Summary This article discusses how to associate a Rule Expression to a File extension and describes how to automatically associate the Rule Expression to a file whenever a file with that File Extension is added to the project. Synopsis This article outlines the steps necessary to associate a Rule Expression to a File Extension. When a  Rule Expression is associated with  a File Extension, all the files with that extension in the Project will have the Rule Expression  applied. Discussion Here are the steps for applying Rule Expressions to File Extension: Navigate to InstallAnywhere Designer | Sequence | Install | Add File and add few .txt Files . Navigate to Project | Manage Expressions and Click New Expression Add Rules to the Expression by  Clicking  ‘Add Rule’ In the ‘Associate Expression to  File Extensions’  section, Click Add .  ‘Choose an Expression’ dialog appears. Select the Expression that you want to associate to a file extension and then Click Load. Double Click the  File Extension  section in the same row where the expression has been added, and enter the name of the  file  extension, .txt for text files  (or .sh  for  Linux shell executables  file s ). Click on Apply button. ‘Apply Expression’ dialog  will be shown. Click ‘Yes’ to apply the expression. The files in the project that contain the file extension you have specified will be updated to have the rule expression applied to them. ‘Apply automatically when new file s are added’ C heck box can be Enabled  to automatically associate the Rule Expression to a  file  whenever a  file  with that  file  extension is added to the project on the Sequence page. Navigate to Sequence | Install . All the text files added to be deployed to the target system will be marked  with  the Rule Expression applied.   Note :  To disassociate an associated Rule expression from file extension, in ‘Associate Expression to  File Extension’  section, disable “Apply” checkbox in the expression rows and  Apply. Additional Information This Feature is available in InstallAnywhere 2017 & later versions.   ... View more

  Summary   In Windows-based applications, it is common to have some of the files that a setup installs to be opened with a specific program. For example, a setup author might want all .npd files to be opened with Windows Notepad. This article provides steps to create association between file extensions and applications by using an InstallAnywhere action that creates Windows Registry keys & sets File Association.   Synopsis This article provides steps to associate a File Extension to an Application in Windows. Using ‘Associate File Extension – Windows’ action in Install and Post-Install Phase in InstallAnywhere, files can be associated to both Installed Applications , the applications that installer deploys on the target system, and  Existing Applications on Windows.  New  or existing extensions can be associated. Associations will be removed on Uninstall of the associated application. Discussion Here are the Steps to Associate File Extensions to Applications : 1. Navigate to InstallAnywhere Designer | Sequence | Install | Add Action | General.  Add action 'Associate File Extension - Windows'. 2. Configure Installed File/Existing File in Properties Customizer. To Associate an Installed Application, configure 'Installed file'. An .exe File or Launcher the installer deploys on the target system should be selected by clicking the 'Choose Application" button . Attached below InstalledFile.png. To Associate an Existing application that already exists on the target system, enter the path of the .exe file in 'Existing file'. Attached below ExistingFile.png. 3. Configure ‘Extension’ in Properties Customizer. Enter the extension without a Dot. Extension can be any Alpha-Numeric value supported by Windows. New extensions or existing extensions can be configured. 4. Configure ‘Icon’ in Properties Customizer. An Icon that the installer deploys on the target system can be associated to the application. Click the ‘Choose Icon’ button to open the ‘Choose a File’ Dialog box and select the Icon. Transparent .ICO file preferably of 256 X 256 pixels size is ideal. This configuration is optional, if Icon is not configured, the Default Icon of the Application will be retained. 5. Configure an existing MIME Type in properties customizer. This configuration is optional. 6. Configure Friendly name in properties customizer. This configuration is Optional. The default type name will be retained if Friendly name is not specified. 7. Configure Prog ID in properties customizer that should be registered for the File extension. This configuration is Optional. Prog ID is an arbitrary string. But it should be Unique on the target System. 8. Click on Verbs button to configure the below for the extension. Configuring verbs is optional. Command Sequence - Specify an order for the Verbs shown in Right click menu. Verb - Verb to be shown in Right click menu Display Name - Display name for the Verb Argument - Command line argument for the verb Use %1 in the argument in place of the selected filename. For Example, -p %1. 9. Build an Installer for Windows target and install. 10. The Associated file extensions will be opened with the configured application. File Association keys will be created in windows registry under HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT.   Additional Information The Action for setting File Associations, ‘Associate File Extension - Windows’ , is available only in InstallAnywhere 2021 and later versions . ... View more

