InstallAware

I would like to submit the following modifications to the R&D department for the PackageAware utility & IA IDE

1. (PackageAware) Allow an input box, much like the Project Settings, that will allow the tech to enter the appropriate settings and not just capture the last installed exe/msi settings. Currently, if the installation has nested components it can really throw off the $TARGETDIR$ value. You already have a process that is very similar in the Quick Start Project.

2. (IA IDE) When Folders are added it is only shown as $path\\*.*. Please set this so that it reads and details the contents. This would be useful if the folders added contain drivers that need to be added to the Driver section.

3. (PA & IA IDE) Shortcuts are currently captured as all lowercase and not the case they are installed as.

4. (PA & IA IDE) Environmental variables are currently not captured. Please set the IA IDE to read the Session Manager registry key and automatically apply the Modified ENVAR to the appropriate value.

5. (IA IDE) In the Files Component, please add a feature that allows us to RENAME the selected folders. This is recommended in conjunction with request #1.

6. (IA IDE) Within the Project Settings box, please set it so that Project -> Summary -> Title imports the value from Project -> Product Name

7. (IA IDE) Remove Uninstall Support And/Or create an option so that an Add/Remove Programs Entry is NOT created. This would be necessary for security utilities that are not meant to be removed via ARP. This would also prove to be very useful with techs that use InstallAware to distribute vendor generated MSI's which will create their own ARP entries.

8. (IA IDE) Allow an option that will set certain installation files to be deleted upon successful completion of the install. This would be incredibly useful for nested MSI/EXE files that are no longer needed once they have finished successfully.

9. (IA IDE) For the Database Import Wizard, please create the following:

a. Allow an option to read and then set the MSI Property values

b. Allow an option to enter the Project Settings directly when the MSI is being imported.

c. Allow an option to read and select which Features of the MSI to import. With MUI based MSI's, it isn't necessary to import French, German & Spanish if you know your target audience is English only. This will help speed up the import process and slim down the package size.

d. Allow an option to Rename the imported Features. I have run into problems with the Database Import Wizard returning Feature Names of Feature1, Feature2, etc and not the actual Feature names as shown in ORCA.

Thanks,

Dan

Hi Dan,

Thanks for the feedback, here's some quick tips on what you can already do today, out-of-the-box:

5. Already there? This will happen when you "Edit" a folder shown in the folder tree view.
7. Easily implemented via Delete Registry.
8. Already there - use the File Bag or Support Files mechanisms.

MichaelNesmith wrote:Hi Dan,

Thanks for the feedback, here's some quick tips on what you can already do today, out-of-the-box:

5. Already there? This will happen when you "Edit" a folder shown in the folder tree view.
7. Easily implemented via Delete Registry.
8. Already there - use the File Bag or Support Files mechanisms.

Thanks Mike

For #7, would I have to compile -> Install first to capture the HKLM\\SW\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CV\\Uninstall\\$Titile/GUID first or is there something I can can modify without having to do a test install? Also, where in the MSICode would I create this Reg Delete entry?

Dan,

You can delete these 2 keys to remove the app from ARP.

HKLM\\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Uninstall\\#TITLE#

AND

HKLM\\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Uninstall\\$PRODUCTCODE$

MichaelNesmith wrote:Hi Dan,

Thanks for the feedback, here's some quick tips on what you can already do today, out-of-the-box:

5. Already there? This will happen when you "Edit" a folder shown in the folder tree view.

While the Edit function is available for sub-folders, it is not available for primary system folders.

Take for example the current package I'm working on, Alchemy Sistem.

When this is run through PackageAware and the project is imported into IA, first $TARGETDIR$ is set to $PROGRAMFILES$\\Sistem\\Sistem_App. This is not the $TARGETDIR$, which is easily changed. The problem is that there are a number of folders already populated into $PROGRAMFILES$\\Sistem in the File view not associated to the $TARGETDIR$. This creates fragmented components from an MSI Validation standpoint (ICE Errors 8, 18, 22, 24, 30, 33, and 56 may all apply).

At this point, the only option is delete the existing file structure and start from scratch. Whereas if the option was there to edit the system folders, I could very easily correct the directory structure and maintain the consistency of the capture.

This could also be corrected if IA were to add the option of the pre-capture inteview requesting to specify the default $TARGETDIR$ (this of course would be a optional function).

Also to update the EDIT Feature of the Files component. When this feature is used, it only applies to the files contained and not the folder structure.