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Basic MSI powerful enough?


6 replies to this topic

fredrik.strom

fredrik.strom
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Posted 20 January 2006 - 10:40

Hi,
I have read the user manual for 11.5 and are trying to choose between Basic MSI projects and InstallScript project (since i have heard so much bad about InstallScript MSI).

We have two requirements on the installation that i dont know if i can solve with the Basic MSI and I place my hope in you all to give me some guidence.

Requirments:
---------------
1) I want to display a product key screen that uses a dedicated algorithm to verify the key. Can this be done with some sort of a CustomAction?

2) I want to be able to add new modules (features?) to an existing product. This requires the possibility to get a reference to where the product is installed. I dont want to update the product version and the module should be possible to unistall. I guess I can solve this in an InstallScript project with Script-defined folders, and possibly as a "small update" in MSI?

We currently use InstallShield 5.5 and InstallScript i guess, but using MSI seems like a good thing?
If im not interested in "corporate rollouts/administration" of our application is MSI still the best choice?

Any input to these questions are highly apprciated.

regards Fredrik

Stefan Krueger

Stefan Krueger

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Posted 20 January 2006 - 17:16

1) Yes, you can call a DLL passing in the key as a property and have the DLL fucntion set another property to indicate success or failure. However for someone with MSI knowledge it's relatively easy to override this serial number check. Therefore you should (additionally or instead) check the serial number in the application. Removing the check from an InstallScript project would not be as easily possible.

2) you could install this as update/patch, or simply as a separate msi package. ou could read the destination directory from registry or query the install location of a component.

fredrik.strom

fredrik.strom
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Posted 23 January 2006 - 08:48

Thanks a lot for your answer, it is very appreciated . :-)


regards Fredrik

fredrik.strom

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Posted 24 January 2006 - 15:34

So i can change the INSTALLDIR value depending on a registry Path variable or what i find in the System Search? I have found no way to change the INSTALLDIR value with a setting in the InstallShield project.


Regards Fredrik

Edited by fredrik.strom, 24 January 2006 - 15:37.


Stefan Krueger

Stefan Krueger

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Posted 25 January 2006 - 16:35

You could use a custom action of type Set Property (before CostFinalize) or Set Directory (after CostFinalize)

fredrik.strom

fredrik.strom
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Posted 26 January 2006 - 12:45

Tanks for the answer :-).

I have one more issue that i'm a little concerned about:

If I use InstallScript in my custom actions, will I end up with the same installation problems as when using InstallScript MSI projects and can that be avoided by using VBScript in the actions instead?

Regards Fredrik



Stefan Krueger

Stefan Krueger

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Posted 27 January 2006 - 18:07

Your setup would also need the InstallScript engine, so you can expect some of the same problems (not all I guess). VBScript has its own problems, like being blocked by some anti-virus tools. The most robust way is a DLL.