InstallAware

Our products are using a logger service (=Windows Service). This logger is used by several(all) of our products.
Currently each product installer is installing it's own logger (in it's own folder) and as a consequence uninstalling that product will lead to the removal of the service (or at least the reference in the Windows Services Console). This is not nice for other products relying on the logger.
Obviously this needs to be improved. I know that MSI is using component GUIDs to handle this.

From "What's New in Windows Installer 4.5: Overview" (http://blogs.msdn.com/b/heaths/archive/ ... rview.aspx)
Quote:
Shared components prevent files from being uninstalled when another product is referencing those files. When components in different products have the same component GUID, those components are ref-counted.

My problem is that I can't find the equivelant for component GUID in InstallAware. I'm not sure how to proceed. I'd like a 'plan of attack'.
- What do I need?
- Can I set component GUIDs?
- Where do I set them?
- I found something called 'Light Setup mode', is it relevant?
- I believe I need to create a MSI for the logger and include this MSI in the MSI of the product. If I do that will that work? Will that use the component GUID references count?

With a setup built with InstallAware, the service is being removed on uninstall?

This shouldn't happen if you're using the Install Service and Control Service commands (unless you have a control->Stop & Delete on Uninstall). You can also use the Services view in the Advanced Options folder under the Design tab.

As far as GUIDs go, there are product GUIDs viewable under the Project Properties view (but these are not file-specific, but product-wide GUIDs).

Hi Andy,

Thanks for the reply. The installers are not all IA (work in progress, still dealing with some old Wise installers as well), but I'm keeping that out of the equation. I don't want to complicated things further and these old Wise Installer will be obsolete anyway.

If I don't specify 'control->Stop & Delete on Uninstall' will the service keep on running on uninstall?
What happens to the files that the service consists of?

I've have a workaround for my situation. I've created a seperate installer for the service. If this installer is called it'll ask the user if he wants to uninstall the service. This installer is called from within the other installers. It works (sort of) but is somewhat cumbersome.

Yes, if you don't specify to stop and delete, then nothing will happen.

Note: using the MSI engine, the control service must be called before Apply Install (and would justify your work-around). If you use the Native Engine (IA 10 on), you could add the logic to your setup to specify the control service on uninstall (during uninstall), since the control service takes effect immediately in native engine mode. This would allow you to go without the second setup for the service.