best path to "update" an MSI?

[prostetnic]

Ok, I have deployed a repackaged app, it works perfectly. Now i have an update for this app. I have repackaged the entire app again with the update, and also just the differences (hopefully).

my question is, which is the best method of doing this? I want to update the msi on the machine as it has several 200mb+ databases in the app, and none of these is updated.

Should i create the difference msi with the same product code and run there? should i create the whole package with the same product code?

should i create a patch package (for gods sake tell me i dont have to do that manually as it appears) and apply that to the original msi?

I cant really find any good informations on this, all i find is "patch package is beyond the scope of this book" nice one bob baker...

I have the following books as well as online help etc:

Admin guide to repackaging and deployement (baker dickau)
Getting started with installshield and installer setups (baker)
official installshield for windows installer developers guide (baker)

Can anyone point me to a step by step or at least some useful info?

[prostetnic]

right i have just spent a few minutes in the developer forum and the general feeling there is upgrades(major/minor) are the best way to go.

However, according to everything i have read i must alter the package manually for all the files? there are a little over 700 altered files and registry settings??? Can i repackage the whole new thing, give it the same name as before, a different product code and give it the product code of the previous application as upgrade info? I think this is how it should be done (unless i completely misunderstood)

man this is confusing stuff today...

[looeee]

To me, it sounds like you need to apply a Minor upgrade through patching.

Repackage from scratch
maintain the same productcode
up the ProductVersion property
Use ConflictSolver to make sure that your component codes match from the old version to the new one (very important for minor upgrades)
you should then be able to make a patch which represents the differences in the packages

looeee