Problem installing msi from within IA

[deploy]

I'm on IA version 18, build 1.29.14

I am writing a IA "wrapper installer" for some prereq:s and a program which is distributed in the form of a msi. I get kind of a weird result when the msi is installed from within IA which I don't get when I install via a command prompt. All installations are done under the same admin account.

If I run msiexec from the command line *everything works fine* for all users of the computer:
msiexec.exe /i data.msi ADDLOCAL=ALL ALLUSERS=1 /Qb
The above command will work fine and the application start without errors after installation.

When I use Install MSI command the application seem to install correctly. But as soon as a user try to launch the application the following is displayed:
"The feature you are trying to use is on a network resource that is unavailable."

sess_err.PNG (37.23 KiB) Viewed 8526 times

Here's the command I am using:
~InstallAware Clipboard Data~
~(Un)Install MSI Setup~
~{A7C0F117-76DE-4CA6-8D1B-81E89BBD8FB8}~
~"ADDLOCAL=ALL ALLUSERS=1",FALSE,,TRUE,$SUPPORTDIR$\data.msi,,,,FALSE~
~mMSI.dll\mMSIExec.dll~

I have tried "Run Program" as well as "Run Program As" (with and without working directory set), I have tried having the msi located in Support Files as well as in a File Bag. Same result, the application need the no longer existent msi to "configure" when user tries to start it.

~InstallAware Clipboard Data~
~Run Program As~
~{6BD0EE18-E3E9-4AC8-AAEE-08A7E36F4439}~
~msiexec.exe~
~$SUPPORTDIR$~
~/i $SUPPORTDIR$\data.msi ADDLOCAL=ALL ALLUSERS=1 /Qb~
~0~
~~
~~
~~
~~
~TRUE~
~~

Anyone have a clue to why the application fails when installed from within IA no matter what? The same command line options works fine in a prompt using msiexec..

[FrancescoT]

Dear User,

could you post the MSI package you are trying to install from your wrapper?

Regards

[deploy]

Hi FrancescoT,

Any input would be greatly appreciated. I've been using IA in many many "wrapper projects" before and never seen this kind of behavior.

The software in question is Session Viewer (download near the end of the page) http://www.laerdal.com/us/ProductDownlo ... ductId=397

There are quite some prerequisites for the product but you can skip all of them and jump straight to data.msi to reproduce this behavior.

To reproduce:
In a blank new Basic project I comment out creation of shortcut and Apply Install and insert this command below in "Perform first time or maint.."
Install/Remove MSI Package $SUPPORTDIR$\data.msi[ADDLOCAL=ALL]

Install, logout, login using a different account and you'll be prompted for the missing msi.

Revert virtual machine, install msi using:
msiexec /i data.msi ADDLOCAL=ALL /Qb (or /Qn ..)

Logout, login using a different account and you'll see "configuring.."-message and then the application will start.

[FrancescoT]

Dear Deploy,

I will try to use that MSI in a project and I'll tell you.

Regards

[deploy]

Dear FrancescoT,

Did you have any opportunity to investigate why this msi doesn't seem to install correctly when launched from within IA?

[FrancescoT]

Dear Deploy,

yes, I did it and ... found the solution as well .

That MSI package uses the target path location from where it has been installed, to finalize the package installation, the first time its application shortcut is executed.

Due the fact that you are using the SUPPORTDIR location to execute the MSI package ... you probably missed , that this location will be not available anymore once your IA setup wrapper completes its execution.

Consequently, the solution is simple ... copy the MSI to a persistent target folder and then execute it from there, instead of using SUPPORTDIR directly.

For your convenience I released a very minimal sample project (see attachment), that demonstrates how to correctly install that MSI package.

NOTE!
I only used the "data.msi" file with my sample (... copy that file to the sample project folder, to compile the project), so it is assumed that any Runtime required by the package, it is already installed on target machine.
I used IA 18 to release the project.

Hope this helps you.

Regards

[deploy]

Thanks for checking this out! I suspected this was the problem but I somehow thought that the original msi (installed from admin. accounts desktop using msiexec) should not be readable by the user when he/she tries to run the program and the "missing msi"-problem should thus arise. Obviously it doesn't, the file is probably read by SYSTEM or something(?) using the msi engine (just speculating..).

I reproduced the problem by installing the msi from a USB drive using msiexec, removed the drive and ran the program as another user. Did not think things through enough to run this test in the first place.

I'm glad it wasn't a problem within IA since I use it for numerous "wrapper projects" and I can easily work around this specific msi thanks to IA's capabilities.

Thank you for your time.

[FrancescoT]