4 replies to this topic

[angp]

Hi All,

Anyone has any idea how to create an MSI package without having to specify the Platform?

I would like to create an platform independent MSI installer that installs Platform independent resource, text and help files. This way there is no need to maintenance two MSIs that are pointing to the same source. Anyone has done this before?

Please advice.

Thanks,
angp

[VBScab]

What do you mean when you say "platform"? Do you mean, for example, that you might want a single MSI to be deployable to XP, W7, Win Server 2003, Win Server 2008 and so on?

If so, there are built-in properties for determining which OS is in use (e.g. Version9x, VersionNT, VersionNT64) but there's nothing stopping you building your own detection routines and populating your own properties, in order to provide more granularity. You would have these in a standard transform or, if you're using an MSI authoring tool like Wise or InstallShield, in that tool's standard MSI template.

The MSI's components and/or features would then need to be conditioned according to the value of the property.

[angp]

Hi,

Sorry that I did not clarify myself on the "Platform" that I'm asking for.
I'm actually checking if it is possible to create a 32/64 independent MSI package.

I understand that in the _SummaryInformation.idt PropertyId 7 indicates the Platform "Intel", "Intel64", "AMD" and "AMD64". Is it possible to create a generic PropertyId 7?

Will like to have the same installer package able to execute in both 32 and 64bit OS environments.

Is this possible?

Please advice.

Thanks.

[VBScab]

All things are possible. However, I think that, given the potential complexity, that most people would opt for separate packages. There's also the consideration that there seems to be a slow but inexorable move away from 32-bit apps.

[Stefan Krueger]

http://msdn.microsof...y/aa367451.aspx