I've been going through the documentation a ton, but still cannot figure out a simple way of making an upgraded package that will put newer versions of files into my installation folder. I do not want to uninstall at all. I want the simplicity of the Visual Studio Installer Project, but with Advanced Installer, where I simply change the version number, and rebuild the package. Is this possible? If this documentation exists, please direct me to it.
We are not currently using the Updater. We are still in QA, and our software is actually two websites. Our installer needs to drop the new versions of web files on the head of the old files. Simple. I create a new msi daily, and QA is forced to uninstall / install if they miss a day's upgrade.
I had thought I figured out Patches, but that isn't consistent at all, and rarely works.
I could really use some handholding on how to use Enterprise Advanced Installer in a very simplistic fashion. Our full blown initial installation package works great. Oddly, that was the easy part. These upgrades and patches are confusing the heck out of me.
Thanks.
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Re: SIMPLE Upgrade or Patch?
Hi and welcome to Advanced Installer forums.
In order to update only some files without uninstalling the whole application, you can, indeed, create a patch as detailed in the "Authoring a Windows Installer patch" tutorial. Another way is to simply check the "Install MSI as minor upgrade" option from the "Builds" page, but please make sure that the "Patch Rules" are respected in both cases.
If you do not need to have your application in the "Programs and Features" list and also not maintain it (Modify, Repair, Remove), you can just uncheck the "Register product with Windows Installer" option from the "Product Details" page and you will be able to update files without uninstalling the old version and without creating a patch.
Let me know if this helped, otherwise give me more details about your scenario.
Best regards,
Eusebiu
In order to update only some files without uninstalling the whole application, you can, indeed, create a patch as detailed in the "Authoring a Windows Installer patch" tutorial. Another way is to simply check the "Install MSI as minor upgrade" option from the "Builds" page, but please make sure that the "Patch Rules" are respected in both cases.
If you do not need to have your application in the "Programs and Features" list and also not maintain it (Modify, Repair, Remove), you can just uncheck the "Register product with Windows Installer" option from the "Product Details" page and you will be able to update files without uninstalling the old version and without creating a patch.
Let me know if this helped, otherwise give me more details about your scenario.
Best regards,
Eusebiu
Re: SIMPLE Upgrade or Patch?
Thanks! Not registering the build has fixed my issue of easy upgrades.
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jeff@jonasclub.com
- Posts: 8
- Joined: Tue Mar 20, 2018 1:41 pm
Re: SIMPLE Upgrade or Patch?
I'm like the original poster too - I'm looking for a method to copy over files from a source location (a patches folder structure that we already populate here in the office with files changed since our initial release) to a client's target installation folders without uninstalling the original installation.
I thought that sounded like a Patch project, but it doesn't appear to be so - that sounds like it does some sort of diff to determine what files to install - we've already done that on our end by maintaining the changed files in a separate \patches\ folder structure.
So at that point I thought I could just create another installer type project with the flags mentioned in your post, but the help mentions that it [the "Bootstrapper Options > Install MSI as minor upgrade" field] seems to do some "repair" option on the original installation MSI - which won't work (I think) because the client may have deleted the original MSI installer used to install our product (we've never expected them to keep a copy of it around after installation).
Can AI actually just do a simple compile & unpack inside a single installer exe or msi?
I thought that sounded like a Patch project, but it doesn't appear to be so - that sounds like it does some sort of diff to determine what files to install - we've already done that on our end by maintaining the changed files in a separate \patches\ folder structure.
So at that point I thought I could just create another installer type project with the flags mentioned in your post, but the help mentions that it [the "Bootstrapper Options > Install MSI as minor upgrade" field] seems to do some "repair" option on the original installation MSI - which won't work (I think) because the client may have deleted the original MSI installer used to install our product (we've never expected them to keep a copy of it around after installation).
Can AI actually just do a simple compile & unpack inside a single installer exe or msi?
Re: SIMPLE Upgrade or Patch?
Hi,
If you create a patch, a diff will be applied between the old and the new version and a MSP package will be created containing only the modified files. However, this patch is also applied as a repair over the original MSI, so it is recommended to check the "Do not delete extracted MSI and CAB files" option from the "Builds" page.
If you just want to create a new package with the modified files that will be extracted over the old ones, you can create an "fake patch" as discussed in the "Patch to replace 2 files" thread.
Best regards,
Eusebiu
If you create a patch, a diff will be applied between the old and the new version and a MSP package will be created containing only the modified files. However, this patch is also applied as a repair over the original MSI, so it is recommended to check the "Do not delete extracted MSI and CAB files" option from the "Builds" page.
If you just want to create a new package with the modified files that will be extracted over the old ones, you can create an "fake patch" as discussed in the "Patch to replace 2 files" thread.
Best regards,
Eusebiu