 | Miscellaneous Frequently Asked Questions. |
 | |
| Home | Contact | Site Map | |
| USER GUIDE | Miscellaneous Frequently Asked Questions
Why doesn't the repackaged installer work correctly?Please note that the import features in Advanced Installer (the Repackager, the Import MSI feature etc.) are intended to be used to get a starting point for your installation package, not to completely reproduce other installation packages. The Repackager tool captures only the effects of the installation (the changes made on the system). If the original installation package executes custom code (programs, scripts etc.) then only the effect will be captured (registry entries, files and folders etc.). Also, after repackaging an installation some adjustments may be necessary in order to obtain a working installation package. Why does the "Unknown Publisher" message appears during the uninstall of a digitally signed package?When a package is installed, Windows caches the MSI by placing it in the Windows\installer folder. During this process, all the unnecessary information (including the digital signature) is removed in order to decrease the size of the file. When an uninstall is launched from "Add or Remove programs" or through the Uninstall shortcut, Windows Installer uses the cached MSI. Since this file doesn't have a digital signature, the "Unknown Publisher" message will be shown. A solution for this is to make sure that the user can uninstall the package only by lanunching the original file. Why are my files and registry entries not being removed during uninstall?During an uninstall Windows Installer removes only the data registered into the MSI file. All the other data created by custom actions, by the installed application or by the user is not registered in the MSI, therefore it will not be removed. If you want to also delete this data, you need to create custom actions for it. These custom actions should run only when an uninstall is triggered. Why is the disk space consumed by the installation so much larger than the actual sizes of the files I am installing?When launching an installation, Windows Installer calculates the space required by adding the size of the resources which will be installed with the size needed for rollback. Also, some space is required for the installation script and for the cached package. Additionally, the installation runs from a temporary copy of the package, therefore more space is required. Basically, an installation requires much more space than just the size of the files it creates. Why does my package prompt for a reboot?An installation will require a reboot if it tries to overwrite a file which is in use. After a reboot is performed, the file will no longer be used and Windows will be able to overwrite it. Windows Installer may also requires a reboot if this is explicitly requested by the package through the REBOOT property. Why is a Windows Installer progress bar shown when I launch my installed application?One of the features offered by Windows Installer is self-healing for the installed application. Therefore, if Windows Installer detects that there is an important resource missing, it will automatically repair the installation and show a progress bar. The progress bar may also be shown by an on-demand installation. This is usually caused by an Advertised shortcut. How do I create a log of the installation?A log of the installation can be created by using the /L*V parameters when launching the MSI through the Msiexec command line. For more details please see the Create a log how-to. How do I remove a broken installation?Sometimes a package cannot be uninstalled (for example, it contains a custom action which cannot run). This broken package can be removed by following these steps:
msiexec /fv <path_to_new_msi>
After the modified MSI replaces the cached one, you can run the uninstall again. Another way of repairing a broken installation is by using the Windows Installer Cleanup utility or the "MsiZap.exe" tool from the Windows SDK. Note that these tools remove only the Windows Installer information for the package, the installed resources must be removed manually. How do I register a file?In an Advanced Installer project you can register a file by following these steps:
Why a mixed 32/64-bit package cannot be launched with Msiexec?The Windows Installer engine does not support mixed 32/64-bit packages. However, we implemented this feature in Advanced Installer by using the EXE bootstrapper. Therefore, a mixed 32/64-bit package will work as expected only when it is used through the EXE file. Why does Windows Installer ask for the original package during a Repair?When a package is installed, Windows caches the MSI by placing it in the Windows\installer folder. During this process, all the unnecessary information is removed in order to decrease the size of the file. When a Repair is called, some data required may not be found in the cached MSI. In this case, Windows Installer will prompt the user for the original package in order to retrieve the data it needs. Why can't I install multiple instances of the same package?A package is defined by three properties: ProductCode, ProductVersion and PackageCode. Also, the components in the package allow Windows Installer to identify it (along with the three properties). Windows Installer allows a package to be installed only once, therefore you cannot install multiple instances of the same package. In this case, the solution would be to change the three properties and the GUIDs of the components in the package so Windows Installer will see it as a completely different package. Why are the paths changed after moving the project on another machine?By default, the paths used in an Advanced Installer project are relative to the project file. Therefore, when you move the project file you also need to make sure that you move the files used in the project in order to maintain the relative paths. The type of the paths (relative or absolute) can be changed in the Project Settings tab of the "Edit Project Settings" dialog. You can get to this dialog by using the "Project" -> "Options" menu in Advanced Installer. Note that you can also use path variables instead of relative paths. How do I create a shortcut?A shortcut can be created through the Shortcut Wizard. This wizard can be launched by clicking on the "New Shortcut Wizard" button on the toolbar of the "Files and Folders" page. Also, you can use the "Wizards" -> "Shortcut" menu. The target of the shortcut can be an URL, a file, a folder or the uninstaller of the package. Is it possible to store the product version in the registry at install?Advanced Installer allows you to create or modify registry entries through the Registry page. When you create a new registry value, you can specify [ProductVersion] in the Data section of the Edit Registry Entry dialog. This way, the registry entry will contain the version of the package. How do I place a folder in a specific feature?The first step is to create the feature in the Organization page. After that, in the Files and Folders page the Feature combo on the toolbar can be used to select the feature. Finally, adding the folder will make Advanced Installer place all the resulted components into the selected feature. Why do all EXE files open with my application?Most likely you created a file association for the EXE extension. In order to remove this file association you can try to uninstall the package. If this doesn't work, you can follow these steps:
Why does my Java service terminates unexpectedly from time to time or when the user logs off?This may happen because the Java Virtual Machine receives incorrect signals. To avoid this behavior you can try using the Reduced usage of operating-system signals (-Xrs) option in the Edit JVM Parameters dialog (it can be launched from the Virtual Machine tab). |
Note that in the above command you need to specify the
actual path of the modified MSI.