How to install to a Vista mapped drive

[get101]

On a Vista computer, I cannot install my application to a mapped drive. The mapped drives are not seen by setup.

Doing a Google search shows that the drive mappings are lost when the account is elevated.


Is there a work-around available in InstallAware that will allow the user to select a mapped drive?

[ulrichard]

Hi get101,

as an ugly hack, you can turn on linked connections, and then reboot.

Write Registry Key HKLM\\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Policies\\System\\EnableLinkedConnections, 1 (permanent)

I 'm also curious to hear about a clean solution.

Rgds
Richard

[get101]

Richard

Thanks for your suggestion. As you say, its ugly<g>.

I really hope that there is a better solution, at least one that does not require a reboot.

Do InstallAware and Windows Vista not work well together? Is it true that an InstallAware generated setup is unable to install to a mapped drive on a Vista PC?

[get101]

Hi Richard

Your suggestion of Write Registry Key does work. I have made this into a separate script that just writes the key.

Do you have it as part of your main installation, or as a separate script. How do you alert the user that they need to run it?

Regards
Cyril

[ulrichard]

Hi get101,

I made it a pre-requisite. So I check if it's set in the "check application pre-requisites" region and set it and reboot (with resume) in the "install application pre-requisites" region.

Comment: turn on linked connections if we have to
Get System Setting Windows Vista into CHECKSYSTEM
if Variable CHECKSYSTEM Equals TRUE
if Variable LinkedConnections not Equals 1
Comment: Write Registry Persist Key HKLM\\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Policies\\System\\EnableLinkedConnections, 1
Write Registry Key HKLM\\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Policies\\System\\EnableLinkedConnections, 1 (permanent)
Apply Install
Apply Uninstall (get result into variable SUCCESS)
Read Registry Key HKLM\\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Policies\\System\\EnableLinkedConnections into LinkedConnections
if Variable LinkedConnections Equals 1
MessageBox: $TITLE$ Setup, Your computer needs to be restarted before $TITLE$ Setup can continue.$NEWLINE$$NEWLINE$Please save your work in all running programs and click OK to restart your computer. Setup will resume once your computer restarts.$NEWLINE$$NEWLINE$If you click CANCEL, setup will exit. You will have to run setup again at a later time to install $TITLE$.
if Variable REBOOTNOW Equals OK
Reboot Computer and Resume Setup
else
Terminate Installation
end
else
MessageBox: Unable to set linked connections, The installer was unable to enable linked connections. There's a good chance that the program will not work correctly if you continue.
if Variable SUCCESS Equals Abort
Terminate Installation
else
if Variable SUCCESS Equals Retry
GoTo Label: Prerequ
end
end
end


But here comes the next ugly thing: Vista suppresses the resume. It displays a small icon in the system tray that it blocked an application from running automatically. Tf the user sees and understands it ....

So, as I said earlier, it's all an ugly hack, and I wish someone would find a clean solution to the problem.

Rgds
Richard

[get101]

Hi Richard

Thanks your information is most helpful.

I wonder why InstallAware does not handle installing to Vista mapped drives natively. It seems your workaround is needed for using Installaware to install to Vista.

Would an InstallAware person or MVP care to jump in with a cleaner solution?

[CandiceJones]

This has nothing to do with InstallAware or Vista. Mapped drives, subst drives are not seen by Windows Installer on any platform, Windows Installer runs as a service in a separate user account than your own which has the mappings so this is the root cause of the problem.

The same would occur on any platform with any installer that is Windows Installer based!