Installing new version on top of the old version

[Aelson]

Hi there, I just wanted to know if its better to uninstall the old version and then install the new version, or I can install the new version on top of the old version?

I currently have CCleaner Free for Windows 10, version v5.58.7209 (06 Jun 2019) and want to install the new version which is:

v5.59.7230 (25 Jun 2019)

Thanks.

[nukecad]

You can install the new version over the old version without uninstalling first.

The only real issue that we see is that if CCleaner is already running in the background then the install will fail until the background process has been stopped.
That can happen when 'Smart Cleaning' is in use so that CCleaner is running in the background.
 

[Andavari]

If you never configure CCleaner and just use only the "factory" defaults it's alright to do clean installs, i.e.; remove the old, then install the new.

However if you've changed settings, configured what to clean and what not to clean, configured what cookies to keep, etc., then it makes perfect sense to just install over an older version so that your settings remain intact.

[Aelson]

Thank you nukecad and Andavari.

A friend of mine also told me this:

"You can install without doing a clean install. Nowadays installer software is designed well enough that it is able to uninstall old parts itself if necessary.
It allows to keep settings and not bother with uninstalling first.
You can use this as a general rule, too, except if some software explicitly tells you to uninstall the old version first. Even drivers can be upgraded without prior uninstall now, most of the time."

 

[Andavari]

1 hour ago, Aelson said:

except if some software explicitly tells you to uninstall the old version first.

When it comes to security software I always go the clean install route by uninstalling the old version followed by a reboot, and then install the new version.

Some security software speaking mostly about freeware antivirus and freeware anti-malware may not suggest anything and will by itself with no user interaction install a new version over itself, and in the process corrupts a portion or feature of itself that may not be immediately obvious but in some cases it's glaringly obvious - missing right-click context menu scanning (Malwarebytes), missing GUI elements (Panda Dome "Panda Free Antivirus").