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Install the same application more than 1 times


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marvelfj

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Posted 07 June 2006 - 06:20

Can MSI setup doing Multi installation with the same application?? What I mean is… in standard MSI setup, If we already install the setup and then re-run the setup again it would came with maintenance mode (modify, repair and remove), I don’t wont doing this thing just install the application maybe on different folder but still in same machine. Because I found some setup doing this, can install the same application on different folder. This thing can be useful for let say A application on drive C:\ is used for anything to do with customer X and another A application on drive D:\ is used for anything to do with customer Y. Can I create a setup with MSI that can install same application so many times? Thanks before.

Stefan Krueger

Stefan Krueger

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Posted 07 June 2006 - 08:50

MSI has limited capabilities to do this. Read about "instance transforms" in MSI SDK. InstallScript (non-MSI) setups can do this much better.

marvelfj

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Posted 07 June 2006 - 10:21

Thanks Stefan. but after i read, this is only run on windows XP1, 2003 and later. i am just thingking... is windows installer not allowed multi installation application at same machine ?? is this a standard.. that one machine can only installed with an instance ??

Edited by marvelfj, 07 June 2006 - 11:08.


Stefan Krueger

Stefan Krueger

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Posted 07 June 2006 - 21:15

Yes, when Windows Installer was designed Microsoft decided that one instance is enough. Later they added limited multi-instance capabilities, but only for newer operating systems.

marvelfj

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Posted 08 June 2006 - 04:19

Thanks Stefan now i have a better understanding. Do you know what is the reason of microsoft decided to one instance for one machine ??
You said "limited multi-instance capabilites", is that mean microsoft controling limitation by designing that one .mst file for one instance ? it is means if we have 3 instance of installation we must have 3 .mst file right ??


Stefan Krueger

Stefan Krueger

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Posted 09 June 2006 - 10:59

Yes the limitation is that you decide at build time how many instances will be possible, while in InstallScript users can basically install as many instances as they wish.
The olther limitation is the operating system requirements for multi-instance installs.
The third limitation is the required command line parameters which make this more complicated for end users, and also the complexities of patching or updating such multi-instance installations.