MsBuild works from VS2015 Cmd but gives licence error from VS2017 Cmd

[AdsDavis]

Visual Studio 2015 Dev Cmd Prompt
msbuild "Myproject.proj"
works fine and has done for a long time!

Visual Studio 2017 Dev Cmd Prompt
msbuild "Myproject.proj"
gives error

"D:\CompanyName\ProductName.proj" (default target) (1) ->
"D:\CompanyName\Installs\ProductName\ProductName32exe.isproj" (Build
target) (16) ->
(Build target) ->
C:\Program Files (x86)\MSBuild\InstallShield\2016\InstallShield.targets(77,3)
: error : -7159: The product license has expired or has not yet been initialize
d.

Do I need to change something in a isproj or targets file or is this an InstallShield issue?

Thanks in advance,

Adam

[chad_petersen]

Installshield requires that their software be licensed. It sounds like your copy under VS2017 has not been licensed yet.

Chad

[AdsDavis]

Hi Chad,

We have an InstallShield Premier licence - I wasn't aware we needed a licence for individual Visual Studio versions.
Can someone help me get a licence that includes Visual Studio 2017?

Thanks,

Adam

[rguggisberg]

I am guessing that your Development machine running IS Premier is licensed but your SAB (Stand Alone Build) machine is not. Your Premier license includes 5 SAB licenses.

Goto Software Downloads & License Center
https://flexerasoftware.flexnetoperations.com/control/inst/index

[chad_petersen]

I was thinking that maybe too, but you can't install SAB without giving it a .LIC file so I wasn't sure an unlicensed SAB was possible.

Let us know and we will do our best.

Chad

[AdsDavis]

Hi,

Thanks for that. I am using msbuild on the machine I have InstallShield Premier installed on.

Adam

[rguggisberg]

So you have 2 versions of Visual Studio installed.... how many versions of InstallShield? Keep in mind that the LAST version of InstallShield that was installed is the one that VS uses if you have InstallShield integrated in VS.

Edited on 4/13/2017 to correct.

[chad_petersen]

Hmmmm. For me it seems like the last version that I install, not activate, is the chosen one. Flexera even recommended to me doing a Repair on the version that you want to make Active for Visual Studio to use.

I have 4 versions of InstallShield on my main machine and when I double-click on any ISM file or try to open a Visual Studio project that includes an Installshield ISM there is no logic like you might find when opening a .SLN or .PROJ file and it knows which Visual Studio to use - Flexera doesn't have that ability to selected a particular version of InstallShield based on the ISM file being opened.

Here's a snippet from a conversation with Flexera. They have it as an enhancement, but it is a tough nut to crack without some rework of InstallShield.

Hi Chad, As long as Visual Studio is on the system when InstallShield is being installed, Visual Studio should automatically pick up InstallShield and allow for integration. If this was not the case, you can simply run a repair on the InstallShield installation after Visual Studio has been installed and the integration should be made then. Sincerely, Justin Flexera Software Technical Support installshieldsupport@flexerasoftware.com

Chad

[rguggisberg]

Thanks Chad,
You are correct. I edited my post.