InstallAware

Hello,

I am currently working on a project, mainly supposed to be deployed with a software distribution solution.
The provided connection settings to a datasource are stored in a variable, written to a config file, which is afterwards encrypted.
This is implemented, tested and working well.
The setup log file (enabled with /l=<path>) will contain this data in a readable form - our documentation has a note regarding this fact and how to handle this.

My concern:

• Are the used variables or commandline parameters stored on the target system? (like registry, stored MSI parameters etc)
• In case the user starts a logged maintenance or uninstallation, will he be able to see the old values?

If so, (how) can this be prevented?

kind regards
Anja

The setup doesn't store script variables or parameters to the target registry. However the setup data are part of the installer itself, and these are stored as "setup source files" on the target machine.

Certainly a skilled user may have access to such data, and this can't be prevented.
Unless you store your sensible data in an encrypted form only.

Hello France3sco,

FrancescoT wrote:The setup doesn't store script variables or parameters to the target registry. However the setup data are part of the installer itself, and these are stored as "setup source files" on the target machine.

That is okay, since no sensitive data is included there,

Does a REPAIR installation not mean, that the installation will be executed again with the same data as the previous/first time and therefore the setup needs the data provided during the first install?
Or am I wrong here?

kind regards
Anja

By default, unless you modified the standard behaviour, a repair will repeat the previous/first time installation and therefore the setup will reuse the data provided during the first time install.

Hello Franceso,

FrancescoT wrote: the setup will reuse the data provided during the first time install.

so, where does the setup find this data?

vG
Anja

The setup data are part of the installer itself, and these are stored as "setup source files" on the target machine.
With a a PER-MACHINE installation such data is stored to; "C:\ProgramData\<PRODUCTCODE>".

HHi,

I have expressed myself a bit misleadingly.
When I do the initial installation, I choose a setup type that causes various components to be installed; perhaps I specify the credentials that will later be written to the encrypted configuration.
So, as I understand it, the data provided during the initial installation consists not only of the files provided, but also of the selection of components, a license key entered, the credentials, etc.
Or in short, all the data (files + inputs) that I provided the first time to repeat the initial installation to restore an installation to its original state.

Please correct me if (and where) I am wrong

With kind regards
Anja


Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

Yes, exactly.

The setup keeps track of the data (files, features, shortcuts, targetdir ...) you provided during first time installation. Otherwise a setup would not be able to restore an installation to its original state (Maintenance Mode).

For what concerns variables, the setup keeps the value of pre-defined variables as:TARGETDIR, STARTMENU and ALLUSERS. While "by default" the setup does not save the value of the variables you use in your setup (custom variables).

If you have to save the values of your variables, you may specify "Remember value when restarting setup" with the "Set Variable" command. In such case, when an installed setup runs in "Maintenance Mode" (repair, modify or remove), this will initialize your variable to the last value it had when the setup was running.

Hope this helps you.