Testing the Deployment Process in the Lab

To ensure that your deployment of Internet Explorer is as smooth as possible, test the proposed deployment process on lab computers that are configured to represent your typical user groups. If your user groups are large or have very different computing environments or requirements, you may need to prepare multiple labs and conduct tests at several different sites.

Preparing the Lab

Set aside physical space for each computer lab. Acquire a mix of computers that accurately reflects the hardware and software environments of your users' computers. Also, set up lab computers to represent existing browser configurations so that you can accurately test the migration process.

Make sure that all lab computers are functioning properly before you install Internet Explorer:

• Select a production computer that meets the system requirements for the Internet Explorer Customization wizard. For more information about system requirements for the wizard, see Chapter 9, "Planning the Deployment."
• Check to see that each computer has enough disk space, memory, and processing speed to run Internet Explorer. For more information about hardware requirements for Internet Explorer, see Chapter 9, "Planning the Deployment."
• Test basic operating system functions, including starting each computer and connecting to the server.
• Run virus detection, disk scanning, and defragmentation programs on each computer to prevent problems that might occur during testing. Although the computers might appear to be operating properly, software upgrades often uncover hardware or software problems because of the way they read and write data to the hard disk. Checking the computers before installing Internet Explorer helps you to focus on issues related to deployment.
• Make sure you have the appropriate network connection hardware. If your users dial in from remote locations using portable computers or you need to use additional servers or mainframe computers for business data, equip the lab computers with an analog phone line and appropriate network access. Also, you might need power supplies and surge protectors, depending on the number of computers you use for testing. Be sure to research and eliminate potential problems related to overheating or frequency distortion from the location.
• When the system hardware is ready, verify that the existing network is fully operational.

Important Make a backup copy of critical data and configuration files in case the installation fails or you need to restore the original configuration. If you want to automate the process of restoring the original configuration, consider using a commercial backup program instead of copying the files manually.

Make sure to document the lab setup completely. Maintain a record of any changes you make so that you can repeat the same setup process for the pilot program.

Conducting the Lab Tests

To test the deployment process in the lab, perform all the tasks identified on the test checklist. Install Internet Explorer on the lab computers in the same way that you plan to install Internet Explorer on your users' computers. In some cases, this might mean setting up the network installation location on the server and then installing Internet Explorer on the lab computers from the server.

Automating your installation is an important step in reducing the cost of migration. You can choose to run the installation process from start to finish without user intervention. Also, you can run the installation from the server so that you don't need to configure individual computers when Internet Explorer is installed. You should complete this automation work in the lab before you conduct the pilot program. For more information about automating the installation process, see Chapter 16, "Customizing Setup."

When you run the Internet Explorer Customization wizard, you can predefine a number of options for your users. Be sure to test the Internet Explorer configuration you select and any changes you make before you run your pilot program. Depending on how the test installation proceeds, you may want to modify the configuration by adding or removing components or features. If you are considering several different configurations, you can evaluate them side by side in the lab. For more information about using the Internet Explorer Customization wizard to predefine user options, see Chapter 15, "Running the Microsoft Internet Explorer Customization Wizard."

After you install Internet Explorer on the test computers, you need to verify that the software runs correctly and that you can perform basic browser tasks, such as navigating to a Web page or adding a Web page to the favorites list. After you are sure that the basic configuration works as expected, be sure to test any optional features and components, such as FrontPage Express or NetMeeting, that you install.

During the testing process, maintain a record of all issues and problems. These records will help you design solutions to correct the problems you encounter. Then test each solution using this same process.

Testing the Uninstall Process

After you have successfully completed the Internet Explorer installation process, you should uninstall the browser and restore the lab computers to their original state. Using the Add/Remove Programs dialog box in Windows Control Panel, you can remove Internet Explorer 5. You also have the option to restore the previous version of Internet Explorer that was installed on the computer.

Using the Internet Explorer Customization wizard (in corporate administrator mode), you can choose not to install the files needed to uninstall the browser. This reduces the amount of hard disk space required for the custom package installation, but users will not be able to uninstall the browser from Control Panel. Also if you are using system management programs, such as Microsoft Systems Management Server (SMS), to install Internet Explorer, you cannot uninstall the browser using Control Panel.

Important Because of the large number of changes made to the system by Windows Update Setup, a manual uninstall would be a time-consuming process requiring many steps. Attempting a manual uninstall is not recommended.

For troubleshooting information about the uninstall process, see Appendix B, "Troubleshooting."