InstallAware

We have a product that uses the updating feature of IA (version X2 studio manager), and I am having issues with the silent part. If the user asks to be prompted for download and prompted for install, it updates just fine, from version 1 to version 2. But if the users selects 'do not prompt' for both of those - making it a silent install, nothing happens when I run the scheduled task to check for updates.

I troubleshot it down to running the EXE with the /update switch, which does nothing.

C:\Windows\system32>"C:\ProgramData\{F54426AC-8062-44EC-9698-A94E6C01A400}\setup.exe" /update /l=c:\install.log

The install log is blank:

<InstallAware>
<SupportDir>
</SupportDir>
<SetupSplash>
<StubSize>
</StubSize>
<StubData>
</StubData>
<GlobalLists>
</GlobalLists>
<ExtractArchive>
</ExtractArchive>
<ResourcePath>
</ResourcePath>
<Dialogs>
</Dialogs>
</SetupSplash>
<RunScript>
<Variables>
</Variables>
<CompileScript>
</CompileScript>
<BootStrap>
</BootStrap>
<myah>
</myah>
<ExitScript>
</ExitScript>
</RunScript>
<Free>
</Free>
<CachedSupportDir>
</CachedSupportDir>
</InstallAware>


I am not sure how to troubleshoot it further. I ran wireshark and confirmed the installer was doing an HTTP GET and retrieving the update.ini, but beyond that I am not sure what is going on. In programs and features it's stuck on version 1 (whereas when the user selects 'prompt for ..' it successfully updates to version 2 and does a bunch of things showing the installer is running, modifying files and so forth.

So, i'm pretty clueless. Any ideas?

Dear Gibbie99,

by your log it seems sure that the install process doesn't start at all.

did you change anything with the default update script logic?

Regards

Probably yes, let me look. If i attach the .mia file is that sufficient for you or would you like the whole project?

I ended up greatly modifying the project to handle just updates, so probably something went awry there. The problem is I can't really troubleshoot it, I'm not sure how far into the installer it even goes.

I troubleshot a bit further.

Starting with a clean install of windows 7, I can generate silent installs from version 1 -> version 2. But when I uninstall version 2, then reinstall version 1, silent installs (to version 2) no longer work. I added code to the script to write to a file at various points in the script, and it's not doing any of those break points. So probably the update exe is not being executed (which is what you said).

I am guessing the uninstall from version 2 is not clean, but that's just a guess. Is there a registry setting that the updater is looking at to determine whether or not to upgrade?

Dear Gibbie99,

the update process stores an "installedupdates.dat" file under the "cached setup source files" folder.

Regards

I found the issue, it appears that the installedupdates.dat file was not being removed properly on uninstall / upgrade. Not sure why. The solution is to delete the file during install - it's in $ENGINECACHE$ directory.

gibbie99 wrote:I found the issue, it appears that the installedupdates.dat file was not being removed properly on uninstall / upgrade. Not sure why. The solution is to delete the file during install - it's in $ENGINECACHE$ directory.

Hi,

I do facing same scenario as yours whereby after uninstall installer. The InstalledUpdates.dat still inside $ENGINECACHE$.

By the way, which part of line do we require to put delete file "installedUpdates.dat" during install - in $ENGINECACHE$ directory. Anyone care to enlighten?

Feel free to skype me - robert.medfusion

I put it in the Perform Uninstallation block.


~InstallAware Clipboard Data~
~Delete Files~
~{F53F7F0E-63EC-4291-894E-53F0B7FE2770}~
~$ENGINECACHE$~
~installedupdates.dat~
~TRUE~
~TRUE~

this is before the red "Apply uninstall" command.