Summary This article describes how to digitally sign the Uninstaller & other LaunchAnywhere launchers installed by InstallAnywhere Windows installer built from Non-Windows platform.  After digitally signing the launchers, the Publish field of the UAC prompt of the Uninstaller & other launchers will be populated rather than referencing an Unknown Publisher. Synopsis This article outlines the steps necessary to get the launchers installed by InstallAnywhere windows installer built from Non-windows platform digitally signed.   If the launchers are not signed, the UAC prompt that Windows displays on launch shows the unknown publisher type of UAC prompt.     After the Uninstaller & other launchers  are digitally signed, Windows displays a UAC prompt that shows the name of the publisher that is identified by the digital certificate. Discussion Here are the steps to digitally sign the Uninstaller & other launchers installed by Windows Installer built from Non-Windows platform: Install InstallAnywhere 2020 or earlier versions on Linux/MAC machine. Open the InstallAnywhere installation directory, where InstallAnywhere is installed. Create a temporary folder IA_Temp in a Windows machine Copy the folder <IA_HOME>\resource\launchanywheres\windows  to  the temporary IA_Temp  folder in Windows machine Copy the folder <IA_HOME>\resource\launchanywheres\windows64   to the  IA_Temp folder in Windows machine Copy  <IA_HOME>\ resource\nativetools\windows\ IAWinDigiSign.exe to  IA_Temp folder  in Windows machine From  the Windows machine sign all the lax_* files found in Windows & Windows64 folders using the below command : IAWinDigiSign.exe /f <pfx file path> /o <Name of signer> /p <password> /t <timestamp> /algo <algorithm> <executable to sign> where: • /f parameter is the path of PFX Certificate file to be used for signing • /o parameter is Signing Certificate Subject/certificate owner name • /p parameter is the Password for encoded certificate • /t parameter is the URL of time Stamp Server • /algo parameter is the algorithm used for signing like CALG_SHA_256    followed by the Executable which is to be signed. 8. Copy the Windows & Windows64 folders with the Digitally signed lax_* files to the InstallAnywhere Installation directory in Linux/Mac machine,      <IA_HOME>\resource\launchanywheres 9. Once the Windows & Windows64 folders with lax_* files are replaced in the Non- Windows machine, Launch the InstallAnywhere IDE & build Windows installer. The Uninstaller & other launchers created by the built Windows Installer will be digitally signed and on launch Windows displays a UAC prompt that shows the name of the publisher.   Additional Information If  file attributes are  to be applied using IAFileAttributes.exe  or icon change has to be applied using IAIconChage.exe to the lax_* files , the same to be done before running IAWinDigiSign.exe.   ... View more

Summary This article describes how to apply File Attributes to the Uninstaller installed by InstallAnywhere Windows installer built from Non-Windows platform. After applying File Attributes, the customized properties will be visible in the Properties->Details tab of the Uninstaller installed by the Windows Installer. Synopsis This article outlines the steps necessary to  apply File Attributes to  the Uninstaller installed by InstallAnywhere Windows Installer built from Non-Windows platform . Properties like CompanyName, FileDescription, ProductVersion, FileVersion ,ProductName & Copyright can be customized. Discussion Here are the steps for applying file attributes to the  Uninstaller  Installed by Windows Installer built from Non-Windows platform:  Install InstallAnywhere 2020 or earlier versions on Linux/MAC machine.  Launch InstallAnywhere , Navigate to Install->Sequence and note the Execution Level of the Uninstaller & close the IDE.  Open the InstallAnywhere installation directory, where InstallAnywhere is  installed.  If Windows Installer has to be build, Copy the lax_* files   found in <IA_HOME>\resource\launchanywheres\windows folder,  based on the execution level of the uninstaller, to  a temporary folder IA_Temp\windows in a Windows  System. If the  Uninstaller execution level in Sequence->Install tab is set to "Highest Available". Copy lax_gui_highest.exe & lax_console_highest.exe. If the  Uninstaller execution level is set to "Administrator". Copy lax_gui_admin.exe & lax_console_admin.exe If the  Uninstaller execution level is set to "As Invoker". Copy lax_gui_invoker.exe & lax_console_invoker.exe               5.  If Windows pure 64 bit installer has to be build,      Copy the required (based on execution level of uninstaller) lax _* files  found in      <IA_HOME>\resource\launchanywheres\windows64 to  a temporary folder,       IA_Temp\windows64 in a Windows system. 6.  Copy  <IA_HOME>\ resource\nativetools\windows\IAFileAttributes.exe       to  the temporary IA_Temp folder  in Windows system 7. From Windows system run IAFileAttributes.exe with the below arguments      to apply file attributes to each of the   copied lax files :  IAFileAttributes.exe -ExecutablePath <executable/lax file path> -CompanyName <companyname> -FileDescription <filedescription> -ProductVersion <prodversion> -FileVersion <fileversion> -ProductName <prodname> -Copyright <copyright> 8.    After applying file attributes, Copy the applied  lax_*  files          in IA_Temp\windows & IA_Temp\windows64  folders to the corresponding        windows & windows64  folders in <IA_HOME>\resource\launchanywheres        in the InstallAnywhere  Installation directory in Linux/MAC machine. 9. After replacing the files, Launch the InstallAnywhere IDE on Linux/MAC  machine . 10. Build the windows installer The Uninstaller that will be installed by the Windows Installer will have the applied properties visible  in Properties->Details tab.   Additional Information The same steps can be used for applying file attributes to other launchers created by windows installer built from Non-Windows platform. If  lax_* files has to be digitally signed , the same to be done after applying File Attributes.   ... View more