Wise Solutions WISE FOR WINDOWS INSTALLER 5 User Manual

Copyright

©1994-2003 Wise Solutions, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This documentation and the accompanying
software are copyrighted materials. Making unauthorized copies is prohibited by law. No part of the
software or documentation may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval
system or translated into any human or computer language without prior written permission of
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this work, in all jurisdictions which recognize the “Moral Right.”

Notice

UNLESS OTHERWISE PROVIDED BY WRITTEN AGREEMENT WITH WISE SOLUTIONS, INC., THIS
PUBLICATION, AND THE SOFTWARE SOLD WITH THIS PUBLICATION, ARE PROVIDED “AS IS”
WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED
TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
THE ENTIRE RISK ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS PUBLICATION AND
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SUPPLIERS, BE LIABLE FOR ANY LOST PROFITS, LOST SAVINGS, DIRECT, INCIDENTAL OR
INDIRECT DAMAGES OR OTHER ECONOMIC OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF WISE
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OR ITS SUPPLIERS’ LIABILITY UNDER THIS AGREEMENT EXCEED THE SUM OF ANY AMOUNTS PAID
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Wise Solutions, Inc. owns a number of registered and unregistered Trademarks and Service Marks
(the “Marks”). These Marks are extremely valuable to Wise Solutions, Inc. and shall not be used by
you, or any other person, without Wise Solutions, Inc.’s express written permission. The Marks
include, but are not necessarily limited to the following: A
A

PPLICATIONWATCH™; CONFLICTMANAGER®; INSTALLATION DEVELOPMENT LIFE CYCLE™; INSTALLBUILDER®;

I

NSTALLMAKER®; INSTALLMANAGER®; INSTALLTAILOR™; MSI DEBUGGER™; MSI SCRIPT™;

P

ACKAGEMANAGER™; SETUPCAPTURE®; SMARTMONITOR™; SMARTPATCH®; SOFTWARE DISTRIBUTION MADE

E

ASY™; SOFTWARE INSTALLATIONS MADE EASY®; VISUAL MSIDIFF™; VIRTUAL CAPTURE™; WEBDEPLOY™;

W
S

OLUTIONS®; WISESCRIPT™; WISESCRIPT EXPRESS™; WISEUPDATE®; WISEUSER®; and the Wise

Solutions logo.

In addition to Wise Solutions, Inc.’s Marks, some Wise Products may include Trademarks or Service
Marks owned by other corporations. These other Marks include, but are not necessarily limited to
M
Microsoft Corporation.

You shall not use any of the Trademarks or Service Marks of Wise Solutions, Inc., Microsoft
Corporation, or any other entity, without the express written permission of such Trademark or
Service Mark owner.

PPLICATION ISOLATION WIZARD™;

ISE INSTALLATION SYSTEM®; WISE PACKAGE STUDIO®; WISE SOFTWARE REPOSITORY™; WISE

ICROSOFT® WINDOWS® and MICROSOFT® VISUAL STUDIO® .NET, which are registered Trademarks of

Wise Solutions, Inc.

47911 Halyard Drive
Plymouth, Michigan 48170 USA
Phone: [phone] • Fax: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail] • Web: www.wise.com

2

5.0

Contents

1 Welcome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Documentation Roadmap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

Getting Help and Product Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

Getting Updates Over the Web . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

2 Wise for Windows Installer Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Wise for Windows Installer Editions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

Options for New Installations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

File Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

Project Files and Database Files. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

Specifying the Target Platform. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

What’s Different in a 64-Bit Installation? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

Using Installation Expert. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32

Customizing Installation Expert Page Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33

Using the Current Feature Drop-Down List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

Using the Current Release Drop-Down List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36

Compiling, Testing, and Running Your Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37

Compiling Your Installation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37

Testing Your Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38

Running Your Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39

Using the Task List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40

Filtering the Task List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41

Finding Table Errors From the Task List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42

Adding User-Defined Tasks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43

Creating and Editing Installation Templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

Setting Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46

Setting General Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46

Setting .NET Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49

Setting Digital Signature Preferences. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50

Setting Installation Expert Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51

Setting Merge Module Directories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52

Activating Suppressed Prompts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53

3

CONTENTS

Setting Repository Preferences. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Setting Source Control Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Setting the Target Platform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Component Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

About Component Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Selecting a Component Rule Set. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Using Component Rules to Align GUIDs in an Upgrade . . . . . . . . . 61

Customizing Component Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Microsoft Best Practices Component Rule Set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

One File Per Component Rule Set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

Where are Installation Resources Stored? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Using the Enterprise Edition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Sharing Installation Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

About the Share Point Directory in Wise for Windows Installer . . . . 72

Sharing the Wise Software Repository With Wise Package Studio . . 73

Generating Shared Resource Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

Downloading Redistributable Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Downloading Redistributables From the Wise Web Site or Product CD .
78

Downloading Redistributables From Other Vendors’ Web Sites . . . . 79

Command Line Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

Command Line Option Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

Automating the Build Process. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

