How can I associate a third party MSI to a feature?

[Steve]

Hello all,

Hoping that someone might have an answer to this question:
I need to install a third-party MSI (SQLSERVER2005_SSMSEE.msi), but only if the user has enabled the 'Feature' named SQL Express Management Studio.

Currently I am running this msi within the project by adding the msi to the project as a 'Support File' (User Interface>Creatives) and have also added the '(Un)Install MSI Setup' entry to the MSICode (many thanks to Mitch McInelly for this information).
However, I am uncertain how I can associate that MSI to the specifc feature in my project.
One little hitch is that the SQL SERVER 2005 (which I am installing as an InstallAware application runtime) must be installed prior to this SQLSERVER2005_SSMSEE.msi being run.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Steve

[MichaelNesmith]

Quite easily done. Switch to the MSIcode view first. Then, choose components on the top left combo box in the code editor, and choose the feature you wish to associate with this MSI file on the top right combo box in the code editor. Finally, insert the (Un)Install MSI Setup command right within the if...end clause that follows the component selection query command, which the combo boxes now highlighted for you.

[Steve]

Michael;
Thanks very much for your quick response.

Pefect! That works great!!

Can you also tell me how I would trigger an uninstall of this third party msi should a client decide to do an uninstall?

[MichaelNesmith]

Quite easily done - use (Un)Install MSI Setup, and this time specify either the full file path again, or you can also use the GUID for the MSI package, as it will now be recorded in the system and will work directly.

If you want to find the GUID, open the package in Orca, look in the table "Properties", and copy the value in the ProductCode property.

And, Orca is a free download as part of the Microsoft Platform SDK, located in the "bin\\orca.msi" file inside the SDK.