Packageaware for Virtualization - debug logs?

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JeffryPaul
Posts: 50
Joined: Fri Mar 02, 2007 6:56 pm

Packageaware for Virtualization - debug logs?

Post by JeffryPaul »

Trying to repackage an Installaware setup as a virtual package using Packageaware for Virtualization.
MPA process jumps 10 90+ CPU utilization when copying files to standalone project.

Is there a way to provide debug/logging information to determine what's going wrong?

I am using a virtual Windows XP machine as my baseline computer, with 1GB RAM and 30GB free disk space.
mills
Posts: 814
Joined: Tue Jul 06, 2010 7:10 pm
Location: Honolulu, HI

Re: Packageaware for Virtualization - debug logs?

Post by mills »

At what point are you seeing this?
MPA process jumps 10 90+ CPU utilization when copying files to standalone project
A screenshot might be helpful.
Andy Mills
InstallAware
Other Help:
White Papers (HowTos) - http://www.installaware.com/publication ... papers.htm
Product Guides - http://www.installaware.com/publication ... guides.htm
InstallAware Help - Press F1 in the InstallAware IDE.
JeffryPaul
Posts: 50
Joined: Fri Mar 02, 2007 6:56 pm

Re: Packageaware for Virtualization - debug logs?

Post by JeffryPaul »

I chose to create a portable project. Unchecked the other options.
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Point where CPU hits 99 percent
Point where CPU hits 99 percent
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JeffryPaul
Posts: 50
Joined: Fri Mar 02, 2007 6:56 pm

Re: Packageaware for Virtualization - debug logs?

Post by JeffryPaul »

I am using Packageaware for Virtualization, whose EXE is mpa.exe, not packageaware.exe
It didn't like the Flash EXE files (uninstall_flash.exe, flashutil.exe, so I ended up bypassing ?:\Win*\System32\Macromed\Flash\* to get past it.
Then I got the same problem on \windows\system32\vb6stkit.dll. AAAARRRRGGGHHHH!
Why is MPA handing on these system32 files?

By the way, running MPA.EXE /L=C:\MPA.LOG doesn't generate any log files (This is an XP SP3 virtual machine, and I am logged in as Administrator)
JeffryPaul
Posts: 50
Joined: Fri Mar 02, 2007 6:56 pm

Re: Packageaware for Virtualization - debug logs?

Post by JeffryPaul »

After some additional testing on the mpa.exe process I've discovered some interesting (annoying) behaviors:

/L=<logfile> doesn't generate a log file.

Creating a portable project just never worked for me. It would always hang on some file (usually in Windows\System32 somewhere).

After clicking Finish to create the project, there is nothing to indicate anything is happening. It took 40+ minutes to generate the registry portion of the virtualized project.

After the project file was finally created, it wouldn't open! I manually edited the project file and started deleting portions of the registry settings until the project would finally open. I discovered that, at least for my project, adding "system\currentcontrolset\services" to the registry exclusion before the initial scan, an editable project file was be created.

You definitely need to review all of the files and registry keys carefully. There were lots of extraneous settings captured. What surprised me was that even though my project does nothing with microsoft or services, a large chunk of the registry settings dealt with software\microsoft\... and system\currentcontrolset\...

Installaware support: I can send you a link to an Installaware setup that generated these problems.
mills
Posts: 814
Joined: Tue Jul 06, 2010 7:10 pm
Location: Honolulu, HI

Re: Packageaware for Virtualization - debug logs?

Post by mills »

Yes, please send a link to [email protected].
Andy Mills
InstallAware
Other Help:
White Papers (HowTos) - http://www.installaware.com/publication ... papers.htm
Product Guides - http://www.installaware.com/publication ... guides.htm
InstallAware Help - Press F1 in the InstallAware IDE.
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