Zemax Update Clutter

Question

Please can Zemax change the way it installs updates.  I don't know of any other software that installs updates as a new application and leaves behind clutter like this (16 separate instances are listed in my app list).  And of course the list just keeps getting longer with every update Zemax brings out.  Is it safe to delet the old versions?  If it is then it shouldn't be left to the user to clear up Zemax's mess, it should be done automatically at the end of an update installation .  If it isn't then you should change it so that there is only one app listed and ensure it isn't taking up unnecessary storage space.  As it stands it doesn't give me with confidence that OpticStudio isn't going to crash my system at some point.
Andrew

Csilla Timar-Fulep · Accepted Answer

Hi Andrew!OpticStudio doesn&rsquo;t remove old versions automatically as many people like to have multiple versions available.However, usually, installing Zemax/OpticStudio defaults to the same folder as the previous version, so probably you don&rsquo;t have as many versions installed as listed in &ldquo;Apps and features&rdquo;. The reason why you can see so many versions is because Windows only shows the amount of space used when installing a new software/release, but does not update later. If you use the default settings for installation, most likely you actually have only one copy of OpticStudio installed in one folder like C:\program files\Zemax OpticStudio. If so, then new versions overwrite the old but do not remove the entry in Add/remove programs for the old version.If you would like to cleanup old versions, the best way is to search the computer for Zemax.exe and Opticstudio.exe. Right-click the found file and select &ldquo;Open file location&rdquo; to open the folder it&rsquo;s installed in. Then you can run the &ldquo;unins000.exe&rdquo; file in that folder to remove it. It is safe to delete all the old versions of OpticStudio, it will not remove or modify the license in your machine.Best,Csilla

Andrew.Dennington · Answer

Hi Csilla,Sorry I can't believe that 'many' people like having access to every update no matter how minor that has ever been released since they started using it.  Why would anyone want to access 16 previous versions of the software unless the were a Zemax software developer?  Granted you might need to have a single additional copy of say version 14 if you had an unsupported dongle you were sharing but if that was the case you still only want access to that and the current latest release.  If it was the case that users liked having access to every single release of the software they use then you would expect most other business software to install updates like Zemax does, which of course they don't. Zemax updates should behave like every other piece of business and engineering software that I have come across.  By all means add a tick box 'Keep previous version' during installation but the default should be that the latest update replaces all previous updates.  Users shouldn't be expected to manually clean up unwanted files after installation.Andrew

Zemax Update Clutter

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