Duplicate Control Panel entries

[thebe]

Hello,

I created a setup for my product using AI8.5. The resulting .msi file has a product code PC1 (actually a guid) and an upgrade code UC1. After some time, I created a new setup for a newever version of my product. The .msi file outputted now has a new product code PC2 and the same upgrade code UC1. My companywants to install the .msi file I builts using AI with our own installer. For that, we basically use MsiInstallProduct to install the .msi file, while the entire UI is in our own install program (and we used MsiSetExternalUI to ask WI to send us notifications). The problem that I am having is the following:

- if the two builds of the product is installed using msiexec /i app.msi then there will only be one entry in the "Add/Remove Programs" of "Programs and Features" control panel applet
- if the two builds are installed on the same machine using MsiInstallProduct, there will be two different entries in control panel.

What can I do to avoid having duplicate or multile entries in control panel?

Thanks and best regards,
Levente

[mihai.petcu]

Hi Levente,

if the two builds are installed on the same machine using MsiInstallProduct, there will be two different entries in control panel.

By this, do you mean the two consecutive versions are installed side by side in Control Panel although they have same upgrade code?
Can you please specify the "Application Versions" group settings you have for both .MSIs in the Upgrades page?
http://www.advancedinstaller.com/user-g ... rades.html

All the best,
Mihai

[thebe]

By this, do you mean the two consecutive versions are installed side by side in Control Panel although they have same upgrade code?

Exactly. However, please understand my problem. If I install the two builds using msiexec /i, then it works as expected. That is, the old build is uninstalled before the new one is installed. Adică Advanced Installer works correctly. Only if I try to install it programatically (using either MsiOpenPackage+MsiDoAction or MsiInstallProduct), the upgrade does not happen and I end up with two entries in the CP. I hoped that maybe someone at AI could give me some insight or help about how to do this progamatic installation so that upgrade also happens.

Can you please specify the "Application Versions" group settings you have for both .MSIs in the Upgrades page?

Radiobox "automatically upgrade older product versions" is ticked and checkbox "Use original installation path when upgrading" is also ticked.

[thebe]

Meantime I also found that if I do not install an external UI callback using MsiSetExternalUI, before calling MsiInstallProduct or MsiDoAction, then the upgrading part of a new installation also works as expected, no duplicate entries in the CP. The callback that I use for MsiSetExternalUI is basically the same as the one in this MSDN article:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library ... s.85).aspx

[mihai.petcu]

Hello,

Can you please send us the .AIP ( project file ) and a verbose log of your programmatic installation to support at advancedinstaller dot com so we can investigate them?

All the best,
Mihai

[thill]

We are experiencing the same issue: After installing 9.1.0, then a "minor upgrade" to 9.1.1 there are 2 entries in Programs & Features. Uninstalling one of them orphans the other. Then it requires hacking the registry to remove the orphaned entry. Moving on to 9.1.2 leaves 3 entries.

The names of the product, MSI, and single EXE have not been changed, only the version number - at which time "Patch" was chosen.

In Upgrades we have "Automatically upgrade older product version" and "Use original installation path when upgrading", along with "Uninstall old then install new" - although in a minor upgrade that isn't done.

In Media we have "Install MSI as minor upgrade" and "Do not delete extracted MSI".

This does not make us look good to our clients. Is there something I'm doing wrong, or not doing? Have been through the docs and don't see anything that explains how to cure this issue.

[mihai.petcu]

Hello,

This shouldn't happen if you followed the patch rules. Do the packages have the same upgrade code as well?
A good practice is to save the project file for each version using "Save as...". Also, you can follow Authoring a Windows Installer patch tutorial for guidance.

All the best,
Mihai

[thill]

This shouldn't happen if you followed the patch rules. Do the packages have the same upgrade code as well?

Yes, the Upgrade Code is the same.

To keep testing this simple the only changes are the version number and 1 installed file (a batch file). Then "Install as minor upgrade" used following all the rules.

Programs and Features screenshot

ProgramsFeatures.jpg (8.93 KiB) Viewed 15413 times

In the screenshot there is a 9.1.2.1 and I know the 4th-place number is ignored.

A concern is the fact that I've been evolving this installer implementation for quite a while. In the process various areas of AI have been tried or used and then removed later. I see in the .aip project file that some things that have been removed are still in the file, such as an XML output file definition that is still in caphyon.advinst.msicomp.XmlElementComponent but was removed in the AI GUI quite some time ago. This makes me wonder if some old piece of data is causing the problem?

[mihai.petcu]

Can you please send us the consecutive versions project files (.AIP) to support at advancedinstaller dot com so we can investigate the reason?

All the best,
Mihai

[thill]

Can you please send us the consecutive versions project files (.AIP) to support at advancedinstaller dot com so we can investigate the reason?

Apologies for the delay in replying. Had a hard drive failure on our test system that took priority.

An email with 3 consecutive project files has been sent. Thanks again.

[mihai.petcu]

Hello,

You're experiencing this issue because you have the "Override Windows Installer programs list entry" option enabled in the Product Details tab.
Please keep in mind this option should be used only when you want to display something different than your Product Name.

All the best,
Mihai

[thill]

you have the "Override Windows Installer programs list entry" option enabled in the Product Details tab. Please keep in mind this option should be used only when you want to display something different than your Product Name.

Thanks Mihai - That was it for that issue.

[Jis]

Hi,

I am also having the same issue. The "Override Windows Installer programs list entry" which you mentioned above is disabled for me and still I'm getting the issue.
Could you please help me out. (Please note that we have a 4 digit version number and we need to stick on to that.)

Thanks in advance,
Jis.

[Daniel]

Hello Jis,

Can you please make sure that you have different ProductCodes between each version of your project? Just go to "Product Details" page -> "Product IDs" tab.

All the best,
Daniel

[Jis]

Hi Daniel,

Thanks for all the support.
There was a corrupted values in the registry of my application that I was trying to install and that was causing the installation to end even using the work around you mentioned. After cleaning the registry it worked fine with the workaround.

Thanks alot,
Jis.