Risks of Installation or Upgrade

• Viruses - A virus can be concealed within a file or upgrade by a third party which can harm the system or damage the integrity of existing files. this will cause a problem for you and your business in the immediate future as then your system can become corrupted, or your information can be viewed/stolen. This cannot be tolerated in a business as you will be in direct violation of information security laws. However, if you where to install the file or upgrade on a closed system first, then you could operate and scan that, as to ensure that the file is not harbouring a virus or other malware before risking your own. this ensures the safety of the file and other effects on the system.
• Incompatibility - If you are running a older operating system or you have a lot of other installed software, it increases the likelihood of a piece of software being to advanced, or it conflicting with existing software. this will cause the programs involved to become incompatible, and will not run. This is a problem as it takes time to sort out, as well as stopping the use of other programs, throttling the businesses output. however, this can be minimised by reviewing the change logs released for software updates, or by waiting for a piece of software to be released and user reviews to come in, reporting on the compatibility of the program on similar systems.
• Negative change/loss of features - When software updates are released, they are often done so with added features and uses. This can cause a problem as it may make existing features harder to do, such as changing shortcuts or position on the tool bar. in a business this can be very unhelpful as this will reduce efficiency by extending the time of tasks. this will not cause a massive time extention, but when it needed to be done multiple times a day, the lag phase accumulates. also, if you are changing software all together., then the new one might simply not have certain features, which will further extend timings ans the employees will have to cone up with a solution to the problem.
• Stability Issues- if a new piece of software is installed, or an exsisting one updated, then the software may be more demanding on the system, as it may not be greatly optimised. This will cause system freezing, crashing and lagging. This causes a near impossible work environment, as it will greatly incresae timings on tasks. unfortunatly, the only way to get around this is to wait for a more optomised update, or to find different software.

User Acceptance Process

The user acceptance process is a protocol that the person who uses the system must be aware of and sign off on to allow the person to actually be able to update/install software. This process is a contract which ensures that the owner is aware of all changes and risks of which their system will be vulnerable to, and wipes all liablility from the actual person doing the installation.
This is presented as a form like the terms and conditions you see on software like iTunes, so a long list of items which will be either changed or at risk of accedental corruption/deletion by the process. The owner then must consent to these changes and get multiple updates at different stages of the process so as they know that what they have signed off and allowed for is actually getting done.

Installing AVG

Planned Software Update

I know an owner of a internet based sales business run from his home. He wants to be a completely online store, so will need a good piece of antivirus software in order to protect his business from malware whilst it is operating on the internet.

 After doing some research i have narrowed the software down to 3 options:

• AVG
• Norton
• McAfee

Now all of these software packages are well known and reliable, and all go through regular updates so as to stay ahead of malware, but AVG is the only one that is free. All of the packages offer a similar service with similar benefits, they all offer some aspects and benefits which are different, but are all relatively similar.
Due to this i have selected AVG, as it is commonly used, reliable, frequently updated, and free. This means that He will not need to pay out for the software, and it will keep on top of all the different and sophisticated types of malware out there.


In order for the installation to go smoothly, with none of the businesses data being lost or corrupted, i would recommend a protocol for the system to undergo before any software is installed/upgraded. The protocol will be as follows:

1. Buy one or multiple hard drives or invest in a backup server.
2. Store all information which you do not want lost/corrupted on these hard drives
3. Install the new software onto a closed system and immediately sweep the system for bugs/malware
4. Once this is done, run for one hour to ensure no drastic changes are made
5. Run the system for a trial period with no important/real data to ensure everything is running properly and without fault (maybe for 2-3 weeks)
6. After this, undergo an assessment on the system, and ensure that there has been no anomalies such as data loss, information leeks etc.
7. Reintroduce important data into the real system, back up new system.

If this protocol is followed, then data loss will be kept to a minimum. This will ensure that all private information about customers will not be lost/stolen, so people will not sue the business.
If at any point there is a problem detected by the before mentioned protocol, then there is a seperate system that must be followed to minimise damage to data and data loss.

1. First, ensure that you know where the software files are saved
2. Now backup the current version of the system
3. Then run the uninstallation software
4. Now ensure that all of the files from the software have been removed
5. Scan all data to ensure it has not been altered in any way

Justification of Software Update/Installation

A company which specializes in the design of computer generated 3D models would have to keep up to date with the very latest 3D modelling software as they will need to be producing the very best quality models to be included in productions.
For example, if a company where to design models for games, then the software required would have to be continuously updated in order to keep up with the increasing good graphics demanded by modern games. This is one reason to update their software, as their business relies on it.
Also, new software could include new tools which makes the models created easier to make, faster to make, and far superior quality. This will increase productivity and product quality as more products can be created in a smaller time frame, to a far higher quality.
Also, the game industry is a fast changing one, so as different companies use different game engines, or update them, new file formats may be needed to incorporate them into the project. This requires advanced format-changing software, which will require the company to have the up to date software in order to secure business.

These are all reasons for a business to upgrade its software, but all reasons are basically the same thing; It is good practice to keep updated with new software as it greatly benefits the productivity of the business. As newer software will usually allow for faster creation of products as their are more innovitive shortcuts etc.

Software Installation Protocol

There are multiple steps for installing or upgrading software when part of a business, as the company is responsible for its own problems with it systems. This means they cannot blame the software producers for any damage or data loss, so a strict protocol must be followed in order for the new system to be rolled out across the business. This requires multiple steps:

1. Make a backup of the current system
2. Research the software for known bugs, problems, glitches etc.
3. Meet with the person who has the power within the business to authorize the software
4. Explain the benefits and risks incorporated with the action, and gain permission
5. Setup a closed trial system
6. Backup data on trial system
7. Download Software and Install/Update
8. Backup
9. Allow a select few to trial test the new system for a trial period
10. Ensure no data loss etc.
11. Report results to superior about the trial period results
12. Gain permission for full roll-out
13. Backup all systems
14. Update/Install software on company system
15. Backup
16. Close maintenance on system for immediate future

This is a basic outline, but steps can be added or removed with consideration to the seriousness of the software, as a new system calculator is less likely to ruin a system when compared to a new operating system.

Upgrade Backout Procedure

1) Realise something is wrong
2) Stop the installation
3) Plug in external backup harddrive used in the guide beforehand
4) Use the system rollback tool to reboot it to the state of the harddrive
5) Ensure no data has changed and the program is not installed

Following these steps it is nearly impossible to lose data oir corrupt your system, as you are restoring it from a time when you know it worked, minimising the risk of data loss, corruption or system failiure.

Pros and Cons of New Software

New software obviously has its benefits, as it upgrades the software you have to incorporate new functions, iron out bugs and allow compatibility with different/new operating systems. They can run faster and more efficiently than previous versions, as it has been further refined and has had more feedback on the drawbacks.

However, new software can cause systems to fail and break due to unforeseeable conflictions between programmes. For example, updating software which is used to access delicate documents may corrupt old file versions. This causes a extreme loss of data, which could be fatal for a business which does not have an adequate updating protocol, and doesn't back up existing data regularly. Also, updating to a new version of an OS may wipe the data on the hard drive, which is obviously bad.
Another disadvantage is the fact that non-technical people may not want to keep up-to-date with new software, as they are comfortable with the original software, and oppose change. This will negatively impact performance as they will have to adapt to the new software which they don't want.