2018.4 to 2018.7 upgrade advice and experience

[chuckwow]

I am preparing to upgrade from 2018.4 to 2018.7.
I have looked through the forums and searched on install related items without much success in discovering specific information.

The documentation states 2018.7 is a new install, in that 2018.4 needs to be removed prior to 2018.7 being installed.

My 2018.4 initial install was done using all of the defaults for file locations.

This makes me nervous. I am new to PT and want to understand what I should expect as part of the process.
For example, will the uninstall process do anything (like remove) the library of non avid plugins. I have some wave based plugins.

If things go south in the uninstall / install process, is there a way to get back to 2018.4?

Does the community have any suggestions about initial steps I should go through or any other advice before I begin?

Thanks in advance.

[chuckwow]

I should have mentioned I am running in a windows 10 setup

[The Weed]

Install Trasher and back up your Preferences, make an image of your OS drive (I use Macrium Reflect - you do make images regularly, yes - you should), do a clean uninstall of 2018.4, reboot, run CCleaner's Registry Cleaner, Fix Issues, run it again and again until there are no issues, install 2018.7, reboot, run CCleaner again, restore your Preferences with Trasher, open Pro Tools. Does it all work? Do you need to update Waves or iLok Manager. If it doesn't perform the way you want and/or you can't resolve any iLok or plug-in issues, just restore the image you made just before upgrading to 2018.7 and you'll be right back where you started at 2018.4 and a working system.

[xrekcor]

I just updated through Avid Application Manager which should be installed on your machine... perhaps that is different with a windows machine. didn't have to uninstall 2018.4 but maybe thats what the AAM does. but whatever the case it does all that for you.

[xrekcor]

btw, a copy of 2018.4 should be on your product page

[chuckwow]

Thank you both for your responses.
I have not used thrasher ( or the other utilities for that matter) before but will investigate and see about following your recommendations.
Appreciate your response and expertise.

[grayter1]

Originally Posted by chuckwow

Thank you both for your responses.
I have not used thrasher ( or the other utilities for that matter) before but will investigate and see about following your recommendations.
Appreciate your response and expertise.

For what it's worth, I'm on Windows 10 and I just installed over the previous version without issue.

I just switched from OS X (hackintosh) and I only miss being able to rename the previous version and installing the newest along side of it.

tg