3 Setting Up Your Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

Before You Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

Starting a New Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

Product Details Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

Incrementing the Version . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

Setting the Default Installation Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

General Information Page. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

Add/Remove Programs Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

Features Page. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

Strategies for Organizing Files Into Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

Adding a New Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

Configuring a Feature Using Its Drop-Down List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

Configuring a Feature Using the Feature Details Dialog . . . . . . . . . 98

Using Conditions With Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102

Adding and Deleting Feature Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

Managing Binary Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

4

CONTENTS

Adding Binary Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106

Refreshing Binary Resources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

4 Building Your Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

Files Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

Files Page Directories. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111

Files Page Icons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112

Adding a File to the Installation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112

Adding Merge Modules Instead of Files. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114

Adding Contents of Directories to the Installation . . . . . . . . . . . .115

Wildcard Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117

Adding .NET Assemblies to the Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118

Editing Settings for Automatic Updating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

Removing a File From the Destination Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . .121

Copying and Moving Files on the Destination Computer . . . . . . . .123

Editing File Details. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124

How Self-Registration Information is Captured . . . . . . . . . . . . . .132

Registry Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .135

Creating or Editing Registry Key Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .136

Removing Registry Entries From the Destination Computer . . . . .137

Importing and Exporting Registry Entries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139

Configuring General Registry Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139

Configuring Permissions for Registry Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .141

Viewing Shared Registry Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142

Special Registry Keys. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142

INI Files Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .143

Creating or Editing .INI Files. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .143

Tips for Creating and Editing .INI Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145

Shortcuts Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146

Adding a Shortcut to Your Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146

Editing a Shortcut Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .148

Environment Variables Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .150

File Associations Page. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151

Determining Extension Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .152

Adding Command Verbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .153

Selecting MIME Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .153

Services Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154

Adding a Service to the Destination Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . .154

Controlling Services on the Destination Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . 156

ODBC Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .158

5

CONTENTS

Setting ODBC Data Source Details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158

Setting ODBC Driver Details. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159

Setting ODBC Translator Details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159

5 Your Installation on the Destination Computer . . . . 161

About System Requirements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162

Setting a Requirement on the System Requirements Page. . . . . . 162

Setting a Requirement by Creating a Launch Condition . . . . . . . . 164

Performing a System Search. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166

Searching For Files or Directories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166

Searching For Items in .INI Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169

Searching For a Registry Value. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171

Searching For a Previously-Installed Component . . . . . . . . . . . . 172

Setting Features for Installation Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174

6 Organizing Your Installation Into Releases . . . . . . . 177

About Releases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178

Creating a New Release. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178

Outputting a Multiple-Language Release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180

Customizing a Release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182

Customizing Properties for a Particular Release . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182

Customizing Summary Items for a Particular Release . . . . . . . . . 183

Defining a Feature Set for a Release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184

Sharing Settings Between Releases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184

Creating a Demo Release: An Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185

Setting Build Options for a Release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187

Creating a Clean Build . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190

Creating Web-Based Installations With WebDeploy . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193

The WebDeploy Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195

Tips for Creating an Efficient WebDeploy Installation . . . . . . . . . 196

Creating a WebDeploy Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196

Uploading a WebDeploy Installation to the Web . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198

Setting Up Media for Distribution. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201

Adding a Media Item . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202

Adding a Media Destination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204

Including Features and Components in Media Items . . . . . . . . . . 206

Sharing Media Settings Between Releases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207

Spanning an Installation Across Media and Sharing Media Size

Information: An Example. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208

6

CONTENTS

7 Advanced Installations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211

Adding a Digital Signature to Your Installation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212

Creating an Installation for Microsoft SMS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .213

Creating a .NET Installation When You Have the .NET Framework . . .214

Creating a .NET Installation Without the .NET Framework. . . . . . . . .215

Installing a Web Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217

Setting Up a Web Application Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .218

Setting Up a Virtual Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .219

Configuring a Microsoft SQL Server During Installation . . . . . . . . . . . 223

Setting SQL Connection Strings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .224

Specifying SQL Statements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225

Specifying Replacements in SQL Statements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .226

Importing .NET Framework Security Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228

MTS/COM+ Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231

Adding an MTS or COM+ Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .231

8 Mobile Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235

Pocket PC and Smartphone Installations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .236

How a Pocket PC or Smartphone Installation Works. . . . . . . . . . . 236

Processor and Platform Support for Pocket PC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237

Compiling a Pocket PC or Smartphone Installation. . . . . . . . . . . .238

Creating a Pocket PC or Smartphone Installation. . . . . . . . . . . . . 238

Palm OS Installations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .249

9 Translating an Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253

About the Languages Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254

Translating Your Installation Into Another Language. . . . . . . . . . . . . 255

Creating a Translated .MSI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .256

Creating a Language Transform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .257

Sharing Language Settings Between Releases. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .259

Removing a Language from Your Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .260

Defining and Translating Into Additional Languages . . . . . . . . . . . . .262

About the New Language Wizard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .263

