Selecting the Installation Type

Installation and Upgrade > Installation and Configuration Guide > Using the PTC Solution Installer > Installing Windchill Solutions > Launching the PTC Solution Installer > Selecting the Installation Type

You should have a clear understanding of the differences between a fresh installation, an update to an existing installation, or an upgrade of an existing Windchill solution.

• A fresh install

A solution installation, or a fresh install, installs products and platform components on one or more machines.

When performing a fresh install, you can install and configure bundled platform components as part of your solution.

Critical Patch Sets may be available for your installation. To verify the existence of any necessary Critical Patch Sets see https://www.ptc.com/appserver/cs/software_update/swupdate.jsp. Critical Patch sets must be downloaded from PTC’s Technical Support site and extracted to your staging directory before entering the Define Settings phase of the installation process. Critical Patch sets can be downloaded from https://www.ptc.com/appserver/cs/software_update/swupdate.jsp.

You may also configure existing supported platform components to the solution you are installing. You must run the PSI on each machine that is a part of the multiple machine installation, installing the products or platform component that are to reside on each machine. Manual configuration may likely be required to complete an installation.

If you install multiple components on a single machine, the PSI installs them in the proper order based on your selections for that installation session. For components that you install standalone, you must install them in the order listed. This ensures that they are configured properly to previously installed or subsequently installed components.

• An update to an existing installation

Updating an existing installation allows you to add optional products, install additional languages, or install a maintenance release. When you choose an optional product or language to install only the screens necessary for that product prompt you for information. Likewise, when installing a maintenance release only the screens to install that maintenance release appear.

• An upgrade

Upgrading involves moving from one release to another, not including maintenance releases. See the Windchill Supported Upgrade Paths document to determine if you have a supported upgrade path.