Software Deployment

Hi Paul,
i shouldn't answer your question, because with this intention, you will allmost certain create a headache for somebody else.
This is a no no no go!
But: You need a custom action which pops up a message box. One line of VBS does it: 'msgbox "Debug Pupup"'

Be carefull...
Regards, Nick

Yeh, I already have a vbscript running with the correct buttons and sending the correct termination and success codes back to windows installer BUT I cant use screenshots in these dialogs so was after something a bit more flashy.

Just to clarify:

Our deployment tool, Radia, doesnt like MSI exit codes and just gives a generic 709 error during installation if a user is manually cancelling the installation. Obviously this is naff and not what we want SO we decided to do an advertised shortcut, which means that Radia is happy as it has deployed the package. When the user wants to then install the device driver that click on the shortcut and I wanted them to follow prompts on the screen. Now it looks like this isnt possible unless I use a custom action, bit annoying considering I have nice dialogs to walk the user through installing the driver!
Paul

Nick,

As Paul is talking about displaying a message when the package is advertised shouldn't this custom action be placed in the AdvtExecuteSequence table instead of InstallExecuteSequence?

AngelD,

Nope, the AdvtExecuteSequence governs the advertising of the shortcut and nothing else, when the user runs the shortcut that has been advertised they process the InstallExecute table as normal.

Paul

True but as you stated "The problem is that they are going to receive it via an msiexec /jm switch so they wont see a UI sequence just the Execute" I though you wanted to display some message when the package was (distributed) advertised which in that case uses the AdvtExecuteSequence table when install the entrypoint.

Nope, I wanted the /jm bit done as normal but when they actually RUN the shortcut, the shortcut detects my product isnt installed and will then kick of the installation with something like "do you want to install this driver", "are you sure you have it plugged in and this device switched on", stuff like that :)

What I need to ensure is that the shortcut runs under the Radia context as normal users will be installing this device driver not adminsitrators.

The reason I was using dialogs is that I have found no way of getting screenshots into a msgbox in vbscript.

Paul

Ah, that explains it [:D]
So the question is: is the driver able to be installed by non-admin users?

Yup, that side of it has been tested but as its being installed by Radia it installs by the system account and if you advertise it the advertisement uses the account it was installed with.

Paul

Hi folks,
@Kim: IMHO, the 'AdvtExecuteSequence' sequence does nothing more than generate the advertising script (.aas).
@Paul: Everything has its price :-) You can of course use other languages to create a Custom Action for this purpose.
Maybe, you can hack togheter something with an AutoIt script and compile an exe from it?

Regards, Nick

Nick,

The .aas file is related to AD/GPO and not windows installer advertising.

Looking up regarding the AdvtExecuteSequence table and the ADVERTISE action it does seem to execute the actions with the /j switch is used meaning when the ADVERTISE action is executed.

AdvtExecuteSequence table
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa367551.aspx
ADVERTISE action
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa367549.aspx

Kim

Yeh, found those myself actually, think the question should be, can you get dialogs in the InstallExecuteSequance table :)

Paul

Hi Kim,
you're right about the aas file. This is just one special usage of the advertising table.

But the sequences from 'AdvtExecuteSequence' can't be used for bringing a dialog to the user. This table is acutally called when the real advertising is happening. And this is an adminstration task, therefore no "end user" will be logged on to see something of it.

Regards, Nick

I agree with you Nick!

Paul,

screenshots into a msgbox in vbscript
Depending on your environment you maybe could use something like .HTA to customize your "dialog" interface.
Have no real solution for you but if this is going to deployed to your internal environment I wouldn't bother with this. Just make sure the driver can be installed if the device is plugged in or not and install it. If they want to use the HW device the drivers will be required anyway right?

Unfortunatly the way the driver has been made it requires administrator rights to install. If you dont have the device plugged in when you install the driver via Radia the driver will attempt to install as a user and this then prompt for the required credentials to install the device.

If the device is plugged in "during" the installation via Radia then it works fine as it is detected by the install and all drivers loaded under the system account.

Paul

The reason I was using dialogs is that I have found no way of getting screenshots into a msgbox in vbscript.I like the easy ones....use IE as your 'message box' host. You can build the HTML dynamically in your script or, better, there are a few VBS class files knocking about, to save you the trouble. Try this http://cwashington.netreach.net/depo/view.asp?Index=953

Unfortunatly the way the driver has been made it requires administrator rights to install
Have you actually tried to use the DIFxApp merge module or DPinst as that should solve the credential prompt.

The driver appears to be doing 2 things, the first is pre-caching into the system and the other is installing once the pre-cache is complete.

Using either the merge module or the exe I get the same result, that is if I have the device plugged in during installation it will happily install both parts, the pre-cache and install, however if the device us NOT plugged in then all I get is the pre-cache happening and not the install which means the install happens as a user and requires administrator priviliages

Paul

Sound like a very special driver to me [;)]
What kind of driver is this and for what application?

By "pre-cache" do you mean the "DRVSTORE" (located under the \System32 folder)?

Yeh driver store, should really use the correct terminology :)

The driver is a Roland Edirol USB device driver and is un-signed which I suspect is where my problems are stemming from.

Paul

Unsigned driver sounds like the problem.
The bellow thread should provide you with the information to sign it.
http://itninja.com/question/how-do-you-roll-out-new-machines?0873&mpage=1

Yeh that might solve it if I can figure out how to do it from the 20 different posts :)

Ill try it once I have finished an urgent app that has just come in.

P