msi properties and AD GPO deployment

[dynamox]

Hello guys/girls. I have a question. We have a few Msi's that when deployed via GPO do not require to run the mini setup when run for the first time, other msi's have to go through the mini setup first and only then the applications open. Is it an option that can be set in my Basic msi project?

Another question is just cosmetic, is it possible to change the color of the progress bar during the install?


Thanks

[MHagen]

Dynamox,

Thank you for your question regarding GPOs and setups. You can use InstallShield Tuner to determine if your application is published or assigned, but you may also use the Group Policy Editor to make changes to the GPO directly.

Regarding the progress bar, I found a couple of items that might get you started. From the InstallShield knowledge base, article Q105794 discusses using a custom DLL or VB Script to do the job. I also found this link:

http://www.installshield.com/downloads/isd/tm/ISDevCh7.pdf

Hope this helps.

[nicholas_ong]

By "mini setup" I assume that you meant Self-Healing. If you are assigning an msi and it requires current user settings to function, the package will self-heal when run the first time by the user.

If you are publishing the msi to the users and the application self-heals, this may be a sign of a broken component somewhere in the msi package.

In either cases, look in the application log in the event viewer for error logs. They will give you a detailed description of the components that were missing during run-time.

[dynamox]

Thank you for your input guys. We assign our applications. For example let's take Office 2000. I use data1.msi , which is the original msi from Microsoft. I create a GPO, select this msi and select assign. My computer joins active directory, the applications gets loaded. I login as Administrator and run ..let's say Microsoft Word, windows installer windows appears and runs for about 15-20 seconds, then Word opens up. After then if i click on Excel or PowerPoint they open up right away. Another application from Cognos Impormtu, when assigned and deploy the same way, does not go through this mini setup/self healing process. It jsut opens.

Thanks for your help guys.

[nicholas_ong]

That is correct, Office does require certain user settings and they get loaded by virtue of the installer service recognizing that the key path or key file is missing from a component. That component being part of the user profile (registry/directory). If you look in the application log, you will find warnings or errors under the msiinstaller source.

[dynamox]

Thank you for this info nicholas_ong. My application does not install any user profile related settings/registry entries. Am i understanding you correctly that each component in my msi should have at least one key file? If i run my msi after AD GPO install and look in the even view i should see the error message about the component that was missing key path, so i would basically set a key in that component?

Thank you for being very helpful and patient 🙂

[nicholas_ong]

Generally, each component contains a key file or key path(registry). If a self-healing were to occur, the event viewer will show the component that is missing from the feature you are trying to invoke.

Search for that component code in your table editor to find the component that is self-healing. That will give you a better idea of what your application is doing.

[dynamox]

I've tried deploying the msi and then checking the Event View for the error about components missing, but strangly enough i only saw one message that read something like this Product: -- Installation operation completed successfully. Installation went through the mini-setup, so i expected to see some error about components missing. Very strange, any ideas?

[nicholas_ong]

so this is what you're saying:
1. application is assigned to the workstation
2. log in as a regular user and you get the self-healing process
3. the application launches and everything functions
4. check the application log in the event viewer and there are no warnings or errors indicating the self-healing process
5. log off the workstation and then log back on as the same user
6. application self-heals again?

[dynamox]

Hey Nicholas. You are correct

1. Application is assigned to the OU in AD
2. Computer joins the OU.
3. Application gets loaded.
4. I login as Administrator and run the app.
5. Application goes through the "self-healing" and opens up.
6. I log off and log back on as Administrator.
7. Run the app, it opens right up, no self-healing.
8. Check Event viewer, Application Log, nothing but
Installation operation completed successfully.

[nicholas_ong]

Ok there's got to be something we're missing here. Does the self-healing initiate only when the application is launched through the shortcut? Have you tried drilling down to the executable?

What application are we talking about here?

[dynamox]

Hey Nicholas. You know..i think you are right, i just checked my project and shortcut that i am using is Advertised=YES, tomorrow i will set it to NO, cause a repackaged installation is one feature anyway which means everything gets installed from the first time. I will change Advertised=No and redeploy. Will keep you informed.

Thanks

[nicholas_ong]

If running the exe directly does not initiate a self-heal process, you can resolve the problem with the shortcut by re-creating it. Just delete it and create an advertised shortcut. This would at least ensure that your package will self-heal if ever any components are missing.

[dynamox]

Interesting thing. If i run app from the shortcut it goes through self-healing and nothing shows up in the Event Viewer. Per your suggestion i ran the exe file directly, it went through self-healing process and i found 3 errors in Event viewer. Now the task is to how to fix these, do i remove the key file from that component, or what would you suggest?

This is one of the 3 error messages.

Detection of product '{BBBA3138-A157-49DD-93ED-E325E95B16FD}', feature 'CBReportingNewFeature', component '{CADB122A-6B57-4D42-A5DD-01E9B210A978}' failed

My question is how do i find this component, i search trhough the registry a little, too much stuff, is there an easier way to find it?

Thanks

[nicholas_ong]

Good that you've got somewhere to start from. Go ahead and copy the GUID CADB122A-6B57-4D42-A5DD-01E9B210A978 and search for it in the Direct Editor in the project. You are more interested in the component table.

From there, you can go back to your work area on the left, to the setup design, browse to the component and see what files and/or registries are contained in it. Look for the key file and compare that with your actual installation. You should be able to determine by then whether it's important to the application and why it cannot be found when you run the executable.

Have Fun 🙂

[dynamox]

Nicholas, i really appreciate your help, once again 🙂

I search for that string and found in ShortcutsComponent. Interesting thing, when i look in Developer under shortcust\Folders, i see all 3 shortcust that the install creates, but if i go into components and find Shortcuts component and expand it, i only see 2 shortcuts, the main shortcut to the app is missing. That is probably the problem, very strange, the shortcut was not created manualy, i created it during snapshot process. I am going to create the missing shortcust under that components.

Will keep you informed. Man..this has been a great learning experience 🙂

[nicholas_ong]

I'm glad to hear that you're having so much fun. 🙂

The shortcut that appears to be missing from the Shortcut component may be sitting in other components. Going back to the shortcut menu in the working area, click on each of the shortcuts and look to see which component it belongs to.

I believe that if you want to have that shortcut sitting in the Shortcuts Component table, you'll have to change that manually through the table editor.

However, going back to the selfhealing issue of the shortcut, the solution is still to remove the existing shortcut that is causing the problem and re-create it. When you create the shortcut, do it through the Shortcut Component rather than the Shortcut menu in the working area. This will ensure that the shortcuts will reside in the "known" component.

[dynamox]

You are right. The missing shortcust was under another component, that exe file that gets executed. Hmm..my app has 3 shortcuts, each pointing to an exe file. The other 2 shortcuts are listed under ShortcutsComponent as well as the exe file component. This particular one is only listed under exe component and Not ShortcutsComponent. I wonder if i have to manualy create it under the ShortcutsComponent? I'll be trying your theory as well.