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[mandrews]

Anyone really clear on what the Upgrade Code is for?

I'm looking at the chart in the InstallShield Knowledge Base article Q105413.

It basically shows:

Minor Upgrade:
- change package code

Minor Upgrade with Patch:
- change Package Code
- change Product Version

Major Upgrade:
- change Package Code
- change Product Version
- change Product Code

Upgrade Code is the final column and is never used.

The only real reference I could find for Upgrade Code was in the MSI Help Library.

From what I can make out, the Upgrade Code is VERY poorly named by Microsoft and really should be the "Master Code" (or something).

If you change this, you are dealing with something really completely different that has nothing to do with anything you've worked on before.

Can anyone verify this?  Do I understand it correctly?

[Ian Blake]

The upgrade code is used extensively during upgrading.    It is the key signature for the Upgrade Table,  FindRelatedProducts, MigrateFeatureStates and RemoveExistingProducts actions.   These are the major functions of upgrading so it is not so badly named.  I agree its name can be a little confusing, but it not easy to think of a truly better name.

It is best to keep the upgrade code the same through all the versions of a product however this is not strictly necessary. But if you start changing  the Upgrade Code the the Upgrade Table will need to be larger, more complicated and confusing.

You will often find that the Msi Help Library will answer problems that the Install Shield documents do not.