Defining a New Language and Exporting All Text for Translation . . 264

Importing All Text Strings After Translation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .265

Importing All Text Strings With the New Language Wizard . . . . . .267

Translating Text Strings You’ve Added or Changed . . . . . . . . . . . . . .269

Translating Text Strings by Exporting to a File . . . . . . . . . . . . . .269

Translating Text Directly Without Exporting It. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .273

Resizing Buttons and Text Boxes After Translation . . . . . . . . . . . . . .276

7

CONTENTS

Using the Language Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277

Changing the Default Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277

About the Default Release Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279

About the Language Strings Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280

Keeping Track of Changed Text Strings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280

What Pre-Translated Languages Are Available? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282

Language IDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283

10Distributing Your Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285

Package Distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286

Copying an Installation to the Share Point Directory . . . . . . . . . . 286

Copying a Compiled Setup Program to the Network . . . . . . . . . . 288

Copying a Compiled Setup Program to an FTP Server . . . . . . . . . 288

Performing an Administrative Installation of a Windows Installer

Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290

Copying a Setup Program to Removable Media. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290

WiseUpdate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293

The WiseUpdate Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294

Using WiseUpdate in Your Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295

Using the WiseUpdate Client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303

WiseUpdate Tips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304

Troubleshooting WiseUpdate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306

11Upgrading Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307

Preparing for Software Updates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308

Step 1: Archive Shipping Version of .MSIs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308

Step 2: Determine the Form of the Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308

Step 3: Determine the Product Code and Product Version . . . . . . 310

Step 4: Check Installation With UpgradeSync . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310

Using UpgradeSync . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 312

Patches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315

What You Need to Create a Patch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315

Creating a Patch File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316

Specifying Previous Versions for Patches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320

Advanced Upgrade Version Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321

Upgrades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323

What You Need to Create an Upgrade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323

What is the Upgrade Code? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323

Creating an Upgrade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324

8

CONTENTS

12Working With Source Paths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327

Using Source Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328

Adding a Project to Source Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .329

Adding Files to Source Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331

Checking Files In. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332

Checking Files Out. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .332

Getting Latest Version of Files. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .333

Removing Files from Source Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .333

Undoing Check Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .333

Showing History of the Project File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334

Showing the Differences Between Project Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334

Comparing to Latest Installation in Source Control . . . . . . . . . . . 335

Defining Path Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337

Turning Path Variable Substitution On and Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . .338

Creating a User-Defined Path Variable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .338

Creating a Path Variable Based on an Environment Variable . . . . . 339

Creating a Path Variable Based on a Registry Value. . . . . . . . . . .340

Changing Source Paths in an Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342

Changing One Source Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .342

Changing Multiple Source Directories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .343

Converting to Relative Source File Paths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .344

Converting to UNC-Based Source File Paths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345

Changing the Source Directory Dynamically During Compile. . . . .346

Converting an .MSI to a .WSI File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349

Using the .MSI to .WSI Conversion Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .349

Specifying Merge Module Source Directories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351

Specifying File Source Directories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 353

13Merge Modules and Transforms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357

About Merge Modules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .358

Available Tabs and Pages in Merge Modules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .359

Creating a Merge Module by Creating a New Installation . . . . . . .359

Creating a Merge Module From Existing Components . . . . . . . . . . 365

Creating a Configurable Merge Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 366

About the Merge Modules Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .374

About Transforms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .380

Creating a Transform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .380

Setting Transform Details. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 382

Applying a Transform to an Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .383

9

CONTENTS

14Tools. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 385

ApplicationWatch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 388

Convert InstallShield Professional . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 390

Convert SMS Installer or WiseScript Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 392

Import Visual Studio Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 394

Importing an Installation From a Visual Studio Project . . . . . . . . 394

Package Validation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 398

Validating a Package . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 399

Customizing Validation Modules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 402

Predefined Validation Modules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 413

15Setup Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 415

About Setup Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 416

Product Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 418

Specifying Summary Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 418

Features Tab. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 420

About the Features Tree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 420

Working With Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 421

Components Icon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 422

Modules Icon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 423

Working With Items in the Combined Folder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 423

Components Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 434

About the Component Tree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 434

Component Errors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 435

Adding a Component. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 436

Editing a Component. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 438

Moving Items Between Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 439

About the Key Path . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 440

Isolating a .DLL With an .EXE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 440

Adding Published Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 441

10

Tables Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 443

Working With Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 444

Editing Binary Data in the Icon Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 449

Comparing Windows Installer Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 450

About Wise Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 451

CONTENTS

16Using Conditions and Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 455

Conditions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .456

Where Can You Use Conditions? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 456

Condition Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 459

Examples of Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .460

Creating Conditions Using Condition Builder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 461

Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 468

How Do You Use Properties? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .469

Creating a New Property . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .469

Build Properties. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .471

INI File Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .476

Runtime Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .479

17Working With Dialogs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 481

About Dialogs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .482

About the Wizard Dialogs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .482

Choosing Dialogs on the Dialogs Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .485

Changing the Theme of Your Dialogs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .485

