Hespect_David
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon Dec 27, 2021 6:03 pm

update prereq in patch

Tue Jan 04, 2022 1:00 am

Hello, we have a few prerequisites that are installed as Feature Based in our main installer. These come from a vendor whose software is an important part of ours. They provide frequent updates (monthly) to their libraries and we want to distribute these updates through our Auto-Updater configuration and Silent updates process.

I've created a patch to go for example from version 2.4.1 of our application to 2.4.2, the only difference being that we need to execute their update(s). Which could be one or more MSIs that they provide. (and I increment our internal version number primarily so that I can detect if the patch worked)

But when I deploy my 2.4.2 patch, our application is updated - I can see the new internal version displayed - but the prereq MSIs are not run.

What is the best way to do this? Really we don't even NEED to update our application, I would just like to deploy their MSI files automatically and silently.

Catalin
Posts: 6537
Joined: Wed Jun 13, 2018 7:49 am

Re: update prereq in patch

Tue Jan 04, 2022 1:43 pm

Hello David,

A patch consists only of the diffs between two setup packages.

Please read the following article for more information on this subject:

Creating Patches

If you would like your prerequisites to also be updated, you should consider a major upgrade (i.e. changing the Product Code).

If the prerequisite's version from the newer version of your product is higher than the prerequisite's version from the older setup, then it should be installed.

Hope this helps!

Best regards,
Catalin
Catalin Gheorghe - Advanced Installer Team
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Hespect_David
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon Dec 27, 2021 6:03 pm

Re: update prereq in patch

Wed Jan 05, 2022 5:23 am

That seems like a pretty big deal - we aren't changing our app at all, I just need to run some MSIs for related services - I'll need to make sure that settings and data files and registry entries are preserved and so on. Is there another way?

Maybe some kind of custom action that cna run after a small patch?

Catalin
Posts: 6537
Joined: Wed Jun 13, 2018 7:49 am

Re: update prereq in patch

Wed Jan 05, 2022 4:56 pm

Hello David,

Perhaps you could try something as explained in the following article:

How to create a patch that runs a custom action
That seems like a pretty big deal - we aren't changing our app at all, I just need to run some MSIs for related services - I'll need to make sure that settings and data files and registry entries are preserved and so on
I understand this. However, please note that all those files/registry entries will be reinstalled - so there isn't really a need to preserve them.

What needs to be preserved, however, are the user specific files (e.g a config file that is per-user oriented). These files can be preserved using the "Do not overwrite existing file" option.

I am saying other "static" files do not need to be preserved because they will actually have the same value before and after upgrade. For instance, if you create the following registry key: SomeKey - SomeValue, during the upgrade, it will be removed but then will be installed again (considering you did not change anything in the newer version).

Best regards,
Catalin
Catalin Gheorghe - Advanced Installer Team
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Hespect_David
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon Dec 27, 2021 6:03 pm

Re: update prereq in patch

Wed Jan 05, 2022 5:05 pm

I will review that topic, thanks. But I was referring to registry keys and files that are modified by the user after installation.

Catalin
Posts: 6537
Joined: Wed Jun 13, 2018 7:49 am

Re: update prereq in patch

Thu Jan 06, 2022 4:07 pm

You are always welcome, David!

I see. I wouldn't have thought the user would manually modify the registry entries, but it can indeed happen.

Both registry keys & entries can also be preserved during a major upgrade, similar to preserving a file.

Best regards,
Catalin
Catalin Gheorghe - Advanced Installer Team
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Hespect_David
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon Dec 27, 2021 6:03 pm

Re: update prereq in patch

Thu Jan 06, 2022 4:50 pm

Sorry that was unclear - the app modfies registry entries after installation, not the user directly. For example after installation the app checks in with our API and gets a unique key that identifies that installed copy, whihc is then stored in the registry.

Catalin
Posts: 6537
Joined: Wed Jun 13, 2018 7:49 am

Re: update prereq in patch

Fri Jan 07, 2022 6:14 pm

Hello David,

I have replied to you over the email.

Let's continue our thread there.

Best regards,
Catalin
Catalin Gheorghe - Advanced Installer Team
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