Create MSI that doesn't spawn new process

[deploy]

I have read in several places that InstallAware produce 100% compliant MSI:s. That's a good thing.

My problem: When using output single MSI I seem to get an installer which immediately spawn a new process and then exits. This makes my setup not so suitable for corporate deployment as it will inevitably make other pending deployments which are next in turn to fail ("another installation is in progress").

How can I produce "a normal msi" that doesn't end its initial process until installation is done?

I have tried Group Policy Wizard, which I understand (from reading in forums) just unpacks the .exe and spawns a new process.
I have tried Project Options -> Build: Build MSI instead of exe (is this the same as GP Wizard?)
I have tried Build -> CD/DVD and tried using the msi created but I guess this is A Bad Idea(tm) since my example setup won't work.

Thanks!

[FrancescoT]

Dear User,

are you referring at the UAC dialog shown using a single compressed MSI installer (the UAC elevation dialog which contains a (GUID) filename rather than the actual filename of the MSI file being executed)?

If true ...actually, when the MSI is signed (as would be per recommended best practices), the GUID will not be shown.

Regards

[deploy]

Hello Francesco,

I am referring to the fact that when I ask IA to produce a MSI it will create an installer which immediately detach itself from the original process.

Try the following in a command prompt:
start /wait MySetup.exe
start /wait msiexec /i MySetup.msi

In the first case the focus/control will not return to the CMD prompt until setup is finished. In the second case the CMD prompt is immediately ready for new command since the msi spawns a new process for the installation.

That is, if you try to run two msi setup after each other they will collide as the first one is far from finished when the 2nd launches.

My question is: how can I produce "a normal msi"? The methods I have tried seem to only encapsulate the actual setup inside a msi (I'm guessing here..). For this project I am about to start I need msi-format as output and I need the installer to not return control to the caller (be it a CMD-prompt, a script, a user or whatever) until the installer is actually finished.

Regards,

[FrancescoT]

Dear User,

InstallAware produce a standard MSI but uses a custom way to execute the process.
This approach permits several advantages if compared with the standard MSI behaviour, as the possibility to define a fully customizable command line parameters and switches.

It is not possible to modify this behaviour and as I said previously, if the MSI is signed (as would be per recommended best practices), the GUID Windows will not be shown.

Regards.

[deploy]

OK, thanks for clarifying. At first I just thought it was the GP Wizard that produced this kind of msi.

If I need to produce setups suitable for deployment within corporate environments I will have to stay with .exe-format and not use MSI.

Regards,

[FrancescoT]