5 replies to this topic

[HNE_MVE]

Hello,

I have problems with the uninstall of my project (I'm using a InstallShield DevStudio 9[Basic MSI Project]).

I have a component with several ASCII files. These files does not have any Windows version number.

I have experienced a problem with the uninstall of my project. If our client has changed the files on the target system, the uninstall should leave the files behind.

Installing is OK. When our client has files with the same name, our file will not be installed (this is a wanted behaviour). But with uninstall the file is removed, although it is not installed by the installation

Some component properties are:
Shared: No
Permanent: No
Never Overwrite: No

Could someone help me?

Best regards, MVE

[Stefan Krueger]

If you only want to leave the file behind if it was not installed by your setup: set Shared to yes
If you always want to leave the file behind: set Permanent to yes

[HNE_MVE]

I'm sorry to say it, but this does not work.

To test it I generated a small installation (Basic MSI) project. With one component, a couple of ASCII files (without windows version number).

Before the installation I created a file on the target with the same name as one of the files which would be installed.
After installation the generated file was still present. So he did not install the file from the project. That is OK.

With uninstall of the project he removes also the earlier created file. This file was not installed. This is NOT OK

Another problem is: If a installed file is changed by a user of the program, the file should remain on harddisk. A changed file should not be uninstalled.

Component settings:
Shared: Yes
Permanent: No
Never Overwrite: No

Best regards, M. Vermeule

[Stefan Krueger]

The Shared flag only works for the key file of ther component. So you would have to pu these files in separate components each.
Leaving them behind only if the user changed them is not built into MSI. You would have to do some custom coding custom actions) to achive this.

[medvekoma]

I have a similar problem but another point of view.

I install an MSAccess database to a subfolder of CommonAppData. The installed application changes the database. If i uninstall the program the database remains in place.

If i install the application again the database will not be overwritten and i could not manage to get it overwritten.

That is the only file in the component, it is key file
Shared: No
Permanent: No
It has no windows version

How can i have the file either uninstalled or have it overwritten?

Thanks for any input

[Stefan Krueger]

Generate a MSI log of uninstall to see why it doesn't get removed during uninstall.