One of the biggest issues identified by our consultants and helpdesk staff when it comes to software installation problems is that client hardware and software may not be "up to date". This does not mean the latest 'zillion Mhz' machine is required but that whatever the machine is, it should have current service packs installed and suitable hardware and software drivers.

Software applications such as Visual Studio 8 and .NET Framework will not run correctly with some early Beta software installed. They will not update over the Beta (even using windows update) and the only solution is to remove the Beta software and start again with the commercial release. Failure to do this will take you straight to 'dll hell' when you try to install applications that use these technologies.

Each Sys Admin has to decide what is right for their domain but if you are having issues with the installation of new software (such as HelpMaster Pro) one of the first things to consider is "Are you "Up to Date"?"