Prerequisites with MSIEXEC.EXE and /qb option

[felixlion66]

Hi there,

strange problem. In our setup package (Package Type: Single MSI ) we have some Feature-based Prerequisites (e.q. Visual C++ Runtimes).

When using the .MSI file as is with Full UI (e.g. by double clicking the .MSI), the Prerequisites are installed before the main installation starts. Fine. But, when the .MSI is installed by MSIEXEC.EXE with /qb option (Basic UI only), the Prerequisites are installed after the main installation!

Why that? It is very important to have the Prerequisites installed before the main installation!

We are using Advanced Installer 14.4.1 Enterprise.

Regards
Felix

[Dan]

Hi Felix and welcome to Advanced Installer forums,

Indeed, the encountered behavior is correct.

If you need to install the prerequisites before the main installation then you can add them as Pre-Install prerequisites. These prerequisites are installed by an EXE bootstrapper before your MSI is launched.

Unfortunately for the “Feature-based” prerequisites we cannot achieve this specific scenario to have the same installation order no matter how you perform the installation(silent or with Full UI) due to Windows Installer limitation.

Let me explain you how we support the “Feature based” prerequisite:
Full UI installation package:

• -We have a synchronous custom action in the “Install UI sequence” . This is required because you cannot have two .msi packages running in install UI sequence.

Silent installation package:

• -We have an .EXE custom action, asynchronous execution which is launched after the install execute state from the main package ends. We do this because for silent installation there is no UI sequence, so we cannot schedule a custom action to be executed before install execute sequence starts.

If you always want to have the same prerequisite order you can added them as “Pre-Install” or “Post-Install”. The Pre-Install prerequisite are handled by bootstrapper in separate process. After the prerequisite finish installation then the .msi package is launched by the bootstrapper. The Post-install prerequisites behaves the same way as Feature-Based prerequisites in a silent installation, no matter how you perform the installation (silent or with Full UI) .

If you have other questions, please let us know.

Best regards,
Dan

[felixlion66]

Hi Dan,

thanky you! Great explanation.

So we would have to create the setup package as a .EXE bootstrapper to use the "Pre Install" event in silent mode? Up to now we are only building normal, plain .MSI packages.

Regards
Felix

[Dan]

Hi Felix,

Yes, you will have to set your package type to EXE setup in order for the bootstraper support to run the prerequisites. You can check this in the Builds page --> Package Type.

In the Install Command Line section from the Prerequisite Setup Files Tab you can add the parameters of the prerequisite for silent installation.

On Windows Vista and above, in order to silently install the prerequisites packages the main installation package should run elevated. So, from "Install Parameters" page you should check "Run as administrator” option. Also check the “Limit to basic user interface”, this option directs Windows Installer to display only a dialog with a progress bar showing the evolution of the installation and the message boxes that display error messages.

If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to ask.

Best regards,
Dan

[felixlion66]

Thank you, works like a charm!

Another problem: even when we override the dialog and banner images in the Bootstrapper UI settings (under Dialogs/EXE Bootstrapper) with valid JPG images, the standard MSI dialog images are shown when executing the EXE setup. Why?

Felix

[Dan]

Hi Felix,

Pleas note that I cannot replicate the behaviour you are encountering. I am able to edit the banners without any issues.
In order to clarify the matter at hand I would like to ask you for some additional information:

• - the .AIP (project) with this issue or a testcase that replicates this
  - a printscreen with the dialog you are trying to edit

Also I would like to mention that if you want to change the images for all the banners in your installation you can go to the Themes page and click on the “More Options” button. Now from the drop down menu double click the options in order to select a new default image for each banner.

Regards,
Dan