isrepackager error during capture

[CChong]

I am trying to create a repackage snapshot using admin studio 3.5. I have a win 2 k system with sp2 I am using as a "clean" install (the sp is installed by way of slipstream when the OS is installed)

Everything appears to work properly when I run the isrepackager.exe from a mapped drive. I use the "snapshot->single step" approach. The initial capture works fine. The install works fine. The post install capture (after pressing "process") runs well up until the file copy portion. Then I get the error "error copying file '{capturePath}\SYSTEMFOLDER\config\software.' " I select "yes" to continue anyway.

I get two such errors. Error one is complaining about a file that the repackager can not find on my target save data path "{x}\SYSTEMFOLDER\config\software." Error two is complaining about a file not found in the same path "{x}\SYSTEMFOLDER\config\software.LOG"

I then try running InstallShield Developer - AdminStudio Edition v8 on the output *.inc file. The Developer 8 build process then suffers 3 errors. The first 2 errors were resolved by one of your technotes regarding the "Generate File Hash Values". I am unable to resolve the final error 1501 even with the help of Q107151. I would feel better about spending more time on the 1501 error if I could get the repackager to complete without errors first.

In the repack.log file there is a path reference to a UNC path.

11:13:22 E Warning (Module:Main, Severity:0x02): Couldn't get short pathname of \\{UNC\shareName}\snapshot\program\Net_Inst.nid

I have no idea WHY there is a UNC path, but strangely enough that UNC path would be the proper path if I translated the mapped drive letter to a UNC.... I am running the isrepackager.exe from the same mapped drive that I am saving my output:

example paths:
\\server\shareName\snapshot\program\isrepackager.exe
X:\snapshot\program\isrepackager.exe
X:\snapshot\{capture name} <- repackager saves data here
Y:\install\{software installer.exe}

From the dos command line I run the isrepackager.exe as follows:
X:\snapshot\program>isrepackager.exe

I then use the default.ini, and point the repackager to the install.exe I wish to repackage.

I searched for the file "Net_Inst.nid" in the .\Program Files\InstallShiled\ folder but found nothing. Obviously I was not able to copy it to my .\snapshot\program\ folder if it never existed in the InstallShield directory....

Any suggestions ?

Regards,
cm

[praveenl]

Anything under %SystemFolder%\Config should have been excluded. Make sure your exclusion list have this entry. If not then I suggest you add them in the list and repackage again. These files should'nt have been repackaged.

Hope that helps

[CChong]

Now are you referring to a InstallShield variable %systemFolder% or do you mean the actual environment variable %SystemROOT% On windows 2000 (and XP I think) the system environment variables are named %systemRoot%.....

On a windows 2000 machine
C:\>echo %systemFolder%
C:\>%systemFolder%
C:\>echo %systemRoot%
C:\>C:\WINNT

Im not sure if InstallShield uses their own custom variable naming system for this exclude thing.... Anyway here are some other things I tried (and faild at)

Since I never modified the file exclusions (or any of the exclusions for that matter) I tried the "deafult.ini" again - no luck. I copied the default.ini from my "real" PC (where AdminStudio is installed) to the network drive that the capture machine maps/reads from - still no luck. I looked in the default.ini, but %systemFolder%\config=* was nowhere to be found.

I used the "AnalysisOptions.exe" to creat a "new_default.ini" and then went to the file tab and pressed the "use default settings". I did this for all tabs that have "use default settings". The AnalysisOptions.exe generated the following file options:

[File-Excludes]
%RecentFolder%=*|UsrClass.dat
=*
%RepackagerFolder%=*
%WindowsFolder%\TEMP=*
*=.BAK|.~??|386*.par|.DA0|.LOG|.GID|LOG.TXT|MSCREATE.DIR|NTUSER.DAT|Software|.TBB|.SWP|.FOT|pagefile.sys|.dmp|NIIPCONFIG.CFG
%WindowsFolder%=USER.DAT|SYSTEM.DAT|.PAR|SHELLICONCACHE|.SWP|ttfCache|.grp|.reg|.PWL|.ncp
%SystemFolder%\CONFIG=*
%TempFolder%=*
%SystemFolder%\DRIVERS\ETC=services|protocol|networks|hosts

This appears to be quite a few lines smaller than the original "default.ini" so I am confused by the disparity between the "default.ini" and the "use default settings".

The snapshot using THAT "new_default.ini" file produced even more errors (NTUSER.DAT and some other file - I think the SAM database) %WindowsFolder% is also NOT a valid windows 2000 environment variable.... %userprofile% is though.

Should I try manually editing the new_default.ini file and placing %systemROOT% and %userProfile% in place of %systemFolder% and %WindowsFolder% ? Or are %SystemFolder% and %WindowsFolder% Installshield specific variables that have no relation to the actual OS environment variables ? If that is the case, then what do I need to try instead because as you can see from the ini file snippit above, %SystemFolder%\CONFIG=* is in the ini file and I still get the same errors.

Regards,
cm

[praveenl]

The '%SystemFolder%' from the default.ini is windows systems directory and not the actual environment variable.
i.e. C:\WINNT\system32 on Windows 2000 and C:\Windows\system32 on XP. Now its highly unusual that %SystemFolder%\config=* is missing from your default.ini. Launch the Analysis Options editor, go to the File/ Open menu and click InstallShield Settings. This will load the original default.ini as shipped. Click the Edit Exclusion List button in the Files tab. This launches the dialog which lists all the paths excluded from repackaging. You should see C:\WINNT\system32\config in the path. If you used a different configuration file then make sure the directory in question is excluded as explained above. During the repackaging process, make sure you use the appropriate configuration file. In the Repackager Wizard, the 'Ready to Repackage' panel has the 'Select a configuration' section that displays complete path to the configuration file. The repackaging wizard will use this file to perform any exclusions.

Thanks