Need help - Patch builds are HUGE

[diablosport]

I'm trying to build a patch for one of my setups. I've been through the forums and help pages but can't seem to figure out what I'm doing wrong.

I have a setup project that has 12 Web Media Blocks and the setup exe (which has been renamed {productName}_Installer.exe in the project options through the IDE). Change revision code automatically upon rebuild is checked. I do not change Product or upgrade codes. I've copied all of the generated files to a separate folder and I add a reference to the setup exe in the patch references section of the IDE. I compile an updated version of one of our programs and copy it to my installer sources folder where my setup project looks for its files. The new version of the program has its internal file and program versions changed (in this case it went from 5.2.0.1 to 5.2.0.17). I click "Build Patch" from the Patches page. IA builds a new setup exe in the projects Patch folder, but this exe is over 900MB! The entire install including the web media blocks is just over 1GB. Not much of a patch. It's obvious that everything is being added to the patch. The only change was a single executable that is 3MB.

I upgraded to IA X5 this past Friday thinking maybe there was a bug in X3. I rebuilt the entire install using X5 and the original executable just in case. Nothing made a difference.

What am I doing wrong? Why is it taking everything.

Thanks in advance,
Jim

[FrancescoT]

Dear Jim,

for sure there is something wrong with your patch project.
Are you sure that you kept the same identical script logic with the base/patch projects?
Are you also sure that you used the same identical source reference for those files that don't need to be patched?

I suggest you to have a look at following topics, where are available useful information on how to avoid common errors with patch creation.

It's also available a ready to use sample with the second link below.

- http://www.installaware.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=9656&hilit=patch
- http://www.installaware.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=8697

Hope this helps you.

Regards

[diablosport]

Thanks for the response.
Yes, I have all of my files in a Master folder and the project pulls all files from there only.
The only thing I changed in my IA project was to add the patch reference. I changed nothing else in IA. (revision changes automatically for each build)
The only file I changed in the Master folder was the single program exe.
I have a copy of what IA produces in the project's Release\Web folder in a separate "Production" folder.
The patch reference points to the setup exe in the Production folder.

I've tried rebuilding the entire setup with, the old program version, using X5 just in case that mattered.

I've been through both of those posts along with several others already. I also tried making a copy of the project using "Save Project As" (saw this in another post) and referencing the output of the original project. Same result.

[FrancescoT]

Dear Jim,

please note that the "physical" setup.exe included as patch reference in your patch project, must include all the installed files. So this file must be a "Compressed Single Self-Installing EXE (FULL BUILD)" (or an MSI) and not a "Compressed Web-Based EXE". Otherwise the patch build will be not able to generate any binary differences over the setup.exe used as patch reference ... and this could explain why your generated patch seems to include all files.

This is also discussed with the first link I posted previously.

Hope this helps you.

Regards

[diablosport]

It's a little confusing because the patching info in the help files talks about different options to set and says that these options are not needed for compressed or web builds. The help file also states that "Web builds are the recommended targets of patches". Also, all of the files in the web media blocks are extracted and placed into the base folder and during the patch build the dialog displays messages about extracting the files form the web media blocks for compare.

I did try using a single file build as a patch reference with X3, but have not tried it since upgrading to x5 so I will try that next.

Thanks again for the quick replies.

[diablosport]

Ok, I removed the patch references and copied the original application exe file into the Master folder. I have built a single File installer from the same project. I copied the output setup executable to a Production folder. The exe is 1.3GB. I copied the updated application exe file into the Master folder overwriting the old application file. I added the new single setup exe to the patch references and clicked Build Patch. The build errors with "Error during build: No compatible base packages found for upgrade package"

The last few lines form the Build progress (after all the Copied file..... lines)

Created Windows Installer database
Code signing: d:\installaware projects\cmr\Patch\Upgraded Package\CMR_Installer.msi
Built installation executable
Injected setup languages
Code signing: d:\installaware projects\cmr\Patch\Upgraded Package\CMR_Installer.exe
Double code signing: d:\installaware projects\cmr\Patch\Upgraded Package\CMR_Installer.exe
Injected runtime files
Beginning processing for patch d:\installaware projects\cmr\Patch\CMR_Installer.msp
Extracting patch reference data from D:\InstallAware Projects\Installers\CMR\Single\CMR_Installer.exe: componentstree.dfm (0%)
Beginning processing for patch d:\installaware projects\cmr\Patch\CMR_Installer.msp
Error during build: No compatible base packages found for upgrade package


Any ideas?

