Patent ID: 8752043

Claim:
A method of generating guidance for installing software on a second computer, the method comprising the steps of: receiving information from a user, which includes, at least in part, an identity of a software to be installed, an installation preference for a first installation of the software, and a software feature to be installed on the second computer; receiving information that defines an environment of the second computer, wherein the information comprises information regarding one or more of connectivity, hardware, and currently installed software on the second computer; defining a search parameter based on (i) a received information from the user and (ii) a received information that defines the environment of the second computer; searching, using the search parameter, for data stored on storage devices and the Internet; retrieving data, which is associated with a second installation of the software on a third computer, wherein data associated with the second installation relates to the installation of software on the second computer; and generating guidance for the installation of the software on the second computer, based on the identity of the software to be installed, the installation preference for the first installation of the software, the environment of the second computer, and the data associated to a second installation of the software on a third computer, wherein at least one of the steps is carried out using a first computer.