Why not Write Installation Software that Deletes the Old Version First?

Steve K9ZW

Would a separate "Remove Everything" application work for those who would like to see things done differently.

On automatically deleting the prior versions, I would think it very wise to have a way to opt-out of a choice that could leave your system radio dead if something didn't work out well. 

The statements that no other software leaves old versions intact puzzle me, as several major packages we professionally use do leave the prior setups intact or archived.  We usually delete them after a couple backup-cycles if the latest software has proven stable in our instances.

73

Steve K9ZW

DrTeeth

Hi Steve,

The vast majority of my programs silently delete the previous versions during an install of an updated version. Strangely, some installers do it whilst the manufacturer advises an uninstall before updating!

Cheers and beers

Guy

Walt - KZ1F

I think remove everything is only slightly better than removing nothing. My premise, and this is from experience, not wishful thinking is, as the software vendor, what needs to happen to upgrade this environment. That is an active process, not a passive one. Take mainframe environments, any feature or fix has prerequisites and corequisites. This also is true in the Linux environment. In the application of a fix or installation of a feature a decision is made what needs to occur to facilitate this fix/feature/program. The user does not know this and neither does the operating system vendor, only the vendor of the fix/feature/program does. So the decision on installing missing prerequisites or installing missing corequisites or removal of mutually exclusive items is completely within the domain of the vendor that is installing or upgrading. For example, the older version of dax is incompatible with the new version or the older version of VSP is incompatible with the newer version. Maybe the older version of something has registry hooks and they too need to be removed. To say, let the user choose, is assigning responsibility to precisely the wrong person. This is, what could lead to, blame the vendor, what Lee reacts to.

Actually, implicit in what I am proposing is where on the continuum of PC-DOS wild wild west and commercial Windows program support does SmartSDR fall. My background is from a commercial software development environment whereas many reading this thread are from the PC-DOS, Windows consumer consumer.  I don't believe users can make that choice for the vendor, but they can telegraph what they are willing to accept. With that distinction, I believe I have contributed all I can to this conversation.

DrTeeth

You beat me to something similar Bob. LOL.

Steve K9ZW

Ditto on commodity/consumer software here, but not so on a few of the complex packages we use. 

Granted these packages are typically multi-user split server/client packages, some with per-seat license costs more than a Flex-6700 costs.  Having the old version living alongside the new has saved us from blackout periods when upgrades didn't have all functionality working right.  Sometimes that was caused by difficulties from our site specific customization breaking the upgrades initially.

What the point in the end is, I have three major packages running on my work machine and our servers that follow the FRS model of not deleting.  So FRS is not alone in their decision to leave the old.

I just browsed the server and each also seems to have a common area, where less version specific stuff must live.  User Data is in another file tree.

YMMV of course as we won't be using the same software, at least professionally I doubt you need our industry specific packages for your practice and the same in return here.

73

Steve K9ZW

G8ZPX

Surely, just giving the user the option to keep old versions, or clean-sweep is all that is required here. In most cases we all want to have the latest and greatest, not some mish-mash of old versions which often wont match the firmware on the radio anyway. Too much conjecture for such a simple improvement.

G8ZPX

I always create a manual restore point before installing any new apps. Especially HRD and SSDR!

W9OY

So whatyou're saying is you don't trust windows to correctly manage your software either

Dan -- KC4GO

As an ALPHA I sometimes get 1  to 2 releases a week. I can manage the uninstall with no problem but most of the time I leave 1 or 2 past versions. (I can go back and see if the problem is new or something I missed in an older version) There is no problem with older versions. 
When you un-install just remember to leave the DAX drivers in-place and all is well.  See second picture click OK
For version 1.7.30 this was 30 + times... 
I also have Windows 10 installing the latest updates including Insider Preview Builds. 
After the upgrade to 1511 of Windows 10 there have been no problems.

KC2QMA_John

I rest my case. ;:)