Adding and Editing Dialog Themes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .486

Importing Text into License and Readme Dialogs . . . . . . . . . . . .487

About the Dialogs Tab. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 489

Turning Dialogs On or Off. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 489

Adding Controls to Dialogs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .489

Editing Dialog Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .490

Creating a New Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .491

Organizing and Aligning Controls in Dialogs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .492

About Dialog Controls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .495

Types of Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .495

Basic Control Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .497

Setting an Event on a Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .500

Assigning Help to a Control. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 501

Assigning Conditions to a Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 502

Setting the Graphic for a Control. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 502

Setting the Items in a Control. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 502

Adding Billboards to a Dialog. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .504

How Billboards Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .504

Creating a Billboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 505

Obtaining Logon Information From a Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 508

Adding the Logon Information Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 508

11

CONTENTS

18Macro Editor and OLE Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 511

About Macro Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 512

Manually Run Macros . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 513

Wise for Windows Installer Event Macros . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 515

Writing and Editing a Macro for a Wise for Windows Installer Event . .
515

About the Macro Editor Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 517

Macro Editor Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 518

Macro Editor Right-Click Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 519

OLE Automation for Wise for Windows Installer Functions . . . . . . . . 521

About Visual Basic Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 521

Function Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 522

Object Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 541

19Debugger for Windows Installer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 547

About the Debugger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 548

Parts of the Debugger Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 549

Rearranging the Debugger Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 550

Running the Debugger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 551

Setting and Clearing Debugger Breakpoints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 552

Evaluating Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 552

Working With Temporary Tables and Columns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 553

Searching For Text in Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 553

20Using MSI Script. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 555

The MSI Script Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 556

About MSI Script . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 557

About Installation Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 557

About Installation Sequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 561

Finding Text in MSI Script . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 562

Editing Sequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 564

Types of Actions in Sequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 564

About the Standard and Custom Tabs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 565

Adding and Editing Actions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 565

Commenting Out Script Lines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 566

Calling WiseScripts with Custom Actions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 567

WiseScript Editing Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 567

Examples of WiseScripts You Run From an .MSI . . . . . . . . . . . . . 568

12

CONTENTS

Guidelines for Using Custom Actions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .574

Tips on Custom Action Location. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 574

Tips on Custom Action Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 575

Tips for Running Install MSI Custom Actions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .576

Tips for Calling VBScripts and JScripts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .578

Tips on Calling .DLLs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 578

Launching a Custom Action from a Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .581

Custom Actions That Are Added Automatically. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 582

Troubleshooting: When Custom Actions Don’t Work . . . . . . . . . . . . .584

21Custom Action Reference. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 585

Call Custom DLL From Destination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 585

Call Custom DLL From Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .587

Call Custom DLL From Installed Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .588

Configuring .DLL Parameter Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .589

Call DLL From Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 590

Call DLL From Installed Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .591

Call JScript From Embedded Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .592

Call JScript From Installation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .593

Call JScript From Installed Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 594

Call JScript From Property. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .595

Call VBScript From Embedded Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .596

Call VBScript From Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 597

Call VBScript From Installed Files. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 598

Call VBScript From Property . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .599

Display Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 600

Download File From Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 601

End Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .602

Execute Program From Destination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .602

Execute Program From Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .603

Execute Program From Installed Files. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 604

Execute Program From Path . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 605

If Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 605

Install MSI From Destination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .606

Install MSI From Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 607

Install MSI From Relative Path. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 608

Launch Web Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .610

Open Document From Installed Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 610

Pause Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .610

13

CONTENTS

Post Data to HTTP Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 611

Remark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 612

Run WiseScript From Destination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 612

Run WiseScript From Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 613

Run WiseScript From Installed Files. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 615

Set Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 616

Set Feature State . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 617

Set Property . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 618

Terminate Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 618

Using the Custom Action Location Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 620

Using the Custom Action Location Tab for Merge Modules. . . . . . . . . 621

Using the Custom Action Properties Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 623

22Windows Installer and .NET Technologies. . . . . . . . 627

About Microsoft Windows Installer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 628

Frequently Asked Questions About Microsoft Windows Installer . . 628

Working With Components and Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 631

About GUIDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 631

About Microsoft .NET Technology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 633

Microsoft .NET FAQs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 633

Requirements for Creating a .NET Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 636

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 639

14

Chapter 1

Welcome

Wise for Windows Installer is an installation development system for
creating and editing Windows® Installer (.MSI) installation packages. It is
a complete and user-friendly front end for generating Windows Installer
database files, which are executed by the Windows Installer engine. With
Wise for Windows Installer, you can create installations that are compliant
with Microsoft’s Windows 2000 logo program. Use Wise for Windows
Installer to edit and refine installations that you’ve converted from other
formats, and use it to import development projects.

Microsoft® Windows® Installer is a Microsoft technology that provides a
standard installation engine that can be used for the installation of any 32­bit or 64-bit Windows software product. It resides on the destination
computer and performs the installation of applications. Windows Installer
technology provides developers with features not currently available in
traditional installation-building products.

