Software Deployment

If you end up with an MSI, why bother trying to silence the IS stub? Just transform the MSI.

In order to register the DLLs, via your transform you should:
- extract the COM information from the DLLs into .REG files
- remove the offending Custom Actions by conditioning their execution with an impossible-to-meet condition. I normally use "0=1". I say to condition them rather than deleting simply to keep the MSI/MST as 'clean' as possible.
- import the .REGs into your project and ensure that the import results in entries in the advertising tables rather than the 'Registry' table.

I am new to this so bare with me. The only way the registration process occurs is if I run the install through the Setup.exe. If I just run the MSI by itself and throw the ISSETUPDRIVEN=1, the required dll's never load nor does the application files. Its almost as if the Setup.exe is sending the msi all the parameters.

This thing is a real pain!

...in which case, run teh set-up stub with logging. If my guess is correct, you should be able to pass parameters to MSIExec (which most of these IS stubs eventually call), using the '/V' switch, like this:

. SETUP /V"/L*VX %TEMP%\whatever.log

That will produce 'whatever.log' in %TEMP%. Somewhere near the top of the log will be the command line used.

I wasnt able to get it to log with the /L*VX, but the /L* or /LV worked. Now is this the stuff I am looking for in the log:

1: Ready to launch MsiInstallProduct, Command line : _DAC7AEC7_525B_4590_A65A_71E2B80E500D_FILTER=TRUE ADDLOCAL=FOptimaWork ALLUSERS=1 ALLUSERSPROFILE=D:\ ARPCOMMENTS="not available" ARPCONTACT="not available" ARPHELPLINK="not available" ARPHELPTELEPHONE="not available" ARPNOMODIFY=1 ARPNOREPAIR=1 ARPREADME="not available" ARPURLINFOABOUT="not available" ARPURLUPDATEINFO="not available" COMPANYNAME=CompanyName DIRPROPERTY1=D:\ DIRPROPERTY2=D:\ DIRPROPERTY3=C:\ DIRPROPERTY4=D:\ DWUSINTERVAL=30 FULLPATH=R:\ FULLPATHTEST=R:\ IEINSTALLED=C:\WINNT\system32\shdocvw.dll INSTALLDIR=C:\ INSTALLDIR.C9C35FC7_5AEE_4C1E_8BD2_80ED9FA87FFF=D:\ INSTALLDIR.D7C69784_EABE_11D5_A8BE_00B0D0428C0C=D:\ INSTALLLEVEL=1 ISINSTALL_MDAC_BYVERSION=1 ISSCRIPT_ENGINE_VERSION=9.0.0.333 ISSCRIPT_VERSION_MISSING="The InstallScript engine is missing from this machine. If available, please run ISScript.msi, or contact your support personnel for further assistance." ISSCRIPT_VERSION_OLD="The InstallScript engine on this machine is older than the version required to run this setup. If available, please install the latest version of ISScript.msi, or contact your support personnel for further assistance." ISSETUPDRIVEN=1 ISSETUP_UISEQUENCE_PROCESSED=1 ISVROOT_PORT_NO=0 JETVERSIONONSYS=0 JET_SETUP_VER=4.0.6218.0 JUNK=C:\Optima3\Rel410\JUNK\ MDAC27_SETUP_VER=2.71.9030.9 MDACINSTALLCMD.C9C35FC7_5AEE_4C1E_8BD2_80ED9FA87FFF="/q /c:""setup.exe /qn1""" MDACVERINSTALLED=2.82.1830.0 MICROSOFT_SHARED.D7C69784_EABE_11D5_A8BE_00B0D0428C0C="C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\" MODCOMMENT="Fixes bug with .NET Server" MODVERSION=100 NEW_FOLDER_1="D:\New Folder 1\" OPSERVER=MIBDCTRW01-VIP