3 replies to this topic

[korwin]

There is a certain DLL that my custom resource DLL needs to run, unfortuntely that DLL needs to be in the same directory as the process that wants to use it, which happens to be IKernel.exe. So, I need to copy this particular DLL to the InstallShield engine directory (the same directory that has IKernel.exe) before my setup runs. Is there anyway to do this?

[ObjectCentric]

You mean you want to replace the core file located usually in \Program Files\Common Files\InstallShield\engine\6\Intel 32 ? If so, I do not think that would comply with InstallShield's usage agreement. Also this would universally ripple through all installs afterward, and thirdly you would most probably get an access denied message because the file would be in use at the time you would be trying to replace it via installation...

Overall it sounds like bad news to me. Though of course everything is possible. For instance you can create a faux setup file (that is not actually installshield based) and rename the InstallShield setup.exe to something like setup2.exe and call your winapp to setup.exe so it does the change if located and replaces the file, then calls setup.exe and the user won't be the wiser(if their access grants them permission to change such files of course).... Again not too sure if this is "legal" and ok with the execs at IS... this could be called a viral propagation method because you are modyfying something that may give unexpected results, and who knows what the liabilities may be...

What is it that you cannot do programmatically?

-=OC

[korwin]

No not replace any files, just add a dll, I would add it to the various working directory, but it turns out it needs to live in the same directory as IKernel.exe.... in any event I solved my problem by statically linking to a different DLL so problem is circumvented anyway.

thanks!

[Giurcanu Daniel]

dont use static linking
Use
Kernel32.LoadLibrarxEx
with
LOAD_WITH_ALTERED_SEARCH_PATH
this way you can control the search path.