Hi there
I'm testing the Advanced installer (possibly going to need the Professional features) and I'm wondering about re-installations.
At the moment after I've installed a product, if I run the install again it says I should first remove it from Control panel. Is there anyway to make it just "refresh" the install?
I'd like this for 2 reasons:
1. So that my clients can re-install after they (invariably) lose part of the install
2. So that when testing the install on another machine I don't have to keep uninstalling.
Any ideas
Cheers
Rob
Suggested Articles
-
Little Rob
Hi Rob,
Unfortunatelly Windows Installer doesn't have the concept of "refreshing" and installation. Once an MSI package was created, it is marked to be uniquelly identified and it can be installed, uninstalled, repaired and eventually patched.
Each product has an ID generated each time the version change. Product updating works using these IDs. Each MSI has an ID generated each time the MSI is generated. Generating two MSIs with the same ID would confuse Windows Installer pretty badly. A second MSI can upgrade an earlier one, but only if the version number has changed too...
Regards,
Cata
Unfortunatelly Windows Installer doesn't have the concept of "refreshing" and installation. Once an MSI package was created, it is marked to be uniquelly identified and it can be installed, uninstalled, repaired and eventually patched.
That will only happen if you have modified the package in between the two runs. Running the same package again after installing it, will allow the user to repair, modify or uninstall the product.At the moment after I've installed a product, if I run the install again it says I should first remove it from Control panel.
This is very possible by running a package a second time and selecting "Repair".1. So that my clients can re-install after they (invariably) lose part of the install
We would really like to have this feature too, but I don't see a good way to implement it.2. So that when testing the install on another machine I don't have to keep uninstalling.
Each product has an ID generated each time the version change. Product updating works using these IDs. Each MSI has an ID generated each time the MSI is generated. Generating two MSIs with the same ID would confuse Windows Installer pretty badly. A second MSI can upgrade an earlier one, but only if the version number has changed too...
Regards,
Cata
-
Guest
Cata
OK, so if I've read that correctly, as a developer its going to be a real pain, but when my users get an install they can keep re-usig it to their hearts content.
As a separate question (if that's OK) when I added some Merge Modules to my project I did not seem to be able to save as a .msi or at least the resulting .msi wasn't very big. However, if I saved as a .exe then it was evidently all included (since it grew to 21Mb !) Have I missed something or is it a bug? (Lets just say I've having to get upto speed with Windows Installer *very* quickly so I may have misunderstood)
Cheers
Rob
OK, so if I've read that correctly, as a developer its going to be a real pain, but when my users get an install they can keep re-usig it to their hearts content.
As a separate question (if that's OK) when I added some Merge Modules to my project I did not seem to be able to save as a .msi or at least the resulting .msi wasn't very big. However, if I saved as a .exe then it was evidently all included (since it grew to 21Mb !) Have I missed something or is it a bug? (Lets just say I've having to get upto speed with Windows Installer *very* quickly so I may have misunderstood)
Cheers
Rob
Actually, the MSI should contain the MSMs. The EXE has simply the MSI appended - no more processing.
Unless you have selected "Media based installation" instead of "Single file installation" (switching "Create EXE setup file" on and off does that automatically). Then the bulk of the install may be in the CAB file outside of the MSI...
Unless you have selected "Media based installation" instead of "Single file installation" (switching "Create EXE setup file" on and off does that automatically). Then the bulk of the install may be in the CAB file outside of the MSI...
FOLLOW US