How to launch word document at the end

[james_]

Hi All,

Hi All,

I am using InstallShield Professional 2011 and I cannot for the life of me get this working. All I need to do is launch a word document at the end of the installation if the user chooses that option.

So I've been looking at the following instructions, which should apply to my version of IS:

http://kb.flexerasoftware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?cmd=displayKC&docType=kc&externalId=Q106070&sliceId=

Now, steps 1 to 7 I can complete successfully, the problem occurs on step 8. It states:

Add a Launch EXE custom action that launches a text viewer application and passes the ReadMe file to it.

Couldn't have been less informative. To start with, there is no "Launch EXE".

## See attachment 1.png

Closest thing is "New EXE", so I select that. However I need to select from one of the following options:

- Stored in Binary table
- Path referencing a directory
- Installed with product
- Path in property value

I don't know which one to choose, and there is conveniently no documentation regarding this.

I have tried both "Stored in Binary table" and "Path referencing a directory" and I can't get either to work. I will detail now what I configure for "Stored in Binary table" as it is the only one that allows me to provide an executable filename.

I have configured the following properties:

## See attachment 2.png

And this gives the following error when I select the "Show the readme file" checkbox at the end:

## See attachment 4.png

I have even tried following the steps detailed here to launch a batch file that launches the word document:

http://kb.flexerasoftware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?cmd=displayKC&docType=kc&externalId=Q105173&sliceId=1&docTypeID=DT_HOWTO_1_1&dialogID=119196026&stateId=0%200%20119194289

Here is the config"

## See attachment 3.png

The batch file works great, but InstallShield still errors out.

It's just so bloody frustrating!!!

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Cheere

[rrinblue22]

I think the problem is with the command line parameters supplied to the custom action.....
does the same work from command line say from DOS or batch file?

you can verify by doing that.....

[#3]

You can create installscript custom action, try to use installscript function LaunchAppAndWait to call Winword.exe, then pass file *.doc/*.docx to second parameter.

[skolte]

Here's a sample that I built that shows how to do it.

The sample will ask if you would like to launch MS word, and will ask for a path if you select 'yes'. If you provide valid path to a word document, it will launch that particular document when the installer completes and you click Finish.

If no path is provided MS Word will open with a blank document. This is assuming that Office 2007 is installed in C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office12. For other versions you may have to change the file path.

Lastly, I built this sample with InstallShield 2012 Pro InstallScript MSI, if you don't have it you can try with trial version or simply use the setup.rul file to look at the code.

[Rajarshi]

could you put a sample code.
I tried using Launchappand wait but it didnt work.

sPath = "C:\\Test.doc";
if (LaunchAppAndWait ("winword.exe", "/i " + sPath, LAAW_OPTION_WAIT | LAAW_OPTION_SHOW_HOURGLASS)