failed msi installation reported as successfull

[solstice]

A created msi File is beeing installed using the following command: msiexec /i <package.msi> ALLUSERS=2 /qn /L* <logfile.txt>

On some machines the installation will fail for different reasons, ie: some reqs not met (we test, if a certain directory & file exists, if so, the installation will be terminated).
Unfortunately the logfiles reports that the installation was successfull - and returns the exit code 0!

Even on a successfull installation, I notice, that the logfile entry about the successful installation is written long before the application has even created its Homedirectory.

It seems as if it is always beeing logged as successfull no matter if the installation has been completed or not.


Sol

[bokkie]

Sol,

When you wrote "I notice, that the logfile entry about the successful installation is written long before the application has even created its Homedirectory." I wonder if that might not be a possible clue as to what happened. I'm sure you know that some of the MSIcode statements are processed in the order they are encountered but the so-called purple commands are deferred until the Apply Install statement is reached. That could explain why your log file entry is created first (if it's an immediate execution "black" command) but other file-cum-folder statements are only executed much later.

For that reason, enabling/disabling the native engine mode in the right places where you need it will guarantee the statement will be executed on demand at the time it's reached.

My apologies if you all of this but I'm sure it would be raised as a possible solution but obviously, you know your IA project much better than me.

[FrancescoT]

Dear Sol,

first of all, why are you passing "2" as ALLUSERS variable value?
It should be TRUE or FALSE only and anyway, the correct way to pass it by CMD line with MSIEXEC, it is;

msiexec.exe /i <package.msi> CMDLINE="ALLUSERS=TRUE"

Anyway, you could eventually generate a VERBOSE MSI log.

For example to generate a verbose log:

- msiexec /i "C:\MyPackage\Example.msi" /L*V "C:\log\example.log"

Returning back to your question and in addition to what Peter already said, it also happens that the system has some delays with refreshing folders contents ... and due of this, it might seem that the creation of the folder was completed after.

Hope this helps you.

Regards

[solstice]

Thank you for your replies, but: the installation definately fails! Nothing is written to the disk - and still for the windows installer it was a successfull installation.
I always thought that /L* <logfile> should be sufficient enough to determine a successfull/unsuccessfull installation, as it clearly states 'Installation successfull'
And this is the main problem: it doesn't matter for which reason the installation fails, failed installations are always beeing reported as successfull in the misexec-log

It appears as if the problem seems to be that, when using installaware to generate msi files, it wrapps an msi around a generated setup.exe, and the setup.exe does not return any exit codes to the msi....

[FrancescoT]

Dear Sol,

just try with;

msiexec /i <package.msi> CMDLINE="/l=<logfile.log>"

Regards