mutilple installation - Basic MSI

[jeanmarc78]

Hi all,

I have to ask in the custom installation mode if the user wants SQL server 2005 express installation or any .exe or .msi file .I know i can add them as a pre-requisite but it's not what I need, I want them to be optional and install them with their own install process (there are .exe and .msi so...). Does anyone know how to do that?

anyway, how can i add the AJAX ASP.NET package ?

any help would be great,
thanks!

[cbragg]

If you right click the prerequisite and select edit prerequisite. On the behaviour tab there is a checkbox which says something like 'let the user optionally skip this prerequisite' Pre-reqs will also install under their own installer process because they are run seperately from a setup.exe

Chained MSIs are another way to go too and you can set conditions on these but.... these are run after the main installation in a chain but this does mean you wont be able to run any SQL scripts from your main installation because it wont have been installed before your install, it would be installed after. To create a chained install you can do this from the releases view.

[jeanmarc78]

Thanks a lot, pre-requesite is sure a good solution, and I didn't know about chained msi.

Actually, i wonder how to make them being optional in the custom install mode, with combo box. When I do this, it only paste the installation file (msi or exe) in my installdir.
Is it possible to launch them instead of pasting them in my installdir?

Again in the custom install mode: does anyone know how to disable any feature for default installation ? (i would like to set my pdf that the customer have to specify if he wants them so he will have to enable it in the custom mode) For now i'm trying to do this with the "install level" property but it doesn't seem to work :confused:

Thanks !

[surya4u]

If it is basic msi project you can get feature state by MsiGetFeatureState and you can set the feature state by MsiSetFeatureState.

[cbragg]

Set the install levels for your features higher than the INSTALLLEVEL property so that they do not install. Then add your combobox to a dialog. Then you can use the value of your combobox property as a condition in your feature to set the install level lower than the INSTALLLEVEL property so that it now installs that feature. Your condition will be something like MYCOMBOBOXPROPERTY="somevalue" and Installshield has a box next to the condition for an install level for this condition.

[jeanmarc78]

that works perfectly ! thanks a lot ! 🙂

But forgive me, it seems that I can't make myself understandable (I'm french so it's not easy), actually one of my feature is a exe file and i don't want it to be copied in my installdir but i want to launch it after the first install (and if it's possible: if the file is selected in the custom mode).
This exe file is a complete installation file for another software that the customer may choose. I juste want to launch it when the first software is installed...

Maybe it's not possible with IS ? what do you think ?

[Lurean]

one option for launching another installer only if the user selects it is available under Windows installer 4.5 and later. Use a feature level prerequisite even if there is nothing else of significance in the feature, if the user selects that feature it will install the prerequisites you defined for that feature.

[jeanmarc78]

Great ! With that, i made sql express 2008 or 2005 optional for the customer, thanks to all of you !

i wanted to launch another installation after the first one, i have done it with a "custom action" and many test before it works ^^

[Vagele]

It would be better if you hav posted the solution so others can learn.
Can anyone tell me how this can be done step-by-step?