How can i upgrade my Octave version to the latest one?

Question

I have the 4.0.3 Octave version on my machine. and I would like to upgrade my version using windows. Can someone tell me please the steps to follow? Thanks.

Answer 1

If you want to remove v4.0.3, the complete answer will depend on how you installed that version in the first place.

If you used an executable installer, then there should be an 'uninstall' option available. On Windows 10, you can sometimes right click on the shortcut in the startmenu and an Uninstall option will appear. Otherwise you can follow the directions at this link to navigate through the Settings to the Apps & Features window, which lists everything installed and will provide an Uninstall option.

If you used a zip package to 'install' Octave 4.0.3 just by unzipping it to a folder on your hard drive, then no uninstall process is necessary. you can just delete the folder and shortcuts manually.

You can have multiple octave versions installed next to each other, the folders will have version numbers to prevent them from overwriting themselves.

To install the latest version (5.1.0 as of this answer, although 5.2.0 will be released very soon):

You can find the installation files for Windows by going to the Octave download page and clicking 'Windows'. There will be several file options there. Most people choose the first one (octave-5.1.0-w64-installer.exe) for 64bit systems. You can just download that or one of the other .exe versions, execute that program, and follow the prompts. If for some reason you would rather download a zip package and do a manual setup, I suggest you follow the instructions at the Octave for Microsoft Windows Wiki page to make sure everything is configured correctly.