A Windows Installer installation process is run as a sequence of events,
called Standard Actions. In between them, you can schedule your own
Custom Actions.
The standard actions used by Advanced Installer can be showed
by using the "Show Standard Action" button on the toolbar
of the "Custom Actions" page and they are:
| Standard Action | Description |
| Begin | starts the UI sequence (when the dialogs are showed) |
| PrepareDlg | "PrepareDlg" dialog is showed |
| AppSearch | performs the searches from the Search page |
| FindRelatedProducts | older or newer versions of the package are
searched. If an older version is found, its Product Code is placed
in the "OLDPRODUCTS" property |
| LaunchConditions | evaluates the launch conditions |
| CCPSearch | validates that qualifying products are
installed on a system before an upgrade is performed |
| RMCCPSearch | validates that qualifying products are
installed on a system before an upgrade is performed |
| CostInitialize | determines the disk space required by the
install process |
| FileCost | determines the disk space required by each
file in the Files and Folders
page |
| CostFinalize | ends the disk space costing and resolves the
folders in the project |
| MigrateFeatureStates | during an upgrade it reads the feature states
in the old version and then sets these feature states in the new
version. |
| WelcomeDlg | "WelcomDlg" dialog is showed |
| ResumeDlg | "ResumeDlg" dialog is showed |
| MaintenanceWelcomeDlg | "MaintenanceWelcomeDlg" dialog is
showed |
| PatchWelcomeDlg | "PatchWelcomeDlg" dialog is showed |
| ProgressDlg | "ProgressDlg" dialog is showed |
| ExecuteAction | starts the Execute sequence (when the actual
installation is performed) |
| Standard Action | Description |
| Begin | starts the Execute sequence (when the
actual installation is performed) |
| AppSearch | performs the searches from the Search page |
| FindRelatedProducts | older or newer versions of the package are
searched. If an older version is found, its Product Code is placed
in the "OLDPRODUCTS" property |
| LaunchConditions | evaluates the launch conditions |
| CCPSearch | validates that qualifying products are
installed on a system before an upgrade is performed |
| RMCCPSearch | validates that qualifying products are
installed on a system before an upgrade is performed |
| ValidateProductID | sets the ProductID property to the full
product identifier |
| CostInitialize | determines the disk space required by the
install process |
| FileCost | determines the disk space required by each
file in the Files and Folders
page. |
| IsolateComponents | installs a copy of a component (commonly a
shared DLL) into a private location for use by a specific
application (typically an .exe). This isolates the application
from other copies of the component that may be installed to a
shared location on the computer |
| CostFinalize | ends the disk space costing and resolves
the folders in the project |
| SetODBCFolders | checks for existing ODBC drivers on the
system and sets the target directory of each new driver to the
location of an existing driver |
| MigrateFeatureStates | during an upgrade it reads the feature
states in the old version and then sets these feature states in
the new version |
| InstallValidate | verifies that all volumes to which cost has
been attributed have sufficient space for the installation. It
also notifies the user if one or more files to be overwritten or
removed are currently in use by an active process |
| RemoveExistingProducts | upgrades an older version of the package if
one is found |
| Standard Action | Description |
| InstallInitialize | marks the beginning of the sequence of
actions which change the system |
| AllocateRegistrySpace | ensures that an appropriate amount of free
registry space exists in the registry. |
| ProcessComponents | registers and unregisters components, their
key paths and the component clients |
| MsiUnpublishAssemblies | unpublish the assemblies installed by the
package. Runs only during an uninstall |
| Uninstall | removes components |
| UnpublishComponents | removes information about components
published by the package. Runs only during an uninstall |
| UnpublishFeatures | removes selection-state and
feature-component mapping information from the system registry.
Runs only during an uninstall |
| StopServices | stops services which use "Stop" control operations
in the package |
| DeleteServices | removes services which use "Delete" control operations
in the package. |
| UnregisterComPlus | removes COM+ applications from the
registry. Runs only during an uninstall |
| SelfUnregModules | unregisters all modules which used self registration during
install. Runs only during an uninstall |
| UnregisterTypeLibraries | unregisters type libraries from the system.
