A question about installing Spybot 2

Hello.

I have been using Spybot (version 1.6.2) for a long time, and I have been very happy with it.

Yesterday, though, I decided to make the move and finally try out the new version to see how I like it compared to the previous one (i.e., version 1.6.2), so I went to download the new free Home version of Spybot; however, the download instructions advised me to first uninstall any previous versions, so I cancelled the download until I could come here for some further advice.

I would really like to keep the previous version installed while trying out the new one, so is the recommendation to remove any previous versions really necessary? Or is it just a standard precaution?

And if it is necessary, is it because of potential conflicts that may arise between the two versions if any of the active protection modules have been enabled? Or does it have to do with problems that can arise between files if both versions are installed into the same folder? Or does it have to do with something else?

Thank you.

It should be possible to install Spybot 2.x and keep Spybot 1.6 as well.
They have different installation folders and registry key entries.

The recommendation to remove any previous versions is especially for users who use a previous Spybot 2.x version.
Anyway: I would recommend to create a system restore point before installation.

Best regards!