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lordmaxx
Level 6

Multipile Instance install issue.

I have a basic MSI project that I need to allow multiple instances of. When the user installs the first time, no problems. When the user installs the second time instead of the nice Install a new instance or maintain/repair a previous instance the msiexec.exe help window pops up (as if I had run msiexec.exe from the command line)!

The project is a Single EXE setup. If I create a CDRom style configuration (cab files and msi seperate from the setup.exe) I have no issues...multiple installs work fine, but compressing it all to a setup.exe with the MSI cached locally (which is what I want in this instance) is causing issues. Any ideas?

Tried searching the boards, but this problem does not lend well to the search engine.
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(6) Replies
lordmaxx
Level 6

No one else has run into this? I've tried making a release configuration with network install and that works better, but this is still cropping up sometimes.
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klacounte
Level 6

How are you running the install for the second instance? I use a batch file which runs msiexec.exe:

msiexec.exe /I "MyInstall.msi" TRANSFORMS=:My2ndInstance MSINEWINSTANCE=1

I'd assume you can run setup.exe and pass in the TRANSFORMS and MSINEWINSTANCE properties.
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lordmaxx
Level 6

setup.exe handles running the second instance. I get the dialog that asks if I want to install a new instance or maintain an existing one.... This seems to only be happening on windows xp, and I am "caching" my MSI in LocalAppDataFolder...
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klacounte
Level 6

Have you checked which version of the Windows Installer is on the XP machine? Maybe try upgrading it.

You can also use Sysinternals Process Explorer to see what command line parameters are being passed to Msiexec.exe.
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lordmaxx
Level 6

The xp machine had installer 3.0, I even tried the install with 4.5 already on the machine and still get the problem.

It does seem to be linked to the fact that I have Multiple Languages (English and Spanish so 2 transforms there) AND Multiple installs (another set of transforms)

So perhaps xp has an issue with having to do transforms on the MSI twice. Once for language, then second time for Multiple Install. The second transform is not done on the initial install which would explain why I can install it once, but not the second time.

We have the support package so I have a ticket in about it, but we are coming up on a pretty hard deadline and I need this done soon.

Remove the second language, and I have no issue...but that's not really an option...
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lordmaxx
Level 6

I ran processexplorer as you suggested and your right. Here is the actual call

MSIEXEC.EXE /i "C:\Documents and Settings\a1\Local Settings\Application Data\{97E9F1A2-9AEF-4C1E-830C-E320C42C6973}\twtech.msi" MSINEWINSTANCE=1 TRANSFORMS=:InstanceId1.mst;C:\Documents and Settings\a1\Local Settings\Application Data\{97E9F1A2-9AEF-4C1E-830C-E320C42C6973}\1033.MST SETUPEXEDIR="Y:\TWTECH" SETUPEXENAME="setup.exe"

Everything seems correct, Removing the C:\Documents and Settings\a1\Local Settings\Application Data\{97E9F1A2-9AEF-4C1E-830C-E320C42C6973}\1033.MST

from the transforms area seems to do the trick...am I really not going to be able to have multiple languages AND installs?
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