Topics in this section cover:

! Documentation Roadmap.

! Getting Help and Product Support.

! How to Check Online Help.

! Getting Updates Over the Web.

15

1: WELCOME

Documentation Roadmap

The Wise for Windows Installer Reference Manual, online help, and Getting
Started Guide assume that you are proficient in the use of the Windows

operating system. If you need help using the operating system, consult its
user documentation.

Wise for Windows Installer often provides multiple ways to accomplish a
task. In some cases, you can use the main menu, the right-click menu, or
a toolbar, or you can press a key combination, but instructions in this
documentation generally include only the most convenient method. If you
are most comfortable with a particular method, check the right-click menu,
the main menu, and the toolbar to learn the options available to you.

To learn about Wise for Windows Installer, see the following:

! Reference Manual. The reference manual is available in .PDF format

from the Help menu. It contains detailed technical information and step­by-step instructions for performing common tasks. The Wise for
Windows Installer reference material consists of two reference manuals:
Wise for Windows Installer and WiseScript Editor. The Enterprise Edition
also includes a Software Manager reference manual. They contain
detailed technical information and step-by-step instructions for
performing common tasks. Each reference manual is available in .PDF
format from the individual product’s Help menu; select Reference
Manual. Printed manuals are available from Wise Solutions for a fee; see

Contact Wise Solutions Sales on page 19.

! Online Help. All the material in the reference manual is also available

in the online help system. To access the contents, index, and search
functions, select Help Topics from the Help menu. To access context­sensitive help, press the F1 key from any place in the product, and you
will see help that describes the part of the product that you are in.

! Getting Started Guide. The printed Getting Started Guide contains

system requirements, installation instructions, and a tutorial. You can
access a .PDF copy of the Getting Started Guide from the Help menu in
Wise for Windows Installer.

! Windows Installer SDK Help. You can access the online help for

Windows Installer by selecting Windows Installer SDK Help from the
Help menu within Wise for Windows Installer. This gives you access to
the developer documentation for Windows Installer, which is written by
Microsoft. Because Wise for Windows Installer is a front end for
Windows Installer, you can get more technical details about the way
Windows Installer works from its own help system. Also, the reference
manual and online help for Wise for Windows Installer often refer you to
the Windows Installer SDK Help for more details.

16

DOCUMENTATION ROADMAP

! Release Notes. You can access the product release notes by selecting

Release Notes from the Help menu. The release notes document, which
is in HTML format, lists new features, enhancements, bug fixes, and
known issues for the current version. It also links you to release notes
for previous product versions.

17

1: WELCOME

Getting Help and Product Support

Wise Solutions offers many resources to help you use our products. You
can search the product help or reference manual .PDF for answers, or you
can use one of the many support resources available to you as a registered
Wise Solutions customer.

Check Online Help

Press the F1 key to display a help window for the active page or dialog. You
can get help on most windows and dialogs in the product. Select Help
Topics from the Help menu to see all the information in the Reference
Manual presented on-screen.

Select other commands from the Help menu to view information on using
help, to view the Windows Installer SDK Help, to view the .PDF-format
Reference Manual, to view resources on the Web, or to upgrade to the
latest point release.

If you need help and cannot find the answer in the documentation, read
about our technical support options below.

Use the Wise Solutions Technical Support Center

Registered Wise customers can use the Technical Support Center, located
at support.wise.com, to access a wide array of technical support services.
At this Web site, you can submit online support requests, register products,
manage customer information, download updates, or search the
Knowledgebase. The Knowledgebase contains how-to procedures, answers
to common support questions, and workarounds.

Visit Our Newsgroups

Visit Wise Newsgroups by visiting www.wise.com/newsgroups.asp.
Newsgroup postings by fellow administrators contain answers, tips,
analysis, and other comments. Contribute your own expertise to help
others.

Subscribe to TechInfo

TechInfo is a free monthly e-mail newsletter that contains technical tips,
product updates, and other important technical information. To subscribe
or to read back issues, check the Support section at www.wise.com.

Ask Our Support Team

18

If you can’t find an answer in our online resources, Wise Solutions offers
flexible payment options to meet your support needs. You can obtain
support by phone or online at support.wise.com. For additional details
about our support services, see www.wise.com/supportoptions.asp or call

GETTING HELP AND PRODUCT SUPPORT

1-734-456-2600. Before you contact technical support, make sure you
have the following:

! Serial number and product version, which you can find by selecting

About... from the Help menu.

! Operating system version and service pack version if applicable.

! A description of what you do before the problem occurs.

! Your name, company name, and how to contact you.

! Contract number or payment information, if applicable.

Take Advantage of our Consulting and Training Services

When you have a challenging repackaging or installation problem, turn to
Wise Solutions for help. We put our expertise to work for you with script
writing, repackaging, installation development, and more. Upgrade your
personnel’s skills with one of our many training classes; check our Web site
(www.wise.com) for the schedule in your area. Our Web site also lists
consulting services that you can obtain for your company. Our solutions are
fully customizable to fit your project and budget.

