AdminStudio Newbie needs help...

[bjaber]

Hi everyone,

I've used AdminStudio 5 to create an MSI of our software package but the newest version of our client software is a bit more difficult to convert. I'm hoping I can get some help from you all. 🙂

The new client does the following (in order):

1 Install Files
2 Installs desktop/startmenu Shortucts
3 register COM object DLL (regsvr32 /s dllname)
4 Install 802.1x driver (exe call) ** see below
5 Check Driver install successful ** see below
6 GINA Install (only on prelogon-enabled clients) ** see below

Items 1 and 2 are no brainer (that's all that our previous client did), but 3 through 6 are what I'm having problems with. The installer needs to pause and run the regsvr32 command to silently register a DLL (inputs over 400 registry entries). I don't want to capture these registry changes to the MSI as these are COMserver entries which may have different ID's when registered on various OS's and PC's. The uninstaller needs to run the regsvr32 /u command to de-register the DLL. Need help here in how to "pause, register, then resume" the MSI package install.

The 802.1x driver install is two part. There are two EXE's which handle the silent install, but one is for NT/2K/XP and the other for 9x. I need to do an OS version check and run the appropriate one (not sure how to do this... custom action? need help here)

Item 5 is to check for proper 802.1x driver installation. I can get more details on this later...not my priority right now.

Item 6 is a no brainer...I can handle that one.

I do have a SETUP.RUL file from the currect InstallShield Professional 6.1 platform where we have this installer currently in EXE form, but in conversion to MSI, I'm not sure if the RUL file can be used there to. (I'm too new at AdminStudio advanced techniques to figure this out on my own).

I need help with items 3 and 4 above. Hoping you can help me with them. Please feel free to contact me at bjaber@ipass.com

I am registered to take two classes with InstallShield in August and September, but I was hoping to get some help on this before then.

Thanks much!
--Basim

[RajeshTammana]

MSI provides a solution to solve problems like you are having with Custom actions. Essentially using a custom action you can launch the funtions in any exe or dlls.

So in your case you would create custom actions to register and unregister and sequence them to run during install and Uninstall.

Since you want to pass the install until the COM files are registered, when you create custom action you will have to specify that custom action type as synchronous. Actually this is the default type.

When you create this custom action, you can specify the target exe file name in various ways. Pls. refer to MSI Help for that. You would want to pass the dll name as an input parameter to this custom action launching regsvr32.exe.

You have to schedule this custom action as a deferred custom action and schedule it to be launched after InstallFiles action.