The Installation Process

1. The Installation Process Cooper 36 William H. Bowers – whb108@psu.edu

2. Topics • The Best Installationis No Installation • Installation Mistakes • Demanding Responses • Not Informing You of theScope of Your Actions William H. Bowers – whb108@psu.edu

3. Topics • Installation Mistakes • Asking Questions to Which the User Doesn’t Know the Answer • Asking Questions it Can Answer • Not Doing its Homework • Not Providing for Uninstallation • Ignoring Previous Activity William H. Bowers – whb108@psu.edu

4. Topics • Installation Mistakes • Abusing System-Wide Files • Putting Files WhereThey Don’t Belong • Overwriting Shared Files William H. Bowers – whb108@psu.edu

5. Topics • Installation Mistakes • Not Keeping the User Informed • Confusing Installation with Configuration • Demanding Active Participation William H. Bowers – whb108@psu.edu

6. The Best Installationis No Installation • Browser base applications • Installation free • Works across platforms • Self updating • Non-browser based, Internet aware applications • MS Office auto update feature • Java Web Start William H. Bowers – whb108@psu.edu

7. Demanding Responses • Usually global consequences • Non-reversible • Users frequently don’t know the answers • Implications are not communicated to the end user • Arcane settings like com port, IRQ William H. Bowers – whb108@psu.edu

8. Demanding Responses • Installation type: Full, Typical, Minimum • Provide text explaining • Why the information is needed • Trade offs involved • Possibility of changing later William H. Bowers – whb108@psu.edu

9. Not Informing You of theScope of Your Actions • Most installations waste no time on idle conversation • Users should be informed of • Scope • Cost • Time • Risks of failure William H. Bowers – whb108@psu.edu

10. Asking Questions to Which the User Doesn’t Know the Answer • Specifying serial port • IRQ • Network protocols • Memory settings William H. Bowers – whb108@psu.edu

11. Asking Questions it Can Answer • Display device or card settings • Memory available • Disk space William H. Bowers – whb108@psu.edu

12. Not Doing its Homework • Not aware of its own existence • Doesn’t know it is adding features or configuring existing copies • Should import existing settings William H. Bowers – whb108@psu.edu

13. Not Providing for Uninstallation • Should be as robust and full-featured as installation program • Inform user of scope and consequences of removal • Allow for selective uninstall • Allow for moving program to different disk William H. Bowers – whb108@psu.edu

14. Ignoring Previous Activity • Always starting installation from beginning • Unable to restart • Keep logs to allow resuming William H. Bowers – whb108@psu.edu

15. Abusing System-Wide Files • Registry entries • Keep to a minimum • Cooper suggests 2 or 3 • Use ini or configuration files • Allow for installation on removable media William H. Bowers – whb108@psu.edu

16. Putting Files WhereThey Don’t Belong • Applications should reside in own directory • Multiple directories should be subordinate • Don’t ignore possibility of OS upgrade • Separate data from program files • Don’t use My Documents William H. Bowers – whb108@psu.edu

17. Overwriting Shared Files • Runtime libraries • DLL, OCX, VBS • Versions are not always backward compatible • Use unique names • Add version number to names William H. Bowers – whb108@psu.edu

18. Not Keeping the User Informed • Progress meters are nice • Must be in context • Maybe use multiple meters William H. Bowers – whb108@psu.edu

19. Confusing Installation with Configuration • Installation includes configuration • Configuration must not require installation • Allow for reconfiguration • Don’t require original media to reconfigure William H. Bowers – whb108@psu.edu

20. Demanding Active Participation • Don’t ask some questions, proceed and ask more • Ask all questions up front • Allow unattended installation • Provide for multiple CD drives William H. Bowers – whb108@psu.edu

21. Questions & Discussion William H. Bowers – whb108@psu.edu