how to remove merge mod files from target machine if rollback occurs

[esrar322]

MY PROJECT: Basic MSI
(Install package contains merge modules to install mfc dll files in the winsxs directory.)

MY QUESTION:

If a rollback occurs, how do I remove the merge module files from the target machine? Is there a standard Installshield way of doing this ... i.e. configuring some settings in the IDE to do this?

I searched the IS2008 help file for this, but couldn't come up with any info. If there is not a stardard Installshield IDE way of doing this, I know I can sequence a deferred execute custom action to remove the merge module files. But to this, I still need to figure out the following:

1. how do I detect a rollback?
2. Where in the Execute sequence do I insert this (deferred CA)?

Any help on this would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

[Sairen]

Once your project gets built, the MSM is no longer a separate part of your installation. Therefore, when a rollback is triggered, the files installed with your setup, whether part of "your" project or an MSM, should be uninstalled according to whatever other rules are out there. If you're not seeing this, it could be because your MSM's destination is a System folder, in which files are (by default and recommendation) marked permanent.

You can test this by creating a dummy project with an MSM you built; it should have a destination of some public folder and the components should not be marked permanent.

Hope this helps!

[dhoffer]

Is the rollback true if installing the new SQL Server 2005 Express Edition prerequisite, both as new install and upgrade over MSDE?

[esrar322]

Thanks Sairen for your reply.

I am using the following merge modules:
Visual C++ 8.0 CRT (x86) WinSXS msm
Visual MFC 8.0 CRT (x86) WinSXS msm

And these are being installed in the C:\Windows\WinSXS directory.

In IS2008 IDE, under the "Redistributables" view, I do not see a way of making these files "not permanent".

I am needing to do this to meet Windows Vista Logo/Cert requirement.

Thanks.

[Sairen]

To see whether the component is marked permanent, you may have to open the MSM in InstallShield in direct edit mode -- do that the same way you'd open an MSI.

However, given that the destination is to a System folder and these are pretty much MS designed redistributables, I'd say that's almost certain what's going on. See, MS recommends that any file installed to System be permanent, so I'm sure they'd design their MSMs that way, too.

So your initial problem is probably not a failure of rollback -- even on a proper uninstall those files would be left behind.