Issue with minor update and new feature

[UNeverNo]

I ran into a quite confusing problem. I have a setup.exe which updates my existing product by calling my msi-file with

REINSTALL=ALL

and

REINSTALLMODE=voums

Unfortunately my new feature's files don't get installed.

If I completely remove my product and do a manual reinstall it all works fine.

I did some logging, maybe it helps (note: PREREQS is my new feature).

MSI (s) (EC:B0) [10:24:07:399]: Feature: MAIN; Installed: Local; Request: Reinstall; Action: Reinstall
MSI (s) (EC:B0) [10:24:07:399]: Feature: PREREQS; Installed: Absent; Request: Null; Action: Null

...

FeaturePublish(Feature=PREREQS,,Absent=3,Component=[Rb$,OaBR?=&~5pQ&N-$tLK}K4uwK?,-{{m@r2&WA.JMxb*]49%D$3l8zduQ1(yybBw]!AenZI'C_]K,nwsXDiTl1?Xr9QhU{QP3)

[UNeverNo]

No idea or do you need more information?

[KathyMorey]

I don't think a REINSTALL=ALL will install a new feature. You may have to look into ADDLOCAL.

[schmoli]

Judging by the fact you are calling your features "MAIN" and "PREREQS", you can probably make the new feature "PREREQS" a subfeature of "MAIN" (and marked as required (and optionally visible: false). This will cause the feature to be added at patch time, as it is a new part of an existing already installed component.

[UNeverNo]

KathyMorey wrote:
I don't think a REINSTALL=ALL will install a new feature. You may have to look into ADDLOCAL.

I found this: http://www.installsite.org/pages/en/msi/updates.htm (pls have a look at Upgrading Without Patching)
It says, that from MSI 2.0 on I won't need to name each new feature that should be installed. Currently I'm using 3.1...
And I just don't want to compile a new exe every time I add a new feature to my msi files.

schmoli wrote:
Judging by the fact you are calling your features "MAIN" and "PREREQS", you can probably make the new feature "PREREQS" a subfeature of "MAIN" (and marked as required (and optionally visible: false). This will cause the feature to be added at patch time, as it is a new part of an existing already installed component.

I already tried to make PREREQ a subfeature of another feature (this was my first attempt, but same behaviour as mentioned here...

[UNeverNo]

No more ideas?

[UNeverNo]

This problem also occurs if there is a new component in a existing feature.

Come on guys, can't imagine, that no one else ran into this issue...

[Kelter]

If you look at the help topic "Major Upgrade vs. Minor Upgrade vs. Small Update" you'll see that the addition of a new feature (or a new subfeature, or just moving an existing (sub)feature) requires a Major upgrade.

Perhaps if you are creating your own setup.exe, you might want to author some logic to check a property in your .msi with a name like (NewFeaturesSinceLastFullRelease) wherein you could store a list of featurenames to be added to teh ADDLOCAL property. Said logic could use that information to generate a commandline that will automatically set the ADDLOCAL property as well as the reinstall property.

i can't promise that it'll work or be easy, but it's a possible workaround if you don't want to go the documented route...which is to use a major upgrade.

Hey, you wanted more ideas. 🙂

[jignesh_parikh]

Hi All,

Any updates? If you have found any solution then please share it. I am also running into this problem.

Regards,
Jignesh