the product key you can still proceed to the next stage. However

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Windows 7 will run in trial mode for 30 days. You must therefore activate Windows within
30 days otherwise you can not access your computer after 30 days.

Step 14 - Help protect your computer and improve Windows automatically. Choose Use
recommended settings.

Step 15 - Review your time and date settings. Select your time zone, correct the date and
time and click next to continue.

Step 16 - Select your computer's current location. If you are a home user then choose
Home network otherwise select the appropriate option.

Step 17 - Windows will now finalize the settings for your computer and restart.

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Step 18 - After the final restart Windows 7 will start to boot up.

Step 19 - Finally you have the logon screen. Just type your password and press enter or
click on the arrow to logon to Windows 7 for the first time.

Step 20 - After you have logged on to Windows 7 for the first time, you will see similar
desktop to the image below. At this point you can start using your computer. However it
may not be fully configured. You need to make sure that all the hardware is detected
correctly and the necessary device drivers are installed. This can be done from the device
manager.

Step 21 - To go to device manager click - Start Menu -> Control Panel -> System and
Security -> System -> Device Manager. You will see all your hardware listed as shown on
the image below. You need to check if you have any yellow exclamation marks next to the

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name of the devices, similar to "Multimedia Audio Controller" on the image below. This
indicates that the driver has not been installed for this device.
At this stage you can install the driver for this device. To do so, Right Mouse click on
Multimedia Audio Controller -> Update Driver Software...

Step 22 - You can choose to "Search automatically for updated driver software" or
"Browse my computer for driver software". If you have the driver CD or if the driver is on a
USB drive then choose "browse my computer for driver software". Window 7 will search
and install the driver from the CD or you can locate the driver manually.
Once you have removed all the yellow exclamation marks from the device manager your
Windows 7 configuration would be fully complete.

Step 23 - Finally check if you have successfully activated Windows 7. Click Start Menu ->
Control Panel -> System and Security -> System. You will get a window similar to the
image below. Towards the bottom you will see Windows is activated followed by your
product ID. This shows that your copy of Windows 7 is fully activated.

Ask your trainer for the video.

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See also the video for installing Windows 7.
See also the video for installing Windows XP.
See also the video for changing boot order to CD/DVD.
See also the video for installing Microsoft Office 2003.
See also the video for installing Microsoft Office 2007.

Lap Test Practical Demonstration

Name: _______________________ Date: ________________

Time started: __________________ Time finished: ________________

Please ask the trainer for the instruction for this Lap Test.

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