Expert: Amy - 2/16/2004

Question
This is a general question that would apply to either mac or pc platform.  It concerns upgrades of graphic software.

The question is as follows:  
I have full versions of most graphic softwares on the computer. I also have upgrades versions installed. When a manufacturer like adobe comes up with a new version and I buy the upgrade, must I continue to keep all earlier version on the system. Should I be able to install the upgrade
(it recognizes that other versions are on the system), and then delete all previous versions ?
Its seems that whenever I try that, the upgrade does not work.


Answer
Hi Jeff,

It depends on the company and the software.  

Some upgrades are completely self-contained and don't require that you keep the old software on your machine. One clue is if the upgrade comes with its own serial number. When you are done with the installation, there will be 2 unique application icons/.exe files and possibly even 2 application directories/folders.  In this case, it is safe to remove the earlier version.

If you do want to delete an old version, just to be safe, try waiting until *after* you've installed the upgrade, then cleaning up.

Some upgrades search for existing software on your computer and "patch" it. You can't remove the original version before installing. When the install is done, there will only be one application icon/.exe file for the software on your machine, but it will have a new version number. In this case, there's no old version to remove, the installation process has used the original version and upgraded it.

Refer to the Read Me file or the manual when installing upgrades - it usually tells you what to do.

If you are having problems getting an upgrade to run, try installing it in Safe Mode (PC) or with all extensions off (Mac), especially anti-viral software.

When deleting software on a PC, always use either the Uninstall found in the software's directory as found in Start > Programs -or- the Add/Remove Programs function in Start > Settings > Control Panels.  

Good luck,
Amy