Compressed Single Self-Installing EXE launches application

[NickD]

Hi all,

Having a weird issue with the Compressing Single exe. After I build the installer, the window to gather required information comes up and then once that's finished, the main window for my application comes up with an error that the application has stopped working.

I suspect it's due to some shenanigans with the .NET framwork installers being compressed into the installer and that they need to remain separate but since this is my first time building an installer, I'm not 100% sure. This does not happen with Uncompressed Directory Layout or the Compressed Web-Based EXE options.

If anyone has any information that can either confirm my suspicions or correct me if I'm wrong, I'd greatly appreciate it.

Thanks!

[FrancescoT]

Dear NickD,

I'm really sorry, but it's not clear to me your description about the problem you seem to have.
Could you expand a little bit on what you said about the error? Could you give an example of it?

Regards

[NickD]

Sure,

So in my project, I've included the following runtimes:

.NET Framework 2.0 with SP1
.NET Framework 2.0 with SP2
.NET Framework 3.0 with SP1
.NET Framework 3.0 with SP2
.NET Framework 3.0
.NET Framework 3.5 with SP1
.NET Framework 3.5

After I've added all the files I want in this installer, I head over to the Build Settings section. For the Build Type, I select Compressed Single Self-Installing EXE and make a Single File build.

I go to the output folder and run the executable that was created by installaware x3.

I see the window stating "The InstallAware Wizard is verifying the contents of this setup package. This may take a moment."

Then, after that completes the main window of my application launches and I get the standard windows 7 dialogue stating that "YOUR.EXE has stopped working" with the options to check online for solutions, close application, or wait for program to respond.

What I expected to see is the Welcome dialogue of the installer but that wasn't the case. It was as if the installer skipped itself all together.

However, oddest thing happened this morning...

I ran the EXE again to grab screenshots, but instead I actually did get the Welcome dialogue when I was expecting to. So... not really sure why it wasn't working yesterday. If it happens again, I'll definitely grab screenshots.

[Enginerd]

I am also seeing this exact problem with InstallAware X3, latest
build (Version: X3 (20.03), Released to Manufacturing on: 8.20.15).
I did not see this problem with my previous install of X3 (from a few
weeks ago), so this is a somewhat new bug.

After I select "Compressed Single Self Installing-EXE", and then run
the generated install, it begins as usual (with the small installation
wizard window). But then it proceeds to directly execute my
application, rather than proceeding with an uninstall followed
by an install.

Thinking this might be because I was using a project originally
created for X2, I proceeded to create an entirely new project
using X3. Which gave me the exact same result, regardless of
whether built from the command line, or using the IDE. I've
tried changing theme, adding and removing options, etc.
The only thing that seems to make a difference is selecting
something other than "Compressed Single Self Installing-EXE".
But "Compressed Single Self Installing-EXE" is what I want to
deploy to my customers.

So at present I cannot generate a working build of my product,
particularly since InstallAware X3 uninstalled InstallAware X2.
It might be nice to be able to have both installed concurrently.
But then again, I wouldn't need X2 if I could make X3 work as
expected.

I would be happy to share my project with you (which
reproduces the failure 100% of the time) if it will help
you get InstallAware X3 to work for me.

[FrancescoT]

Dear Enginerd,

honestly it seems very strange what you reported and I am not able to replicate the same.

A question, did you use a new re-generated personal license to activate the product?
In case you used a not correct license file, this could explain the strange behavior you experienced.

If this is your case, you should un-install your current IA installation and then to re-install it.
For test purpose and once your re-installed IA X3 (ver. 20.03), I suggest to leave it as trial (don't activate it for now), to re-build your project and then to verify if you are still able to reproduce the error.

If you want to send me your project, please use; support@installaware.com .

Let me know.

Regards

[Enginerd]

For test purpose and once your re-installed IA X3 (ver. 20.03), I suggest to leave it as trial (don't activate it for now), to re-build your project and then to verify if you are still able to reproduce the error.

I removed IA, then reinstalled, leaving it at the trial version
of IA Studio, not activated. I still see the same problem...
Instead of running the installer as expected, setup begins and
then proceeds to launch my app directly from the installer.
Very strange.

I will contact you via the support email with details on how you
can fetch my IA project, along with an example of the malfunctioning
installer package that IA produced. I have confirmed the malfunctioning
package has the same behavior on other systems, so this is not isolated
to my build system. Something is going wrong for me when I use
IA X3, version 20.03.

[FrancescoT]

Dear Enginerd,

sure, please use support@installaware.com .

Regards

[Enginerd]

sure, please use support@installaware.com

Message was sent yesterday. I hope you received it.

[Enginerd]

sure, please use support@installaware.com

Message was sent yesterday. I hope you received it.

It turns out your email server rejected my original email, so
I just sent my message again using the company email server,
and I checked and confirmed the mail was accepted by your
server this time. I also included the email reject message.
My mail server is not listed in any RBL, so I cannot understand
why it should be blocked.

[FrancescoT]

I just received your files.

Regards

[FrancescoT]

Dear Enginerd,

I have been able to replicate your issue and I have already sent a note to our dev team.
I suppose it will be available a fix for this shortly.

Anyway for those who are experiencing the same identical issue, which is limited to IA X3 only, the problem seems caused by the fact that both the installed application EXE and the setup package have the same identical name.

Due of this, the problem can easily skipped using a different name for the generated setup.exe.
Example, supposing the setup.exe is; "TestApp.exe", it's enough to generate the output package as "TestApp_v1.0.exe" or similar.

Regards

[Enginerd]

I have been able to replicate your issue and I have already sent a note to our dev team.
I suppose it will be available a fix for this shortly.

Excellent. I look forward to the fixed version of IA X3.
Thanks.

Due of this, the problem can easily skipped using a different name for the generated setup.exe.
Example, supposing the setup.exe is; "TestApp.exe", it's enough to generate the output package as "TestApp_v1.0.exe" or similar.

So under "Design" -> "Deployment" -> "Build Settings",
for the time being, I should set "Output filename" to
i.e. "TestApp-#MYVERSION#" to avoid the namespace
collision problem...

<testing>
Yes, that does work to bypass the problem. I will update my
installs and my build scripts accordingly. Thanks again.

[FrancescoT]

I am happy to inform that this issue has been fixed.

Please download and install the latest InstallAware X3 trial (ver. 20.04).

IMPORTANT NOTE!
It's necessary full product installation and a new re-generated license file to activate the product.

Regards