Runs only during an uninstall |
| RemoveODBC | removes the ODBC data sources, translators
and drivers. Runs only during an uninstall |
| UnregisterFonts | removes registration information about
installed fonts from the system. Runs only during an
uninstall |
| RemoveRegistryValues | removes registry entries created in the
Registry page. Runs only during
an uninstall |
| UnregisterClassInfo | manages the removal of COM class
information from the system registry. Runs only during an
uninstall |
| UnregisterExtensionInfo | manages the removal of extension-related
information from the system registry. Runs only during an
uninstall |
| UnregisterProgIdInfo | manages the unregistration of OLE ProgId
information with the system. Runs only during an uninstall |
| UnregisterMIMEInfo | unregisters MIME-related registry
information from the system. Runs only during an uninstall |
| RemoveINIValues | removes INI files or entries created in the
Files and Folders page.
Runs only during an uninstall |
| RemoveShortcuts | removes the shortcuts created in the Files and Folders page. Runs only
during an uninstall |
| RemoveEnvironmentStrings | modifies or removes the environment
variables created in the Environment page. Runs only during an uninstall |
| RemoveDuplicateFiles | removes files created by File Duplication
operations. Runs only during an uninstall |
| RemoveFiles | removes the files created in the Files and Folders page. Runs only
during an uninstall |
| RemoveFolders | removes the folders created in the Files and Folders page. Runs only
during an uninstall |
| CreateFolders | creates the folders specified in the Files and Folders page. |
| MoveFiles | moves or copies files which use File Move
operations |
| Standard Action | Description |
| InstallFiles | installs the files specified in the Files and Folders page |
| PatchFiles | patches the files included in the patch
package. Runs only during a patch installation |
| DuplicateFiles | duplicates the files which use File Duplication
operations |
| BindImage | binds each executable or DLL that must be
bound to the DLLs imported by it. This is not used by packages
created with Advanced Installer |
| CreateShortcuts | creates the shortcuts specified in the
Files and Folders
page |
| RegisterClassInfo | manages the registration of COM class
information with the system |
| RegisterExtensionInfo | manages the registration of extension
related information with the system. |
| RegisterProgIdInfo | manages the registration of OLE ProgId
information with the system |
| RegisterMIMEInfo | registers MIME-related registry information
with the system |
| WriteRegistryValues | creates the registry values specified in
the Registry page |
| WriteINIValues | creates INI files or entries specified in
the Files and Folders
page |
| WriteEnvironmentStrings | creates or modifies the environment
variables created in the Environment page |
| RegisterFonts | registers fonts marked for
registration |
| InstallODBC | installs ODBC drivers, translators and data
sources |
| RegisterTypeLibraries | registers type libraries with the
system |
| SelfRegModules | registers the modules which use self registration |
| RegisterComPlus | registers COM+ applications |
| InstallServices | installs services specified in the Services page |
| MsiConfigureServices | configures the services to be ready to
start |
| StartServices | starts services which use "Start" control operations
in the package |
| Rollback | performs installation rollback in case of
an error |
| Install | installs or removes components |
| Commit | removes rollback information |
| RegisterUser | registers the user information with the
installer to identify the user of a product |
| RegisterProduct | registers the product information with the
installer and with Add/Remove Programs. Also, it caches the MSI
package |
| PublishComponents | manages components which need to be
published |
| MsiPublishAssemblies | publishes the assemblies installed by the
package |
| PublishFeatures | writes each feature's state into the system
registry |
| PublishProduct | manages the advertisement of the product
information with the system. This action publishes the product if
the product is in advertise mode or if any feature is being
installed or reinstalled |
| InstallExecute | runs a script containing all operations in
the action sequence since either the start of the installation or
the last InstallExecute action |
| InstallIIS | manages the elements created in the IIS page |
| InstallFinalize | runs a script that contains all operations
spooled since the installation started. Also, it marks the end of
the Execute sequence |