I would use DISM. http://titlerequired.com/2011/09/12/quick-fix-enable-telnet-client-through-command-line/ ... View more

Windows OS has an Icon Cache which needs to be reset. It is located at "%localappdata%\IconCache.db" You may find more info on Google. ... View more

When you create a script-defined var in Files and Folders, by default the name is " ". The "<" and ">" are part of the name unless you change it. When you use the string in a path (of a shortcut or component) it would be " \folder". The same syntax is used for registry keys and XML file changes. ... View more

What I do in my InstallScript projects is: 1) In Files and Folders under the Script-Variable tree, create a new script variable. 2) I also create a global variable in my code that corresponds to this script-variable just because with-in the script handles it is easier to use the global variable. 3) At some point in OnFirstUIBefore (or earlier) initalize the global variable to the path (or value) to be used. I use this for paths, web site names, server names, and port values, etc.) 4) Call FeatureSetTarget. This needs to be called prior to SdFeatureTree or any dialog which would try to use the path (such as when file costing is done for all paths). 5) Define component paths, shortcuts, XML strings ct. to use the path. In most cases you can select the defined variable in the IDE for a target path, but in a shortcut name you might need to use the [ ] syntax. 6) The value of the script-defined var is persisted in the log as indicated by log viewer tool. ... View more

To determine if the user which launched the setup has write access to a folder or file, use the Is function with appropriate flags to determine if the file or folder exists, and if so is writeable. I don't know of any InstallScript function to call and check access in the context of another user, but I assume it could be done using Win32 Impersonation tokens in an external tool (DLL or EXE) called from the InstallScript. Use SetObjectPermissions to set the desired permissions. For DCOM there is a tool (with source code) in the Windows SDK (dcomperm) which you can modify and call from InstallScript to query and configure DCOM permissions. ... View more

This may just be a wild guess, but when installing on the x64 bit target, the code that saves the user's selection path, is it running in a 64 bit or a 32 bit process? My understanding is that InstallScript is going to run in a 32 bit process, so unless you use the REGDB_OPTIONS REGDB_OPTION_WOW64_64KEY the saved registry info will be under the Wow6432Node. \software\microsoft\windows\Wow6432Node\currentversion\uninstall\ If using a C++ (or other language) CA in MSI then I think you are running in a 64 bit process and would expect the entries to be written where you are looking. Also in the Uninstall, if you are using a MSI table to read the registry, msiexec.exe would most likely default to a 64 bit process and not look under the Wow6432Node unless you redirected to that location. I do not have much experience with MSI so I hope I am not misleading you. ... View more

I think your plan should work. I use InstallScript projects and have drivers with subfolders that are platform specific. I copy the driver's folder tree to a cache location (as you propose). In the root of that driver tree (where the INF file is) I install my setup application. Like you I have a x64 and a x86 setup application, both with the same name. The file component is marked for the platform so that on x64 only the SetupDriver.exe for x64 is installed. On x86 only the SetupDriver.exe for x86 is installed. The 'script' execution calls the same path\SetupDriver.exe in either case (which refers to the INF at the same location). Driver Cache SetupDriver.exe (x86 or x64 setup application, but not both, installed by a platform specific Component) driver.inf other platform neutral driver files. x86Folder (with x86 driver files) x64Folder (with x64 driver files) ... View more

For testing only, can you add a MessageBox(szDir, MB_OK), to your CA to see if szDir is what you expect it to be? ... View more

Nested installations are not allowed in the MSI world. While they were supported at one time they are frowned on now. You need to check out using a chained installer or creating a Suite project. http://blogs.msdn.com/b/heaths/archive/2006/01/23/516454.aspx ... View more

I'm not sure of the context of your question. My InstallScript projects target both European (Latin1) and Asian languages. The InstallScript parses the strings as UNICODE by default and all dialogs work fine. The one exception is a flaw in the layout of a button on the SdLogonUserInformation dialog when used with a skin. But if you run the Asian setup on a system which does not have Asian character sets installed then the strings are a bunch of gibberish. (????????) ... View more

I am not aware of defaults for these values in the IDE (on InstallShield 2012 Spring or as I recall using IS2009/IS2011) however in general I set my project file format to XML in General Information. Then I find where a setting like this is saved and edit it directly in the XML (or using the Direct Editor) when I need to make many similar changes to a project. (Make a backup copy of the project file first.) For changes of this nature that I need to do once (when cloning a project for another project, etc) I use notepad++ or similar tool to edit the XML. For more frequent changes that are too inconvenient in the IDE I write a simple VB or C3 tool that uses XPath to parse and edit the XML. The 'Share' and 'Permanent' properties are flags in the Attributes column of the Component table. See MSI Component Table. I did not find where the .Net Scan on Build setting is persisted yet. That is the one I would like to see defaulted to 'none', as it just slows down the build even when the component is marked as not being a .Net assembly. ... View more

In an InstallScript project create your project and define your features, components, etc. When I create a headless setup it is usually a setup that I want to run on a target and not register for maintenance mode with ARP. Set that setting in the IDE under Project\Properties to disable Maintenance and Update mode (if that is the behavior you need). In the InstallScript editor, select the Setup.exe and at the top of the editor there is a drop down for the default handlers. You will want to select OnFirstUIBefore and OnFirstUIAfter. If you have Maintenance and Update mode there are similar handlers for those modes. Edit these files to skip past the dialogs. Often folks leave the code there and just comment out each call related to the dialog to suppress. In OnFirstUIBefore if you do not call one of the Setup Type dialogs, then you must specifically set the setup type. See FeatureSetupTypeSet. You may want to also override some of the other handlers like OnCancel, etc. ... View more

Which kind of project? I am more familiar with InstallScript projects than MSI. I have built InstallScript projects without dialogs by overloading (or modifying) the standard handlers. I have heard of folks making headless MSI setups. So tell us which why you are trying to go. ... View more

catest.dll is a tool I used to debug a C++ custom action. The readme that comes with it only talks about launching another CA DLL, so you might need to tell it to launch a wrapper DLL which then launches your exe for test purposes. You add catest's CA to your MSI where you would have added the CA you want to debug. Then in a INI file you provide the details for your CA. When MSI runs to that point it launches the CA in catest.dll which opens a dialog box and allows you to attach a debugger or setup your test scenario. But the really useful feature is that when you complete your custom action (successfully or failure and implement a change in your CA) you can just have the catest dialog launch your CA again, without having to rollback and start the MSI again. It has been several months since I last worked with it, so I hope I recalled the details correctly. More details here: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/astebner/archive/2005/03/07/388739.aspx download the zip here: https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=27e6a35d1a492af7&id=27E6A35D1A492AF7%21483 ... View more