This document covers the basic steps and procedures needed before completing most upgrades.

Steps before performing an upgrade:
1. Read the entire Readme (in the case of minor updates) or Upgrade Guideline (in the case of version upgrades) before making any changes to the system.

2. Make sure Windows has been updated to the appropriate service pack (check your update documentation, if not listed check the Admin Manual and AltiGen Knowledge Base).

2. AltiWare installation files for your update should be downloaded to the target system or burned to CD ahead of time.

3. We also recommend downloading or burning to CD the installation files and updates for the current AltiWare version on the machine. This will save time in case there are issues with the upgrade and you need to roll back to the previous version.

4. Check that you have all the necessary licenses required for your upgrade ahead of time. Technical Support has limited access to Sales and Engineering staff after hours. We are much better equipped to handle registration and licensing issues during business hours. Therefore, whenever possible, we also recommend completing your registration ahead of time, which is possible in most upgrade scenarios.

5. A backup of the current software (procedures described below)
    a) Go to Start->Programs->AltiWare->Utilities->Read Config. Keep the default settings, unless you do not want the files to download to the default  location. Otherwise, it will be stored here: C:\AltiServ\Exe\AltiWareHtml. Once this utility finishes running, save the file on a network drive.
    b) Create a new folder for your backup. It can be helpful to include the date and version the system is currently on in the folder name to easily identify your backup.   

    c) Within AltiAdmin, select Services -> Utilities -> System Data Management. Click Backup, check the boxes for all components. In the Backup To dropdown, select Advanced. Click the folder Icon to browse to the new backup folder that you created in the previous step. Click OK to begin the backup.
    d) Once the backup is complete, copy it to a network drive if one is available.

You are now ready to upgrade. Please read the readme for specific installation instructions for that version.

Also, it may be helpful to upgrade your IP phone firmware at this time. That way, once you have upgraded, the IP phones will work immediately after upgrade as some firmware versions may not compatible with the upgraded version.

Please make sure you meet the minimum system requirements before you upgrade.