Contact Wise Solutions Sales

Contact Wise Solutions’ Sales department to purchase additional products,
upgrades, support services, or consulting and training services.

U.S.: 1-800-554-8565

Europe/Netherlands: [phone]

Other International: 734-456-2100 (in U.S.)

Web Site: http://www.wise.com/ordercentermain.asp

19

1: WELCOME

Getting Updates Over the Web

The Check for Updates command on the Help menu provides an easy way
to get the latest version of Wise for Windows Installer using your active
Internet connection. Minor point releases (x.01, x.02, and so on) are
generally free, while major number releases generally incur an upgrade
fee. Point releases generally contain maintenance updates such as bug
fixes and minor feature additions.

To check for updates:

1. Connect to the Internet.

2. In Wise for Windows Installer, select Check for Updates from the Help
menu.

You are connected to the Product Updates page of the Wise Solutions
Web site.

• If you have not registered this product, follow the screen prompts to

register. After you complete the registration, go to the Support page,
click the link to the Download Center, and click the link to the
Updates page.

• If you have registered this product, you are connected to the

Updates page.

3. Follow the instructions on the Web page to download the appropriate
update.

" Note:

Wise for Windows Installer can remind you to check for updates. On the General
tab of the Preferences dialog, select an option in the Check for Updates drop­down list. This sets the frequency at which you want to be reminded to check for
updates.

20

Chapter 2

Wise for Windows Installer Basics

Read this overview before creating your first installation. It contains
information on getting started with Wise for Windows Installer. Topics
cover:

! Wise for Windows Installer Editions.

! Options for New Installations.

! File Types.

! Project Files and Database Files.

! Specifying the Target Platform.

! Using Installation Expert.

! Compiling, Testing, and Running Your Installation.

! Using the Task List.

! Creating and Editing Installation Templates.

! Setting Preferences.

! Component Rules.

! Where are Installation Resources Stored?

! Using the Enterprise Edition.

! Downloading Redistributable Files such as merge modules and Windows

Installer and .NET runtimes.

! Command Line Options.

! Automating the Build Process.

21

2: WISE FOR WINDOWS INSTALLER BASICS

Wise for Windows Installer Editions

Wise for Windows Installer is available in three editions, each designed to
fulfill the needs of a particular type of user. The version you purchase
determines what features are available to you.

! Enterprise Edition is a Windows Installer® and .NET authoring tool that

supports organizations that develop multiple software applications
which share common resources. It helps professional developers create
installations that adhere to their organization’s standards, thereby
decreasing the risk of deployment errors.

! Professional Edition is a Windows Installer® and .NET authoring tool

designed for professional software developers who want to create
installations for the next generation of applications, including desktop,
server, Web, and mobile devices.

! Standard Edition is an installation authoring tool designed for

professional software developers who want basic but robust support for
creating Windows Installer® and .NET installations.

The following table, which intentionally does not mention all features, only
summarizes the differences between each edition. If a particular feature is
not listed, then it is included in all product editions. For a more
comprehensive list of all features, refer to the Products section of the Wise
Solutions Web site (www.wise.com). For a list of new features and
enhancements in the current release, refer to the Release Notes, which are
in an HTML file available from the Help menu.

Feature Std Pro Ent

General

Specify the target platform for an installation X X

Create configurable merge modules X X

Macro Editor XX

OLE Automation XX

User-defined tasks X

Use merge modules from the Wise Software Repository X

Enable the Logon Information dialog to configure server software after
installation to run under a particular user

XX

Debugger for Windows Installer X X

WiseScript Express XXX

Preferences

22

WISE FOR WINDOWS INSTALLER EDITIONS

Feature Std Pro Ent

Repository settings X

Sharing Installation Resources

Share installation resources in the share point directory X

Distribute to the share point directory X

View resources shared by other applications X

Shared Resource Reports in Wise for Windows Installer X

Installation Expert Pages

.NET Framework Security page X X

Clean Build page XX

Mobile Devices page XX

MTS/COM+ page XX

SQL Server Scripts page X X

Virtual Directories page and ability to install Web applications X X

WebDeploy page XX

WiseUpdate page XX

Tools

Patch Creation tool and patch support X X X

Software Manager X

Upgrade Sync XXX

Package Validation tool

Turn individual rules on and off X X

Create a new validation module (.CUB file) X

Create new validation rules X

23

2: WISE FOR WINDOWS INSTALLER BASICS

Options for New Installations

When you create a new installation, you first choose what kind of
installation you want to create. The New Installation File dialog shows
several options, each of which starts an installation in a different way. You
can create new files either in Windows Installer database format (.MSI/
.MSM) or in Wise’s project format (.WSI/.WSM). Some options let you start
a new installation by using a tool, such as Palm Application, and some let
you create different kinds of Windows Installer installations from
templates.

! Predefined Templates. Templates created by Wise Solutions.

