Can't launch an EXE after installation that installs MSIs

[Eug]

Hi there,

I've followed the steps at http://www.advancedinstaller.com/user-g ... ation.html and have my custom action executing after InstallFinalize. However this is still happening during a Windows Installer session, so when my EXE tries to install another MSI it is unsuccessful. Ideally I would like for the bootstrapper to run my EXE after it's done with Windows Installer - is this possible? I've tried the post-install steps - but this doesn't let me use an installed EXE, and also keeps writing "pre-requisite" in the UI whereas I want some custom text (e.g. "Please complete the configuration wizard once it loaads").

Thanks for any help!
Eugene

[Dan]

Hello Eugene and welcome to Advanced Installer forums,

I'm not sure I fully understand your scenario. Can you please give us more details about your specific scenario (maybe exemplify)?

Is your .EXE an installation package? If it is, then you can add as a prerequisite in the Prerequisites page.

You can also attach your .AIP(project file) so we can have a better view about this.

Best regards,
Dan

[Eug]

Hi Dan,

Thanks for the welcome. My Advanced Installer project installs the main application as well as a configuration wizard that downloads, installs, and configures an SQL Server Express database. I would like this configuration wizard to run after or as part of the AI install. Currently I've set AI to run the configuration wizard as a custom action scheduled afer InstallFinalize, but the installation of SQL Server fails as it also tries to use the MSI engine - the error is "Failed to grab execution mutex. System error 258".

Thanks for looking into this,
Eugene

[Dan]

Hello Eugene,

This may happens if you try to run another MSI install in the same time, and that's enforced using a mutex, so the Failed to grab execution mutex. System error 258 message shows that the second install cannot run because there is already one in progress.

You cannot use custom actions for this, at least not in Install Execution Stage.

So, can you please try to add the predefined Launch file custom action with sequence and schedule it after the Finish Dialogs Stage and see if the behavior still persist? Also, you should uncheck the Wait for custom action to finish before proceeding option from the custom action properties.

Best regards,
Dan

[Eug]

Thanks for that Dan. That works, but is there a way to keep the Advanced Installer UI dialog still running with a message like "loading configuration wizard, please complete it when it loads"?

[Dan]

Hi Eugene,

In order to achieve that you can create your own custom action which will display the related message, loading configuration wizard, please complete it when it loads for a couples of seconds.

Then you can go in the “Custom Actions” page and add a predefined Launch attached file custom action with sequence. This type of custom action can execute an application (EXE or DLL) or run a script (VBScript or Java script). Also, the source file will be embedded in the MSI file but will not be deployed at install time with the other application files.

Please let us know if that helped.

Best regards,
Dan

[Eug]

Hi Dan,

Thanks, but where in the installation sequence should I be scheduling that?

I think that this is becoming a bit too difficult - a better solution seems to be to re-design my application so that the configuration wizard is started when my main app is first run. I think I will do that.

Cheers,
Eugene