Which situation is specifically addressed by a software escrow agreement?

A software escrow agreement is a legal arrangement where a third party holds a copy of the software source code and related documentation until certain conditions are met. This arrangement is specifically designed to protect the interests of the user in the event that the vendor can no longer support the software for reasons such as bankruptcy or going out of business.

In the context of this scenario, if the vendor of custom-written software goes out of business, having a software escrow agreement in place allows the user to access the source code. This ensures that the user can maintain, upgrade, or even modify the software as needed, mitigating the risk associated with losing support and updates for critical software applications.

Other scenarios, such as needing software reloaded or recovering from a disaster, generally do not fall under the purview of a software escrow agreement. These situations typically involve operational tasks or support processes that are part of regular IT management rather than contractual protections relating to the availability of software in the event of vendor solvency issues. Therefore, option C accurately captures the essence of a software escrow agreement's purpose.