• Windows Application. See Starting a New Installation on page 85.

• Web Application. See Setting Up a Web Application Installation on

page 218.

• Server Application. See Obtaining Logon Information From a

Dialog on page 508. Installations created from this template work

only on Windows NT, Windows 2000, or Windows XP.

• Pocket PC Application. See Creating a Pocket PC or Smartphone

Installation on page 238.

• Palm Application. See Palm OS Installations on page 249.

• Smartphone Application. See Creating a Pocket PC or

Smartphone Installation on page 238.

! Custom Templates. If you make your own templates, they appear

under this category. See Creating and Editing Installation Templates on
page 44.

! Other Templates.

• Merge Module. See Creating a Merge Module by Creating a New

Installation on page 359.

• Transform. See Creating a Transform Based on an Existing .MSI on

page 381.

! Conversion Tools. Templates that open wizards to convert installations

from other formats.

• SMS Installer or WiseScript Installation. See Convert SMS

Installer or WiseScript Installation on page 392.

• InstallShield Professional. See Convert InstallShield Professional

on page 390.

24

OPTIONS FOR NEW INSTALLATIONS

! Import Tools. The following tools import a development project file

into an installation. Target file information is extracted from the project
file and added to the installation. See Import Visual Studio Projects on
page 394.

• Visual Basic.

• Visual C#.

• Visual J#.

When you choose an option above, you can also choose the format of the
file:

! Create standard .MSI or .MSM file that contains all binary and

cabinet files. Mark this option to create a new Windows Installer
installation file. Because the installation file generally encapsulates all
the files of the installation, an .MSI is usually larger in size and takes
longer to save. Also, some options that determine the output of an .MSI
file are not available if you choose to work with the .MSI file itself. To
create a project file that contains instructions for compiling the .MSI or
.MSM file, select the option below.

! Create .WSI or .WSM project file that can be compiled into an

.MSI or .MSM. Mark this option to create a project file instead of a
installation file. Unlike .MSI files, project files are NOT installation files
that can be distributed; they describe and compile to a distributable
.MSI file. Working in a project file lets you edit and save the .WSI file
quickly and gives you more options for outputting the .MSI file. A .WSI
file compiles to an .MSI file, and a .WSM file compiles a .MSM file
(merge module).

The Target Platform section appears if the Prompt for target platform
option is marked in the Target Platform tab of the Preferences dialog. For
information about 64-bit installations, see What’s Different in a 64-Bit

Installation? on page 30.

! Create installation for 32-bit platform enables the installation for

32-bit platforms.

! Create installation for 64-bit platform enables the installation for

64-bit platforms.

25

2: WISE FOR WINDOWS INSTALLER BASICS

File Types

Wise for Windows Installer lets you create and edit different types of
Windows Installer database files, which can be executed by the Windows
Installer software. You can either create and edit the actual Windows
Installer database file, or create and edit a project file that contains
instructions for compiling the Windows Installer database file; see Project

Files and Database Files on page 28. There are distinct file types for

standard installation database files, merge modules, patch files, and
transforms. Each extension is described below.

Extension Description

.MSI Windows Installer file. An .MSI is a distributable Windows Installer

installation package file. The .MSI file extension is associated with the
Windows Installer executable, MSIExec.EXE. When a file with this
extension is opened on a destination computer, the Windows Installer
software executes it, thereby installing an application. You can open and
edit .MSI files in Wise for Windows Installer; however, because you are
already working in an .MSI file, options that have to do with creating an
.MSI file, such as those on the Releases, Release Settings, and Media
page, are disabled. You can convert an .MSI to a project file (.WSI); see

Converting an .MSI to a .WSI File on page 349.

.WSI Wise for Windows Installer project file. A project file stores a description

of a Windows Installer installation package (.MSI file), and is in the same
format as an .MSI file. The .WSI file extension is unique to Wise for
Windows Installer. You can open the .WSI file in Wise for Windows
Installer and click the Compile button to create the corresponding .MSI
file. The advantages of working in a .WSI file instead of directly editing an
.MSI file are that the .WSI file is smaller in size, and that you can set
multiple options for the output of the .MSI file.

.MSM Windows Installer merge module. Merge modules are pre-compiled

libraries of components (files, registry changes, and other system
changes) that install a discrete portion of your application. They cannot
be run alone, but must be merged with a Windows Installer database
(.MSI). Merge modules give you flexibility in developing installations
because you can break the installation of your application into logical
parts and share merge modules between projects. See About Merge

Modules on page 358.

26

FILE TYPES

Extension Description

.WSM Windows Installer merge module project file. This file extension is unique

to Wise for Windows Installer. It is a project file that stores a description
of a Windows Installer merge module (.MSM), but does not store the
merge module contents. You can open the .WSM file in Wise for Windows
Installer and click the Compile button to create the corresponding .MSM
file. See About Merge Modules on page 358.

