Web updates fails during install

[nilson_asolutions]

Hello, InstallAware team.

Using the InstallAware 18.02 trial version (the latest version, I think), we are having an issue with the web updates feature. Following the steps described in this guide: http://www.installaware.com/installaware_web_updates.pdf (note: is this an updated guide? It's from 2007), we managed to create 3 msi installers in different versions (1.0, 1.1 and 1.2, from a test application called "vertest.exe") and, after uploading them to a web server, we were able to perform a web update (through a link "Program Name Update" in the Start Menu). Only one time, it worked well: the update was downloaded and the update installation successfully overwrote (this word exists?) the main executable file.

Then we tried to create a new installer (for our application, this time) and add more files to it (and to the update packs), and we couldn't make another web update. It always failed with this new files, showing a command prompt window with a message erro for tenths of seconds and keeping the older files. However, for some reason, the update routine seems to mark this failed update (the files were not updated) as a sucessfull installation. So, when we click again in the "Program Name Update" in the Start Menu, it shows a message saying that there are no updates available, as if the previous update were successfully completed.

We tried to recreate the test installer (as shown in the guide) and it failed too. We don't know if some change in the InstallAware itself (such as an update we perfomed from 18.00 to 18.02) caused the problem. We reinstalled it many times, and in different machines. We tried the installers in those other machines too, with no success (but at least we managed to log the command prompt error message - it says "Program too big to fit in memory"). We're trying to solve this issue for 2 weeks now, with no success.

Any directions in how to solve this problem? If it helps, we can create a test installer with a update (and the problem) and post here.

PS: sorry for any grammar mistakes. We're not native english speakers.

Thanks in advance.

Nilson
A Solutions

[FrancescoT]

Dear Nilson,

yes please, try to post a very minimal project that replicates your issue and I'll look at it.

Please include all required project files in a compressed archive.

Regards

[nilson_asolutions]

Dear Francesco,

Here's a sample project. It contains 3 folders:

- test installer : the installer project
- version 10 : the executable file for version 1.0.0
- version 11 : the executable file for version 1.0.1

Installer.zip

(5.06 MiB) Downloaded 462 times

We used the same project to generate the two installers, just changing the file in "Setup Architeture" -> "Files" -> "$TARGETDIR$", and changed the version from 1.0.0 to 1.0.1 in "Application Information" -> "Project Properties" -> "Version". We didn't changed neither the PRODUCTCODE nor the REVISIONCODE.

You can download the generated installers in:
- Version 1.0.0: http://asolutions.com.br/update/vt/vt100.msi
- Version 1.0.1: http://asolutions.com.br/update/vt/vt101.msi

The updates.ini url is http://asolutions.com.br/update/vt/updates.ini. So, if you want to try the installer generated by us, you can download the 1.0.0 version, install and then try to call the update.

If you need more details, please ask.

Thanks for your attention.

Nilson
A Solutions

[FrancescoT]

Let me check!

Regards

[FrancescoT]

Dear Nilson,

please try with the attached edited versions of your original project.

To use them;
- rebuild each single project (Test Installer 1.0 & Test Installer 1.0.1)
- copy the generated "Test Installer 1.0.1" setup file along with its update.in file to your URL.
- test the WebUpdate functionality installing the "Test Installer 1.0" setup msi file on your target machine.

Note!
It is not required any other action on your part to successfully build the above projects. Both projects uses relative paths with the installed file sources.

Regards

[nilson_asolutions]

Dear Francesco,

The problem persists. I created the installations with the files you sent me and uploaded them to our test server. If you want to try, the url is http://asolutions.com.br/update/vt/, where you can see the two installers and the updates.ini file.

For test, I just made one change to your projects: I changed the updates.ini, because the 1.0.1 update url was pointing to the "vt_1.0.0.msi", and i changed it to point to "vt_1.0.1.msi".

Previous file content:

Code: Select all

[Update Packs for Versions]
1.0.0=1.0.1
[1.0.1]
URL=http://asolutions.com.br/update/vt/vt_1.0.0.msi
Description=
Reboot=No
Silent=Yes
Parameters=

Uploaded file:

Code: Select all

[Update Packs for Versions]
1.0.0=1.0.1
[1.0.1]
URL=http://asolutions.com.br/update/vt/vt_1.0.1.msi
Description=
Reboot=No
Silent=Yes
Parameters=

I did this change after testing the files exactly as you sent them (with the "vt_1.0.0.msi" as the file for version [1.0.1]).

If you could send me the compiled msi installation files and the updates.ini file, I could upload it to our servers and we can perform another test. This way, I think we can detect if it's a problem with our installation of the InstallAware Studio.

Just for curiosity, did the executables I sent you failed to update?

Thanks for the attention.

Nilson
A Solutions

[FrancescoT]

Dear Nilson,

Just for curiosity, did the executables I sent you failed to update?

I have edited your original project because it did not work correctly even running manually the packages ... probably there was an error with the PRODUCTCODE used

Anyway, the error you are experiencing is caused due the fact that the "update script" expects an EXE file to be downloaded and instead, you are distributing an msi file.

It is in this way by default, in order to maximize the compatibility of the Web Update functionality with setup packages generated using NATIVE ENGINE.

In your case and if you want to distribute MSI packages using the Web Update functionality, you must modify the default "update script" behavior in order to handle an MSI package installation. Otherwise, you should distribute your packages as compressed EXE.

Hope this helps you.

Regards.

[nilson_asolutions]

Dear Francesco,

We didn't had a chance to test your suggestion, but as soon as we test it, we'll post here to let you know if it worked.

Thanks for the attention.

Nilson
A Solutions

[FrancescoT]

Let me know.

[nilson_asolutions]

Dear Francesco,

Your suggestion (using a exe update file instead of a msi file) worked well on our tests. If you wish to see the result, you can download the msi file here : http://asolutions.com.br/update/vt/vt100.msi. The updates are vt101.exe and vt102.exe. We tested it on Windows XP, 7 and 8.1, and the installation of the update worked with no errors.

We will now perform other tests, but I think we'll have no more problems, at least in the updates part.

Thanks for the attention (and the patience).

Regards.

Nilson
A Solutions

[FrancescoT]

I am happy you solved !

Regards