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InstallAware Transformer
The offers a point-and-click, fully visual method to custom tailor settings found inside Windows Installer setups using MST transform files.
The wizard displays the native installation interview dialogs of the Windows Installer setup being transformed, and collects changes made to the properties, directories, and features stored inside the MSI file. No installation occurs during this data collection phase.
After the installation interview is completed, a transform file, and an optional shortcut automatically invoking the Windows Installer setup together with the newly created transform, are created.
The new transform may contain all or some of the customizations captured. Any customizations may be further edited as needed in the wizard before the transform is saved.
You may finally use any variety of methods to install the resulting Windows Installer setup together with its transform file, including creating a new Application Runtime for the customized setup, pushing the setup through together with its transform on an network, calling the (Un)Install MSI Setup command from a master installation, running the optional shortcut to interactively install the setup with the settings pre-applied, and so forth.
To start the , on the tab, in the group, click .
1. Select the Windows Installer Setup to Transform
Click the button to select the MSI database to transform.
If there are any pre-existing transforms you would like to apply to this database, do so using a table editing tool such as the free table editor, which ships with the Platform SDK and/or Windows Kits. Commit your changes to disk, applying the transforms to the database before proceeding.
2. Begin Transformation
Ignore PC state
Check this box to ignore the current state of the PC you will be performing the installation on.
This is recommended when you have already installed the software contained inside the MSI package on your system. Transforming the setup without this option enabled would then display not the first-time installation interview, but the setup maintenance interview instead.
Ignore launch conditions
Check this box to discard any system compliance checks found inside the MSI which you are transforming.
This is recommended when you are unable to complete the installation interview due to your system failing one or more checks found inside the installer database.
Transform
When you are ready to start the installation interview, click the button.
The native installation interface of the package you are transforming is then displayed. The package will not be installed on your system, but you will be able to interact with each installation dialog, and enter your desired installation settings visually; just as if you were normally installing the package.
If you receive the Access is denied error after clicking this button, please run this wizard again with rights, and try again.
If you receive errors trying to launch the installed application at the end of the installer interview, please keep in mind that this is not a concern; since you have only completed the installation interview, and not actually installed anything. You may, of course, capture the actual setting to launch an installed application successfully.
3. Select the Windows Installer Transform File to Save
Click the button, and choose a file name and location for your MST transform file, containing your collected installer properties, directories, and features - exactly as you chose them during your just-completed installation interview.
Before saving, you may wish to manually review (and customize) the captured settings; using the new table shown on the right side of the wizard.
Names, Old Values, New Values
This table lists the name, default value, and new value for each setting found in the MSI database.
These settings include properties in the table, folders in the table, and Features in the table found in your MSI database being transformed.
Display unchanged items
To display all original items located in the MSI database, including items which were not changed during your installation interview, check the box.
You may not customize or flag any of these default values for inclusion in your new MST transform file.
Properties
Click the tab to review properties changed and stored in the MSI database, in response to your user interface interactions during the setup interview.
Exclude unnecessary properties from your transform by unchecking the check-box displayed immediately before the name of the property, or conversely include necessary properties by checking this check-box.
Right-click a property and click to customize the captured value of a property.
To include all changed properties in your transform, right-click the list and choose . Conversely, to deselect all properties, right-click the list and choose . The check-boxes are updated accordingly.
Directories
Click the tab to review folder paths captured as part of your installation interview.
Exclude unnecessary folder name changes from your transform by unchecking the check-box displayed immediately before the name of the folder, or conversely include necessary folder name changes by checking this check-box.
Right-click a folder and click to override the captured path for a folder. The wizard automatically replaces well-known system paths, such as the C:\Program Files folder, with their variablized equivalents, such as [ProgramFilesFolder], when displaying captured paths. This ensures paths are stored for universal use within your new MST file, and not localized to a particular system. When possible, while editing captured path values, try to use these variablized forms.
To include all updated folders in your transform, right-click the list and choose . Conversely, to deselect all folder changes, right-click the list and choose . The check-boxes are updated accordingly.
Features
Click the tab to edit and update feature selections captured during your installation interview.
Exclude unnecessary feature state changes from your transform by unchecking the check-box displayed immediately before the name of the feature, or conversely include necessary feature state changes by checking this check-box.
Right-click a feature and click to override the captured installation state for a given feature. In the field, select Not Installed, or any preceding value, to deselect that feature from installation. Conversely, select Installed Locally, or any following value, to add that feature to your installation.
To include all feature state changes in your transform, right-click the list and choose . Conversely, to deselect all feature state changes, right-click the list and choose . The check-boxes are updated accordingly.
4. Save the Transform File
When you are satisfied reviewing and editing your captured settings, click the button to create an MST transform file, containing all of your changes, and ready for use with your original MSI installer.
Create shortcut file to run setup and apply transform
If you would like to automatically create a shortcut to your MSI installation automatically transformed using your newly created MST transform file, check this box. You may then run this shortcut to interactively install your transformed setup, which will now reflect all of your new settings during the interactive setup process.
The name for the link file is automatically derived from your chosen transform file name. Notes
- This wizard does not produce meaningful results when used with InstallAware setups, because InstallAware handles all MSI settings internally through its Windows Installer setup engine.
- To transform such setups, you may use a variety of other means, including reading from INI Files, command line variable locking, silent installations, or any other mechanism available to you in your installation script.