.MST Windows Installer transform file. A transform changes a Windows

Installer package at runtime, and must be applied from the command
line. See About Transforms on page 380.

.MSP Windows Installer patch. A patch is a small update that only updates an

existing installed application. Patch installations contain only the
differences between the old and new versions of an application. You
create a patch installation by using the Patch Creation tool. This creates
an .MSP file that you distribute to end users. See Patches on page 315.

.PCP Windows Installer patch creation project file. Contains the settings and

other information necessary to compile a Windows Installer patch. When
you use the Patch Creation tool to create a patch, a patch creation project
file is created for you automatically. See Patches on page 315.

.EXE You can choose to have the .MSI file wrapped inside an .EXE file. Doing so

gives you the option of pre-installing the Windows Installer database
engine before performing your own installation. If there is a possibility
that the Windows Installer database engine is not on the destination
computer, then use this option because your .MSI file cannot run if the
Windows Installer database engine is not installed. See Setting Build

Options for a Release on page 187 for more information.

27

2: WISE FOR WINDOWS INSTALLER BASICS

Project Files and Database Files

In most cases, the setup program that you distribute will be an .MSI file.
Windows Installer operates on .MSI files, which are a type of relational
database that stores installation information and files in tables. See About

Microsoft Windows Installer on page 628.

On the Build Options page (see Setting Build Options for a Release on
page 187) or on the Media page (see Setting Up Media for Distribution on
page 201), you can specify to output an installation in different ways:

! As a single-file .MSI, which contains compressed installation files.

! As an .MSI file that has external compressed .CAB files.

! As an .MSI file that has external uncompressed files.

! As an .EXE file that contains the .MSI and installation files. This method

provides the ability to pre-install Windows Installer or other runtimes.

When you create an installation, you can choose to work either in a .WSI
(project) file or an .MSI file. The same applies to merge modules; work in a
merge module (.MSM) file or a Wise merge module project (.WSM) file.

How are
installation files/
paths stored?

Can you create
releases?

If you work in .WSI or .WSM
(Wise project)

Externally. The project contains
paths to the installation files. During
compile, they are compiled into the
resulting .MSI or .EXE.

Yes. Use the Releases page and
other pages under Release Definition
in Installation Expert.

If you work in .MSI or .MSM
(Windows Installer database)

Inside the database file. Files are
refreshed from disk unless you
mark the Don’t update or
recompress files ... option on the
Product Details page

No. Because you are already
working in the final output file,
options for multiple output files are
disabled, which includes all pages
under the Release Definitions page
group in Installation Expert.

28

PROJECT FILES AND DATABASE FILES

Compiling does
what?

Can you switch
from working on
one file type to
the other?

If you work in .WSI or .WSM
(Wise project)

Reads the project information and
compiles a database file, which
contains installation files.

You can switch from working in a
project file to working in a database
file by compiling the project,
opening the resulting database file,
and continuing further development
in the database file. However, an
.MSI file created by compiling a
.WSI does not contain file paths; it
contains only the files themselves.
Therefore, any files added prior to
the switch will not be refreshed from
disk because they have no file path.
Only those files you add after the
switch contain file paths and are
refreshed from disk.

If you work in .MSI or .MSM
(Windows Installer database)

Refreshes installation files from disk
unless the Don’t update or
recompress files ... option is
marked on the Product Details
page.

Use the MSI to WSI Conversion tool
(see Converting an .MSI to a .WSI

File on page 349) to convert an

.MSI to a .WSI. It extracts
installation files from an .MSI,
saves them to disk at the locations
you specify, and creates a .WSI file
that points to those files.

29

2: WISE FOR WINDOWS INSTALLER BASICS

Specifying the Target Platform

Professional and Enterprise Editions only.

#

By default, installations you create are for 32-bit platforms. You can also
create an installation for a 64-bit installation using the Preferences dialog;
see Setting the Target Platform on page 56.

" Note:

64-bit installations are supported only by Windows Installer 2.0 or higher.

To create a 64-bit installation:

1. Select Preferences from the Edit menu. The Preferences dialog appears.

2. On the Target Platform tab, do one of the following:

• If you want all future installations to be 64-bit, mark the Default to

64-bit... option.

• If you want to determine the target platform for each new

installation you create, mark the Select platform in New
Installation File dialog option.

3. Close the Preferences dialog.

4. From the File menu, select New. The New Installation File dialog
appears. It contains a Target Platform section if you marked the Select
platform... checkbox.

5. If you see a Target Platform section, mark the 64-bit... option and click
OK. Otherwise a 64-bit installation is created automatically.

What’s Different in a 64-Bit Installation?

# Professional and Enterprise Editions only.

A 64-bit installation file differs from a 32-bit installation in the following
ways:

! The minimum version of Windows Installer is set to 2.00. This is located

in the Installer Version field on the General Information page in
Installation Expert. You should not change this value in a 64-bit
installation, because 64-bit installations are not supported by Windows
Installer versions lower than 2.0.

30