- The obvious first: you need a CLEAN computer when doing repackaging. After trusting the repackaging tool cleanup for a while I have now resorted to complete re-imaging with Norton Ghost for every packaging process.
- Run SFC.exe on the packaging computer before making the base image
- If you work in a domain make sure the image you create is NOT added to the domain
- Try to write only to HKLM\Software
- Look through the capture info from the repackaging applications. Should be obvious, but I never read it close enough. Very frequently there is hardware and event information in there
- Make sure your packaging library is stored in a location that makes it survive reimaging processes
- Try to convert all repackaged applications to MSI (to prevent legacy setups from replacing system files)
- Enable any tracing features provided by the packaging tool
- Familiarize yourself with the application you are packaging.
- For old *.hlp files (help files). Open them, go to the search tab and generate the search index file (*.fts) after installation. This prevents problems with users who do not have write access to the directory where the *.hlp file is located.
- Open the application after installation and have it create any indexes and data files it needs
- Try to put all files on a single partition. When you add files to a different drive such as D:\ the setup might fail on a computer which does not have a D:\ drive
- Don't delete files while repackaging, you may end up with links pointing to a SID specific recycle bin entry. Very nasty! If you need to delete something, do SHIFT + delete.
- Map all network drives and similar BEFORE you start capturing
- If you are provided with an MSI to begin with, and it doesn't look too scary, don't repackage it (unless something breaks).
- If you get an MSI to deploy with HKCU registry entries, move them to a separate feature (make it hidden), create a new top level feature and put all features underneath this top level feature. Add a single component to the top level feature with a key path to HKCU\Software\Company\Product\Version\. HKCU data should be repaired when users log on provided the cached MSI is avialable and the application is invoked through an advertised shortcut.
- If you get an MSI with mixed per machine and per user data (such as a file installed to %PROGRAMFILES% with a HKCU registry key). Call the original setup developer and yell at him/her and then split these items up into two separate components
Edited by Glytzhkof, 29 July 2004 - 09:46.
