Patent ID: 8589904

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for updating a security software product, at least a portion of the method being performed by a computing device comprising at least one processor, the method comprising: receiving a request to install a second version of the security software product over a first version of the security software product as part of an over-installation process where only a single instance of the security software product is able to run at a time; installing, as part of the over-installation process where only a single instance of the security software product is able to run at a time, the second version of the security software product in a dormant state while the first version of the security software product is running by: automatically identifying one or more components of the second version of the security software product that do not affect execution of the first version of the security software product by determining that the first version of the security software product is not utilizing components that correspond to the one or more components of the second version of the security software product that do not affect execution of the first version of the security software product, installing the one or more components of the second version of the security software product that do not affect execution of the first version of the security software product, and refraining from installing one or more components of the second version of the security software product that would affect execution of the first version of the security software product if installed; after installing the second version of the security software product, rebooting a computing system on which the first and second versions of the security software product are installed; upon rebooting the computing system, swapping the first and second versions of the security software product by: activating the second version of the security software product, and deactivating the first version of the security software product by modifying a state of one or more components of the first version of the security software product such that the one or more components of the first version of the security software product will not restart after a reboot of the computing system on which the first version of the security software product is installed.