Can't find Maintenance Experience option?

[Alex_W]

In the on-line help under References > View Reference > Installation Information View > General Information View > Project Properties View, the documentation states that the property “Maintenance Experience “ is an option available in both InstallScript and InstallScript MSI projects.

I can't seem to locate/get access to this option. I'm using IS2008 and in a InstallSheild MSI project. When I'm on the Installation Designer tab > Installation Information > General Information > Project Properties the option isn't listed.

Is this an options/setup issue on my part or is this not available in a InstallScript MSI project? (I can see this option if I create just a InstallScript project, but not with any other project type.)

If this option is only visible with plain InstallScript projects is there a way to optain this functionality within an InstallScript MSI project? (oh and where should I put in a defect? either MSI projects in IS2008 are missing this option or the help documentation is off.)

[RobertDickau]

I believe the documentation is in error: InstallScript MSI projects support a setting called "Enable Maintenance", which controls some behavior related to maintenance mode and Add or Remove Programs, but no multi-instance mode.

Alas, it seems InstallScript MSI projects do not support true multi-instance installations. Pure InstallScript projects do natively support them, and Basic MSI projects support something called multi-instance transforms; but the InstallShield help topic Additional Installation Options > Installing Multiple Instances of Products mentions that InstallScript MSI is not supported.

Would pure InstallScript or Basic MSI with InstallScript custom actions be an option?

[Alex_W]

Hi Robert

My installer has extensive customization to both the user interface and with added code. I found that the of the three basic project types (Basic MSI, InstallScript MSI and InstallScript) the Basic MSI project didn’t give me the easy control of the user interface at runtime that I wanted. I then tried the InstallScript project type, but because there are functions I wanted to use that are only available to “Windows Installer” type projects settled for the InstallScript MSI as the project type that gave greatest access to the most features. I guess this feature is like others I’ve found is just available to some project types. Because I have very little time left on this project this requirement will have to wait until the next release cycle. (Unless there is a quick and dirty workaround that will prevent the whole maintenance process from firing off when my installer is re-run.) But I would like to make an enhancement request. How do I do this?

[RobertDickau]

If you have a maintenance/support plan, I think there's a feature-request option through that; or there's always www.installshield.com/feedback.