why InstallDir value is different in maintenance?

[anilkumar_mca]

Hi,
In my migrated msi project(IS12 to IS2009),
if i select other than 'C:'(eg: D:\) drive at the time of installation, installation is working fine......
but in Maintenance, my installer is pointing to 'C:' rather than 'D:'

any idea? :confused:

[Waaahsabi]

I got the same problem at the moment.

At install time, i point the installer to D:\myInstallDir, however, when performing maintainance on the installation, its location is back to C:\myInstallDir. Patches on that installer work however.

So i'm wondering, how do i make sure the installation directory remains at the real installed location during maintainance?

[anilkumar_mca]

Hi Waaahsabi,

As a workaround i created a reg. key as 'InstallDir' while installing(with INSTALLDIR value) and in maintenance i retrived the value and assigned to INSTALLDIR.

Let me know if u have any query regarding this workaround or if u find any solution

[#4]

If you don't install a component with the destination of INSTALLDIR then the value won't be saved. If your component has a destination of a subdirectory of INSTALLDIR, that isn't enough to preserve the value of that directory table entry.

[anilkumar_mca]

Hi bryanwolf,

I told that, its just a workaround.... putting a reg. key for InstallDir is not a big deal i think.
Actuall my installer is creating 'InstallDir' reg. key, so i used that in Maintenance mode...

Its working for me 🙂 .... but still im looking for the perfect solution 😞

[#6]

anilkumar_mca wrote:
Hi bryanwolf,

I told that, its just a workaround.... putting a reg. key for InstallDir is not a big deal i think.
Actuall my installer is creating 'InstallDir' reg. key, so i used that in Maintenance mode...

Its working for me 🙂 .... but still im looking for the perfect solution 😞

Sorry if it wasn't clear. In this case the solution would be to have a component whose destination is INSTALLDIR. The workaround of using the registry key can simply be avoided by having an empty component install to that path. Otherwise, MSI is not going to save the directory table entry's updated value that was set up during installation. This issue only occurs when you have no component actually installing to INSTALLDIR ( which is fairly common when your INSTALLDIR path is a parent directory to the location you are putting your binaries ).

Windows Installer only saves directory table properties that have a component installed using the directory table entry as a destination.