What Install Action Writes the Add Remove Programs Information...

[Superfreak3]

Hi all,

Does RegisterProduct write the ARP stuff during the install?

I have a per user install where we want to tweak the version displayed in ARP from Windows Installer's #.#.# format to #.#.#.#. In our other installs that require Admin rights we have a little widget that tweaks, but since I have an install that must not require Admin rights, I can't tweak it (even though it appear to be written in an HKLM UserData area).

What I was trying to do is isolate the action that writes the ARP info, run a set property custom action to set the ProductVersion to the #.#.#.# format, then restore it to its #.#.# value after the action writes it to ARP.

Is that possible or does it have potentially harmful issues. We see no ill effects in our other Admin rights install as we are only tweaking a specific registry value. However, I don't know if changing the value, then running an install action that uses it will have more widespread effects.

Anyway, just wondering what action writes ARP display stuff and I can play around that.

Thanks for any info!

[chad_petersen]

Why not use the full 4 quadrants in your version number? - it is true that MSI will ignore the 4th quadrant for upgrade purposes, but you can still use the 4th quadrant without any penalty.

Chad

[chad_petersen]

There are 4 standard actions that I always remove if no Add/Remove Programs entry is wanted.

RegisterUser
RegisterProduct
PublishFeatures
PublishProduct

Chad

[Superfreak3]

chad.petersen wrote:
Why not use the full 4 quadrants in your version number? - it is true that MSI will ignore the 4th quadrant for upgrade purposes, but you can still use the 4th quadrant without any penalty.

Chad

I realize I could utilize the fourth segment of the version in ProductVersion, which will be ignored. However the way we version our product for release won't allow for it...

We may release as 1.0.1.1, 1.0.1.2, 1.0.1.3, etc. So, our product version would pretty much always be treated as 1.0.1. I know it may be strange to some.

We have an action in our build script that hashes a new .Build segment so our release for 1.0.1.2, might be something like 1.0.259 as the install's ProductVersion.

I think I have worked around the problem with the Set property actions around the RegisterProduct action.

Thanks all for the input!!

[chad_petersen]

Superfreak3 wrote:
I know it may be strange to some.
QUOTE]

A bit Pennsyltucky I think.

Chad

[Superfreak3]

chad.petersen wrote:

Superfreak3 wrote:
I know it may be strange to some.
QUOTE]

A bit Pennsyltucky I think.

Chad

I would agree with that but it works for us. What is more Pennsyltucky is that Microsoft/Windows Installer just doesn't fully utilize the fourth segment of the version.

[chad_petersen]

Superfreak3 wrote:
I would agree with that but it works for us. What is more Pennsyltucky is that Microsoft/Windows Installer just doesn't fully utilize the fourth segment of the version.

Nah, those guys all came from North Florida. *chuckle*