Repackage Questions about ADD/REMOVE and Best Practice

[drose23]

I'm testing out the Admin Studio 11.5 Repackaging software, running from a UNC share. Works great, have two minor questions:

1. When I repackage applications, such as Mozilla Firefox 16.0.2, it creates a second entry in ADD/REMOVE programs. Further, it also creates an additional entry within HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall. Looking at the .irp file, I can modify the Package Information under Repackaged Output - but even if I blank that out, it creates a generic entry. If you uninstall either, it removes the other, but I can see this causing a fair amount of confusion

2. Any guidelines on how best to interpret files/settings to keep that are captured? Things I have read to this point:

-Don't include log files
-Exclude items with Cryptnet/Crypto/Cache in them
-Exclude all contents for HKCU whenever possible
-Exclude MUICACHE, MRU, CACHE items

Any other best practice approaches are appreciated, thanks

[Mistral]

Exclude
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall
keys 😉

[drose23]

Thanks, that worked with duplicates. It looks like it removes the vendor provided entry, and adds the custom MSI entry, but I can work with that.

Thanks again for the tip!

[Mistral]

drose23 wrote:
Thanks, that worked with duplicates. It looks like it removes the vendor provided entry, and adds the custom MSI entry, but I can work with that.

Thanks again for the tip!

As you _repackage_ the installation, the (former) vendor uninstall information is invalid and will often not even work anymore. You have to exclude it. The MSI uninstall information is not custom ... its real _now_.

It is much more than "can work with that", it's the way it works 🙂

[drose23]

Yes, thank you. I think the next big challenge is how you manage that moving forward. While Firefox may not be the best example, I'd assume other vendors have product codes for their own installations built in to look for uninstalls. Will have to see how that impacts things and monitor moving forward.

Thanks again for your help

[Mistral]

If it has a ProductCode already, you are repackaging an MSI (maybe included in a setup.exe bootstrapper).

Do not repackage MSIs ... try to extract and transform them.

[drose23]

Right, great point. Thanks again!