Im new to InstallShield and trying to build an installation using an InstallShield MSI project. I need to allow the end user to install the application as an administrator, but have access to it by other users on the same machine. This seemed to work by default, with the shortcut being accessible by all users on the system. Im also using an advertised shortcut to execute the application. When a component is missing from the system the shortcut detects that, and re-installs the components which is good. However, when a different user logs on to the machine and starts the shortcut, it beings to reinstall components, finishes and then starts the application as normal. The shortcut then continues to work without reinstalling, but only until another user (or the original user) logs in again and starts the application. When they first start the shortcut, the same process occurs. If you then switch back to the second user, and start the shortcut, again the re-install occurs.
Our installer adds files to the [AppDataFolder] and [PersonalFolder] which I believe are the files that are being re-installed whenever you run the shortcut.
I cant understand why it re-installs for each user, whom then seems to take ownership of the application. Have I configured my project incorrectly?
The advertised shortcut in this case is serving as an advertised entry point for Windows Installer to verify the installation of all components in the feature that contains the shortcut that is launched. When it runs across a component which has a missing keypath it attempts to repair the installation. If no explicit keypath is set on the components installing to [PersonalFolder] then the folder itself becomes the keypath and MSI checks to see if this exists. Since the folder originally only exists for the user who installed the application, logging in with different users and triggering the advertised shortcut will result in MSI attempting to install the folder.
The best thing to do now is follow the suggestions in the first MSDN article above to determine what Windows Installler believes needs to be repaired. Once that has been determined the installation may then be able to be modified to avoid the repair if it needs to be avoided (when using MSI installers, there aren't any guaranteed ways to always avoid auto repair).
