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conditional reinstall


4 replies to this topic

aknarp

aknarp
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Posted 20 July 2008 - 00:40

Hi,
I am new to the setup and first time created a setup project in VS2005.
Here is my requirement,

I have four components of the project which has few folders and files in each component. some of the compoenents has it's own setup.exe .
when installation is started , user should see all four component as options and if user selects that compoent it should install only those componenets,

later as part of maintenance, he should get the same options, he should be able to select the options which are not selected earlier and install the newly selected components.

if it is setup.exe or msi, then it should launch the installtion for that and return to main installation

What I have did so far is created the required file strcuture, on each file I put some condition, which is linked to some check boxes in the User interface view.

I have following problems:

1.I am not getting the same options screen (UI which i made with checkboxes) and it's control when i try to reinstall. so i can not install the options which i had not selected in the earlier running of the setup .

2.I do not know how to launch the msi from my installer.i tried to launch the setup.exe using a custom action under install folder but it stops in between saying that "another installer already running, close it first"

3.does merge module a good idea to control these components?

Can any body point me to some good documentation or help which adress all these problems in windows installer.

Thanks in adavance,


kirankumar

kirankumar
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Posted 21 July 2008 - 10:41

Hi,
Accourding to your problems, i faced previously 2nd problem
{2.I do not know how to launch the msi from my installer.i tried to launch the setup.exe using a custom action under install folder but it stops in between saying that "another installer already running, close it first"
}

For that solutions are,
1.You have to launch the custom action (of your msi),after install finalize in execute sequence and Returning process as asynchronous(no wait for completion), reason is windows installer will allow only one installer to run at a time.

2.You have to go for "prerequisite editor",it will install your msi before running your application

3.merge module also an option,

accourding my suggestion if msi size is more means go for prequisite
if msi size less go to first option as custom action.

--kirankumar

aknarp

aknarp
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Posted 21 July 2008 - 16:12

Hello Kiran,

Thanks a lot for your kind reply. Unfortunately I did not understand what you have suggested. Since i first time created this visual studio set up project, i perhaps do not know know the terminology you have used like
"after install finalize in execute sequence and Returning process as asynchronous(no wait for completion) "

Can you please explain me how to find this options like execute sequence,returning process etc. I searched but did not get any clue.

Also for the second option, please explain how to go to "prerequisite editor" were you refering launch condition instead ?

Edited by aknarp, 21 July 2008 - 16:13.


VBScab

VBScab
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Posted 21 July 2008 - 16:24

Kiran has assumed you are using one of the Altiris/Wise products and is using their terminology.

One of *my* suggestions would be to get a proper MSI authoring tool since, while VS is OK (just) for producing MSIs, its editing capabilities - from what I recall - are limited.

Failing that, you could use Orca which is a free download from MS (part of the Platform SDK). The downside of that tool, as well as the rather better InstEdit (available here, is that you can only edit the actual database tables: there is no user interface to speak of to make the job easier.
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Jenny

Jenny
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Posted 24 July 2008 - 19:47

Hi aknarp,

I am also of the opinion as VBScab that you might want to go for a decent MSI authoring tool offering easy-to-use scripting and other features like easy import of merge modules or msi,better compression, easy deployment of runtimes and such. You should evaluate products like InstallShield and InstallAware available in the installation specific market.

As for me, I faced a similar problem where I had 3 features and I wanted to make a custom setup where user can select from the 3 features and only those files attached to selected features should be installed and then same should be in the maintenance phase also. I tried to do in VS but because of the limitations, I was disappointed. Also I wanted something which should not cost me too much. SO I ended up using InstallAware and I was quiet happy with the results.