MAKEMSI quickly and reliably creates MSI files in a non-programmatic way\Building or Updating MSIsRepackaging - Converting an EXE to MSIWrap Existing InstallersInstallShield

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InstallShield

This section covers the Repackaging of InstallShield based installers by silent installation and uninstallation.

It will help if you know which version of installshield was used (as well as whether or not "setup.exe" wraps an msi), two ways I know of that might help are:

1. Right Click on "setup.exe"PropertiesVersion Tab.

2. The ".iss" file that is generated by a "/r" (or check any pre-existing ".iss" distributed with the setup contains something like:

   [Application]
   Name=InstallShield
   Version=10.50.000
   Company=Macrovision Corporation

   Note that I believe the version below specifies the version of the response file "standard" being used (ignore it):

   [InstallShield Silent]
   Version=v7.00
   File=Response File

I have noticed that InstallShield doesn't always support all command line switches correctly, so if for example "/uninstall" doesn't work try "-uninstall".

The following InstallShield sections are vailable:

• InstallShield Version 6.00.000
• InstallShield Version 7.00
• Repackaging an InstallShield MSI based EXE

Also see these External sites:

• InstallShield's Q101901: HOWTO: Authoring a Silent Installation
• Installsite's forums for InstallShield msi and non msi installers

My Opinion of InstallShield Generated Installers

I have no experience with the development tools themselves, my opinion is based solely on experience with the end result (the generated Installation packages).

The following is feedback (slightly improved) that I sent:

Just to let you know that the one development tool I will actively
recommend against is InstallShield.

This is because the installers it generates (for starters):
1. Don't return task return codes to indicate success/failure.
2. Don't provide any reason for failure (no logging).
   For example "setup.log" return code of -3 means data not found,
   which data?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
3. Have no concept about the meaning of silent (it displays dialog boxes
   at will - hanging installs).
4. Have a very poor way of implementing silent (only capture of ONE
   PATH through installer).
5. Everytime I look at an InstallShield installer I end up wasting
   hours or days of time and swearing a lot.

My 3 cents worth,
Dennis

Now I recommend that all wrapped installs use "RunProcess.EXE" with a timeout and handle this error appropriately. Exact technique will be dependent of the exact InstallShield tool used.

Please email me any feedback, additional information or corrections. See this page online (look for updates) MAKEMSI© is (C)opyright Dennis Bareis 2003-2008 (All rights reserved). Saturday May 28 2022 at 3:11pm Visit MAKEMSI's Home Page