5 replies to this topic

[milest]

I install a ACCESS Database via Sagekey software; this database can be uninstalled normally via Control Panel. The risk is that a user could uninstall the database without realising that he is deleting all his data!

Can I use ORCA to insert a warning dialogue into the Uninstall sequence via Control Panel and if so how: at present the Control Panel Dialogue simply asks whether you want to proceed with uninstallation (and I presume I cannot alter this dialogue for my installation only)? The database can only be installed under Win 2000 SP3 or later.

TIA

[Stefan Krueger]

Uninstalling from control panel runs the uninstall without the authored dialogs in the UI sequence. You would have to insert a custom action to display a dialog. Note that this would prevent an unattended uninstall.
It may be better to change the setup so that it will only remove the access program files but not the database.

[milest]

Agreed; much better to leave the database file, and realised that as soon as I posted my query! Most of the installation is to do with ACCESS runtime anyway and (as I see it) the database file and other supporting files are simply copied during the installation to a folder which I use the Sagekey wizard to create in Program Files (though the user has the ability to override this default location).

My knowledge of installation scripts and ORCA is (less than) rudimentary and the Sagekey wizard does not offer the option to leave a folder during uninstallation. Can I specify in ORCA (if so where?) to exempt a folder during uninstallation (tracking its installation location if the user altered the Program Files default)?

I can see how in ORCA to alter dialogues but as you explained ControlPanel does not seem to call on them! Thanks anyway.

[Stefan Krueger]

In Component table in the Attributs column set the 0x0010 bit (i.e. add 16 to the value if this bít is not yet set). This is the msidbComponentAttributesPermanent flag which tells Windows Installer not to remove this component on uninstall. You need to do this for all components you want to leave behind.
To find out which components you need, go to the File table where you will find the related component for each file in the setup.

[milest]

Many thanks! Now of course I need to tell users (via the Control Panel uninstall process if poss) that some data files will be preserved during uninstall! But can't find CP dialogues in ORCA. Sorry always to ask the one more ques but am v grateful for help so far; can I insert a dialogue into the CP uninstall routine - I have Sagekey s/w and ORCA and VB Studio .Net?

My database applic is so small and all the data is now preserved after uninstall (thank you again) and the ACCESS runtime licence is also left by default, so not really sure what uninstall is achieving other than it is a default user option, so it doesn't seem worth having any other form of Custom Action to achieve this!

[Stefan Krueger]

Clicking the Remove button in control panel usually performs an unattended uninstall. You could disable the Remove button and force users to click Modify and then sekect remove in your MaintenanceType dialog.