Hello,
does Windows Installer have a built-in mechanism to enable/prevent installing files to a network drive? I could use a custom action to check whether the target directory of a component is local, however I think this task would be easier to accomplish if MSI did this check.
Regards,
Matthias
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Installing to a network drive
Started by
Matthias1967
, Apr 30 2009 09:38
9 replies to this topic
VBScab
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Posted 30 April 2009 - 11:31
In a word, no. 
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Zweitze
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Posted 30 April 2009 - 11:36
You can modify the Browse dialog to exclude remote drives. That dialog has a DirectoryCombo control, set its attributes accordingly.
Users may circumvent the browse dialog with commandlines like
Msiexec /i Mysetup.msi INSTALLDIR=R:\test
To prevent that, always reset INSTALLDIR in your sequence.
Users may circumvent the browse dialog with commandlines like
Msiexec /i Mysetup.msi INSTALLDIR=R:\test
To prevent that, always reset INSTALLDIR in your sequence.
VBScab
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Posted 30 April 2009 - 12:50
| QUOTE (Zweitze @ 2009-04-30 10:36) |
| To prevent that, always reset INSTALLDIR in your sequence. |
Wouldn't that force your folder structure on the user? I hate when set-ups do that: I want to install it where *I* want to put it. I think it would be cleaner and friendlier to handle the selection of network drives in the sequence, perhaps with a scripted Custom Action.
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Zweitze
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Posted 30 April 2009 - 21:15
Indeed, that forces the folder structure for users - assuming these users run silent or basic UI.
'Normal' users see the UI and can change the destination folder as they see fit.
So (somewhat obvious but preventing misinterpretation)
In the start of InstallUISequence INSTALLDIR is reset by a simple CA. Later the dialogs come and the user may use the browse dialogs to change the destination folder.
In the InstallExecuteSequence, INSTALLDIR is also reset, but with the condition (UILevel <> 4). This condition preserves any user choices in the dialog, but corrects users starting the install silent with an INSTALLDIR on the commandline.
Both CAs that reset INSTALLDIR can be simple type 51 CAs, making the property empty. They should be scheduled before the costing process.
'Normal' users see the UI and can change the destination folder as they see fit.
So (somewhat obvious but preventing misinterpretation)
In the start of InstallUISequence INSTALLDIR is reset by a simple CA. Later the dialogs come and the user may use the browse dialogs to change the destination folder.
In the InstallExecuteSequence, INSTALLDIR is also reset, but with the condition (UILevel <> 4). This condition preserves any user choices in the dialog, but corrects users starting the install silent with an INSTALLDIR on the commandline.
Both CAs that reset INSTALLDIR can be simple type 51 CAs, making the property empty. They should be scheduled before the costing process.
Matthias1967
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Posted 02 June 2009 - 07:30
But there are customer admins that heavily urge software producers to let them set INSTALLDIR from the command line - and I can understand that they want to control their folder structure.
VBScab
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Posted 02 June 2009 - 08:59
| QUOTE (Matthias1967 @ 2009-06-02 06:30) |
| I can understand that they want to control their folder structure. |
I can understand wanting to control SUB-folder structure but, if they're too thick to code their apps to understand where they're installed, they really have no business being in software development. Jeez, even a VBS can detect where it was launched from!
- Don't know why 'x' happened? Want to know why 'y' happened? ProcMon will tell you.
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- I answer questions only via forums. Please appreciate the time I give here and don't send me personal emails.
- Try using http://www.google.com before posting.
- I answer questions only via forums. Please appreciate the time I give here and don't send me personal emails.
Matthias1967
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Posted 02 June 2009 - 09:33
VBScab, I agree with you that there are customer admins out there that want to be able to set their target folder (via INSTALLDIR on the command line), and I can understand those admins.
Zweitze
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Posted 02 June 2009 - 10:52
| QUOTE (Matthias1967 @ 2009-06-02 06:30) |
| But there are customer admins that heavily urge software producers to let them set INSTALLDIR from the command line - and I can understand that they want to control their folder structure. |
What do you want to achieve? In the opening post you stated that you want to prevent customer admins to set the install folder to a location on a network drive. Now you state that you understand the fact that a customer admin wants to install to a network drive?!
Edited by Zweitze, 02 June 2009 - 10:52.
Matthias1967
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Posted 02 June 2009 - 14:49
Not actually to a network drive, but to a location different from the default INSTALLDIR.
As to network drives, there are situations where I want to know whether the target directory of a component is local.
As to network drives, there are situations where I want to know whether the target directory of a component is local.