Self Healing - OCX and version changes

[brolly33]

The scenario:

Install application yyy with an MSI. The shortcut to yyy.exe is an advertised shortcut. The file xxx.ocx is installed as version 2.0.0.0 and is the key file for the MSI component xxx.ocx and in the same feature as yyy.exe.

If I delete xxx.ocx - MSI self heals and puts 2.0.0.0 back in place.

If I manually replace xxx.ocx with version 1.0.0.0 - I launch yyy.exe from the advertised shortcut and the application is broken - no self healing. If I later run an MSI Repair it will restore xxx.ocx version 2.0.0.0

If I manually replace xxx.ocx with version 3.0.0.0 - I launch yyy.exe from the advertised shortcut and the application is broken - no self healing. If I later run an MSI Repair it will restore xxx.ocx version 2.0.0.0

Isn't a back level version (1.0.0.0) supposed to self heal when running the application from it's advertised shortcut?

Why is this not self healing?

I am guess I am looking for a detailed explanation of exactly how self healing works and what will trigger it.

Thanks,

John

[CChong]

hey
can u plz tell me the process to self healing a msi. iam tryign it but end up with errors

Thanks in advance

[brolly33]

I never did get anyone to pipe in with a good link for how self healing works with MSI.

I can tell you what I have found out. To enable self healing for your MSI installed application you have the MSI create a shortcut to the executable that is an Advertised shortcut. You also must have components that have Key files. These are the files that will be checked when your application is launched using that advertised shortcut.


When you launch your application from this advertised shortcut it performs a quick health check on your .exe and the supporting Key files. Unfortunatly, it does not appear that this quick health check performs version checking on the key files.

If any key files are missing then the MSI launches a full mainenance/repair function, just as if you had gone to add/remove programs and asked for a repair. This repair does full version checking on all your key files and will repair any that are the wrong version.

That is the best I can do for you. Perhaps some of the more experienced MSI jockeys can chime in with more supporting details or corrections to my findings.

Thanks,

John