InstallShield 2012 Express Edition User Guide - Knowledge Base ...

Determining the Best Upgrade Solution
Chapter 17: Updating Applications
Determining the Best Upgrade Solution
The first step in creating an installation for any type of upgrade is identifying whether you want to
address target systems that do not have any earlier version of your product. Then you can determine
what type of method you should use to package the upgrade. The following table presents a general
overview to help you decide which method you should use. For a more in-depth discussion of the
techniques for packaging the upgrade, see Packaging Options for Upgrades.
Table 17-1: Possible Upgrade Solutions for Express Projects
Status of the
Target Systems Type of Installation Needed Technique for Packaging the Update
Some of the target
systems have an
earlier version of
the product, and
some do not have
any version of the
product.
Some of the target
systems have an
earlier version of
the product, and
some do not have
any version of the
product.
All of the target
systems have an
earlier version of
the product.
If file size is not an issue, you can create
one installation that does both of the
following:
• Behaves as a first-time installation if
an earlier version of the product is
not already present on the target
system
• Updates an existing product if it is
already installed on the target system
If you want a small installation for end
users who need to update an earlier
version of the product, you can create two
separate installations:
• A full installation that behaves as a
first-time installation.
• A smaller installation that updates
one or more earlier versions of an
already installed product. Since this
installation consists of only the
changed data between the versions
to be updated, it usually enables you
to deploy your upgrade using much
less bandwidth than that required to
deploy a full-installation package.
You can create a small installation that
updates one or more earlier versions of an
already installed product. Since this
installation consists of only the changed
data between the versions to be updated,
it usually enables you to deploy your
upgrade using much less bandwidth than
that required to deploy a full-installation
package.
Create a full-installation upgrade. For more
information, see Creating Full-Installation Upgrades.
For the first-time installation, create a full-installation
upgrade. For more information, see Creating Full-
Installation Upgrades.
For end users who have an earlier version of your
product, you might be able to create a QuickPatch
project instead of a full-installation upgrade. To
determine if a QuickPatch project is suitable, see
Packaging Options for Upgrades.
You might be able to create a QuickPatch project
instead of a full-installation upgrade. To determine if
a QuickPatch project is suitable, see Packaging
Options for Upgrades.
InstallShield 2012 Express Edition User Guide ISE-1800-UG01 323