No Add/Remove Programs entry

[glenn82]

We are wanting to use InstallShield to make it easier to copy large amounts of data (no software is being installed).

We don't need or want any type of entry in Start Programs or in the Add/Remove Programs area - nor any type of uninstall.

It looks like I can "hide" it from Add/Remove Programs, which leads me to believe it might still be entered into that list somewhere/somehow.

Is it possible to turn off any type of "uninstall" and not have it appear in Add/Remove Programs? Similarly, we want someone to be able to rerun the installer without it saying it is already installed, or trying to "repair" an installation.

Hopefully this can happen...

Thanks for you help!

[mumbles]

Certainly not advisable. But i think you know that already.

I don't know what the sequence is, but, if you could install and then delete registry key after the install, you'd have to find your product here:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Installer\Products

And remove that key. I believe that removes it from ARP.

[glenn82]

Thanks - since we are using this more as a complex "copy" command - and no software is being installed - it really doesn't make sense to put it in Add/Remove *Programs* - no program is involved.

If I heard you correctly, however, there's no way to avoid the registry altogther when installing data only? I can't turn that feature easily off?

[RobertDickau]

You might see if "conditioning out" the standard actions RegisterProduct, RegisterUser, PublishProduct, and PublishFeatures does what you want.

[glenn82]

Can you provide the basics of how to condition-out those items?

Thanks!

[RobertDickau]

I just mean to find those actions in one of the sequence views (or in the InstallExecuteSequence table in the Direct Editor view) and give them the condition 0 [or NeverRunThis, or something that will fail and cause the action to be skipped].