How to implement Upgrade option in a Installer using InstallAnywhere 2012?

[jay_perlz]

HI
I have a software already available with customer with a released version number and was built using the InstallAnywhere 2009 Sp2. Now I have a new release and with a higher release version number and I have the requirement to provide an option to repair and upgrade an existing installation. For upgrade it must be a previous release installation. Now I am using the InstallAnywhere 2012. Though I am able to achieve the repair using the maintanance mode but it seems there is no way to upgrade a previous release installation. Not sure whether this requirement can be achievable using InstallAnywhere or not. Please throw some light on this and let me know whether it is achievable or not and if achievable then how?

Thanks in advance.

[RamyaVenkatesh]

Hi,

You can use the 'Add Features' feature under Project > Advanced tab of IA. Add the features to be added in the upgrade. The user can then launch the installer and add only the new features. Is that what you were looking at?

Thanks,
Ramya

[jay_perlz]

HI Ramya,

Thanks for your suggestion. But unfortunately your proposed solution is not working for me. Actually I already have tried the same but the problem is when you choose the maintenance mode from the installer and select a previous release installation and click next, the installer exit with an error message. It does not allow to go to the next screen from where you can choose the option like "Add Feature" or "Repair" or "Uninstall". My previous installers were built using the IA2009 SP2. Not sure what is causing the installer to exit with the error message "An error occurred while trying to manage the selected instance". Please have look at the attached image showing the error message. If you can put more light on this it would be great.

Thanks
Jayachandra

[RamyaVenkatesh]

That message is seen when the previous installation has not been successful or the installed location has been changed(say by copy pasting elsewhere), in which case the instance you're trying to manage cannot be found by the upgrade installer. Can you make sure that the first installation has been successful?

Please the share the project here if possible.

Thanks,
Ramya

[stpeters]

I have the same question.

Version 1.0 of my product is in the field. I just need to offer an
upgrade option to version 1.1 of my product. This should be simple.

[BrianEmond]

Chalk me up as another developer that thinks the process of creating an upgrade install for InstallAnywhere 2012 is a convoluted, confusing piece of garbage. Even when I do enable 'Add Features' in maintenance mode and add a feature and component for this upgrade, I never get to a point in the maintenance install where I can install it. None of my panels in pre-install get invoked (yes, I added a rule for check running mode = add features, and no, I'm not within the main action group with the rule check running mode = installation), and I end up at a pre-install summary panel with the install button disabled. Where did this panel even come from? Too much is being hidden from the developer here...