3 replies to this topic

[mandrews]

Has anyone figured out a way to allow the user to specify the path to the source .msi file for a patch?

PROBLEM:

1) install a Standard Project from a CDROM

2) add a CDROM or hard drive to the computer (or generally reconfigure the machine so the drive letters are different)

3) try to apply a patch to your install

When the patch can't find the original .msi file, you get this dialog:
______________________________

"Setup could not find a file on the specified path or disk.

Please check that the proper disk is inserted or specify a new path.

Unable to locate file <path to the original .msi>

[buttons] RETRY CANCEL"

________________________________

It tells you to specify a new path, but there is no edit box to enter anything into...just "retry" and "cancel" buttons.

The path it shows is correct, but it just needs a different drive letter.

In this case, the user is stuck and the patch is useless. They have to completely uninstall/reinstall the whole product to get the patch installed. And though this is a viable workaround, relaying this to them in a professional way is another matter...

Has anyone figured out a way to allow the user to specify the path to the source .msi file for a patch?

InstallShield really needs to address this, otherwise a patch is easily rendered useless for any install originating from removeable media.

[widby]

Sorry, I don't have a solution, but I have run into a similar problem: if you put the installation files into a ZIP-archive, and the user runs the installation directly from inside the ZIP-archive, the .msi file ends up in a temporary directory. If you try to apply the patch at a later time the temporary directory and with it the .msi file are gone - and the patch fails with a file not found error. Is there any way you could add the .msi file to the patch?

[mandrews]

Results of my issue:
If you test a CDROM install from a temporary network location, Windows Installer knows it's coming from a network and will look for that exact path again when you patch.

If you test from an actual CDROM, Windows Installer knows that it's coming from removable media and will search all removable media drives for that path.

So my issue is resolved.

However, here's some notes:

1) check out this registry location:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Installer\Products\<your guid>\SourceList

You'll see Media and Net sub keys.  Under those will be paths to the .msi file with a value name of  "1".
You can add a "2" value (maybe during PatchUIBefore?) and the patch will also search that path for your .msi.

2) even easier, you might want to check out Package For the Web that comes on the Developer CDROM instead of using .ZIP.  It compresses, is self-extracting, and gives you control (and the user) of where to leave the original .msi on the system.

[widby]

Package for the Web seems to fix my problem.

Thanks, Mark!