VC80 merge modules not running on target machine!?
I have an install script project which is installing C++ apps built with VS2005 which require VC80 runtime and MFC. I added these merge modules to the project. I've verified on a clean XP SP2 machine that these are installed correctly under WinSxS and the applications run correctly.
This project does include self-registering OCX and DLL files which could be a problem, but it seems to work correctly.
However, on two specific machines now these are not being installed. Both are new machines running XP SP2. The self-registration fails and the dependencies never get installed into WinSxS. I never even see the status message I see on the other machines during that portion of the install.
I'm relatively new to IS and the side-by-side stuff so I may be missing something simple.
If the self-registering files also have the dependency on the VC8 runtime, then you will encounter an ordering issue when installing the runtime as a merge module. The simplest solutions would be to install the runtime as a prerequisite, or to use COM extraction instead of self-registration.
Yes they do depend on those and I have read about those issues, however:
- When tested on a clean machine it worked correctly. Registering correctly etc... I verified the WinSxS folder did not have the dependencies prior to, and did have them after the install completed. I think someone else has put some custom registration stuff in maybe, BUT...
- Worse than that, I changed the Merge Module Holder Object Options to show the Full MSI GUI. Enabled MSI logging via the registry and specified to cache and leave the msi file on the machine. On the machines it does not work on, I get no GUI whatsoever for the MSI, no log, and the msi file is NOT on the machine after the install runs. I verified on several other working machines, and I get a log, full GUI, and leftover msi.
Are there any selections on when to include the MSI object? It is part of my Default Feature which is included in the Setup Type. The project has been used since IS 9 and been converted up several times through 10, 11, 12, and now 2008, any issue there?
For the vc8 redist in a pure InstallScript project (sorry I missed that or assumed ISMSI earlier; the timing issues shouldn't apply here) I would strongly recommend just launching the vcredist_x86.exe from your script, for instance from SUPPORTDIR. There's no reason to go through the added complexity and fragility of stuffing it in the merge module holder.
