Using Tuner to create resonse transforms

[CChong]

I'm trying to create a response transform for Corel Ventura 10.

I run the Tuner, specify the MSI and the MST name.

I then click on Create Response Transform.

The installation executes and I go through and provide all of the responses I would like to have automatically entered during a silent install.

Once I'm finished the install I get an error from Tuner saying that the installaton was incomplete and the transform was not created. It also tells me that an MSI file isn't open.

Any suggestions? I ran a prevalidation on the MSI but I get errors and warnings galore and I don't think this is very uncommon as noone seems to adhere to MS's standards for MSI files very well.

Any ideas why I can't create a simple response transform? The is the primary purpose for which I will use Admin Studio. If it can't do this simple thing the product is useless to me.

Thanks

[TsungH]

I don't agree on

I don't think this is very uncommon as noone seems to adhere to MS's standards for MSI files very well.

At very least, the package should have no validation error.

[CChong]

Well, for me the batting average hasn't been good. Granted I've only worked with 2 packages so far. Corel had 2 errors and another I worked with was error-ridden...in the neighborhood of 47.

Regarless I thought it would be relatively simple to create a response transform but it's proving anything but.

[TsungH]

In order to create a reponse transform, Tuner needs to step through the installation. If there are validation errors which prevent installation from executing, I believe Tuner will choke.

I would recommend resolving all validation errors before creating a response transform.

[CChong]

I did a prevalidation on an MSI for Project 2000 and even that one had 7 errors in it.

How do you even start going about resolving errors if you have no idea about the internal workings of MSI packages?

[TsungH]

You are asking for my personal opinion, and this is what I will do. I will start learning ins-and-outs of MSI, read Help pages as well as technical articles on MSI, and I will learn it thoroughly, so that I can resolve most, if not all, MSI errors encountered.

Again, this is just me, I can't speak for everyone.

[looeee]

I don't think this is very uncommon as noone seems to adhere to MS's standards for MSI files very well.

Microsoft Word XP has 3300 validation warnings/errors some of them serious. It refers to features in Excel and Outlook that are not in the Word msi, the ICE33 errors cause the advertising to fail for some files, etc. There is also some kind of bodge to get the MSI to work on MSI 1.0 and 2.0 which causes loads more errors.

McAfee VirusScan 4.5.1 (the latest corporate edition) has over 130 warnings/errors. Once you have got it to pass validation (obviously never done by McAffee themselves) it still is a dreadful package as it has Custom Actions that look like this "regedit.exe /s _id_rgvs.reg" which need deleting and the reg entries putting into the reg tables.

These are probably the two most widely distributed installations and getting them to pass validation is a major effort.

Anything created in Developer 7 or 8 with InstallScript is also likely to be a bad package. It may pass validation but if the package makes registry entries from InstallScript then they will be unmanagable and impossible to conflictsolve.

What is the solution to having good packages?
-educating vendors to validate their packages so that it's not the responsibility of SysAdmins.
-providing reasonable documentation to SysAdmins so that they can troubleshoot the errors themselves.

Whose responsibility is it to make the documentation? InstallShield? Microsoft? Wise? me? I am hoping that Bob Baker and Robert Dickau's new book on repackaging contains all the answers.

looeee

[CChong]

You've hit the nail on the had with that one.

My book should be arriving this week so we'll see if it has any nuggets of knowledge to help with this problem. I don't think it's going to be a silver bullet though. That would be too good to be true.

[CChong]

Do you have any specific requests for doc enhancements that will help you troubleshoot better? What types of information are more helpful than others?

We're always looking for ways to improve docs, so any comments from our customers help us focus on the right areas.

[looeee]

I have attached a doc for ICE57

something like this is needed for all ice and ace errors