[FrancescoT]

Dear Diablosport,

did you use a "setup password" with your base installer?

Regards

[diablosport]

No, no setup passwords.

[FrancescoT]

Dear Diablosport,

it seems that you are trying to create a patch where the specified PATCH REFERENCE looks to refer to a different product.
So Probably a different; UPGRADECODE, PRODUCTCODE, VERSION or Project name ... but for sure your projects look to be not identical.

I kindly suggest you to carefully review the Patch Sample available from the following link and to compare the approach you used in your patch project. For test purpose, you may create a very simple project in order to replicate what demonstrated by the patch sample. I am sure you will be able to find out where you are doing wrong.
http://www.installaware.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=8697

Unfortunately without having your files, It's quite difficult for me to find out which can be the effective cause of your issue.

Hope this helps you.

Regards

[diablosport]

It's the same project. I didn't create a new project so everything is the same except I added a patch reference. The revision code changes on each build because I have that option checked, but it needs to change anyway so that should be ok. I just built everything again and product code, upgrade code and version are unchanged. Same result. See attached screen shots. I did NOT create a new project. There is only one project, I'm using the same project I just added a patch reference.

jim

[diablosport]

So do I need to create a whole separate project for the patch? I read in some other posts this was not necessary. Does anything above look incorrect?

I'll create a whole new project and try it with the single file. I did try using a whole new project before and it didn't work. I don't remember if I tried it with a single file or if it was only in x3 so I'll try that again to rule it out.

Thanks,
jim

[diablosport]

Ok so I made a complete copy of the base project. I checked to make sure the product code and upgrade codes did not change. I added a reference to the full single file build created by the base project as a patch reference in the patch project. I still get the exact same error.

Created Windows Installer database
Code signing: D:\InstallAware Projects\CMR_Patch\Patch\Upgraded Package\CMR_Installer.msi
Built installation executable
Injected setup languages
Code signing: D:\InstallAware Projects\CMR_Patch\Patch\Upgraded Package\CMR_Installer.exe
Double code signing: D:\InstallAware Projects\CMR_Patch\Patch\Upgraded Package\CMR_Installer.exe
Injected runtime files
Beginning processing for patch D:\InstallAware Projects\CMR_Patch\Patch\CMR_Installer.msp
Extracting patch reference data from D:\InstallAware Projects\Installers\CMR\Single\CMR_Installer.exe: componentstree.dfm (0%)
Beginning processing for patch D:\InstallAware Projects\CMR_Patch\Patch\CMR_Installer.msp
Error during build: No compatible base packages found for upgrade package


What should I try next?

[FrancescoT]

Dear Diablosport,

are you able to successfully build a patch using the sample which I told you to have a look previously?

Regards

[diablosport]

Yes, I followed the example from that post. I used my original setup project as the base project. There are no patch references in that project. I build a single file installer which ends up being 1.14GB. I copy that installer to a folder where I keep my released installers.
I made a copy of the base project and named it cmr_patch using save as from the file menu into a whole new folder. I save my main install script as cmr_patch by using save script as from the context menu. I make no changes to the script. I make no changes to the patch project other than the following:
I add a patch reference to the single file installer I just build that is in with my release installers.
I click generate on the revision code to make sure it changed even though it is set to auto generate on builds.
I save this project by clicking the save button.
Product Name, Product Code, and upgrade code are the same as the original project (as this is a copy of the base project)
I compile new versions of 2 of the C++ programs the installer installs. The file and program versions are changed in the 2 executables. The 2 executables are also a different size from the original versions. I copy those 2 executables into the master files folder my setup project refers to for it's sources.
I click the patch button. It fails with the data in the posts above.

I'm sure it's something I'm doing or my settings, but I can't see what it is. Does the script in the msi page have to have anything special in it or NOT in it for the patch feature to work?

[FrancescoT]

Dear Diablosport,

I asked a different question, have you been able to successfully build a patch using the sample which I told you to have a look previously?

With this I mean, just using the provided sample and as it is.

Regards