OPTIMA=C:\DOCUME~1\ADMINI~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\Optima\ OPTIMA3=C:\Optima3\ OPTIMA31=C:\Optima3\ REBOOT=Suppress REL410=C:\Optima3\Rel410\ REL421=C:\Optima3\rel421\ REPLICATION_MANAGER_4.0.D7C69784_EABE_11D5_A8BE_00B0D0428C0C="C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Replication Manager 4.0\" ROOTDRIVE=D:\ SETUPEXEDIR=Z:\Optima\4.21\DISK1 SITEID=01 STANDARD_USE_SETUPEXE="This installation cannot be run by directly launching the MSI package. You must run setup.exe." SYSTEM32=C:\DOCUME~1\ADMINI~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\SYSTEM32\ TARGETDIR=D:\ USERNAME=Username USERPROFILE=D:\ WORKID=0023 _045F81725D7D4864BD3467EE4412FE65=C:\Optima3\rel421\QUERYPACK\ _053B55B83C0741F1A822903178831D98=C:\Optima3\rel421\DATAPACK\ _07BA7C4BD5804912B62C158D14DC2124=C:\Optima3\rel421\wfs\Formatpatch\create.txt\ _084853C09D15443693B85FF32FF85AE2=C:\Optima3\rel421\CNTLPACK\Peparams\ _0C6D20FED8D04AAF9A5F337B72CAF394=C:\Optima3\rel421\OptimaToolbox\ _0E387CEA40A547CFA04806EFF2946482=C:\Optima3\rel421\SURRGATE\ _0E562517F88B4C44AAD6701FFCA10D51=C:\Optima3\rel421\FONT\ _1617E4888CCB4B18893E25E765CA6950=C:\Optima3\rel421\wfs\samplescripts\ _18DDD4789655414FA7172223EAFE8E8F=C:\Optima3\rel421\EIPSORT\ _1A505B9966B84B10852D8613B47764CB=C:\Optima3\rel421\nameandaddress\ _1C84607FB3F34FC18EB8B8C77A4F60A3=C:\Optima3\rel421\securityreport\ _1DAA5DF1690746F99FBBE103003C5EE0="C:\Optima3\rel421\wfs\Source NPI Capture\" _1DC3FDAE7CE242E08F835AE766019AA8=C:\Optima3\rel421\bitmap\ _240540B7FCD64ABAB9CF8D3C97A18CB6=C:\Optima3\rel421\IMGSTMT\Example\ _2588B0EAF9BE4D20BA3BBF2B87746BDA=C:\Optima3\rel421\ _28F1ED0105AA43C093F6C7CA65CFB45B=C:\Optima3\rel421\wfs\Installshield\ _2D47E9D1F20048F2B351DD20D0A50347=C:\Optima3\rel421\ARCHIVE\ _2FF0ECED79854777A2A6F7CC8C5AB9A4=C:\Optima3\rel421\TrackApp\ _320300FAFF4C4FE984CB04706FC2C27E=C:\Optima3\rel421\CNTLPACK\ _32BF50F2DF4746B5958DB3FDF5BDB8AF=C:\Optima3\rel421\APPLPACK\custom\ _34ADB0098FBC4984B2EDD4A12A75DF75=C:\Optima3\rel421\Images\ _369750DD4E294C529A5B170945D1704A=C:\Optima3\rel421\xmit\ _3726701BB7A24B0CA70A49DAD349BADE=C:\Optima3\rel421\PRNTPACK\ _3741ACC4C3C84F618268C57F76B5218D=C:\Optima3\rel421\WORKPACK\ _45032B488BD94B29AC1EDCB44769B015=C:\Optima3\rel421\utilpack\ _460ABAD94A85492292CBD94E686EB4A5=C:\Optima3\rel421\xferpack\processed\ _467E6BC467CC437DA2E46E4FDBCEE930=C:\Optima3\rel421\ARCHPACK\ _49AFF332A87B43649340AD8FDF952E74=C:\Optima3\rel421\POPPACK\ _4B3DAC355DC5490CAC85B7DC534AFB85=C:\Optima3\rel421\HELP\ _4F7F4FFBCCAC4385BD487F9CECB76CDE=C:\Optima3\rel421\FILES\ _508D2642EE0B4AFE89FD0B31640D6EDB="C:\Optima3\rel421\wfs\CheckRec\Import DLLs\" _550FB124B7814349BFD889532294A6E4=C:\Optima3\rel421\Package\ _68289B8066C84F6C98D220E14E694580=C:\Optima3\rel421\Package\Support\ _6F2312FD593E476BA1578E67AE8420F7=C:\Optima3\rel421\BULKPACK\ _7586A109EACB437C9E755CB2B0EF4E16=C:\Optima3\rel421\ETC\ _7B4038E28D8546A8A6B17F55F5BDC6A1=C:\Optima3\rel421\CARPACK\ _7B847A60E51749DAB3612677F2A4BB2E=C:\Optima3\rel421\POPIMG\ _7B893B8452794F30A8F9284562DB57D8=C:\Optima3\rel421\X\ _7C924D4C4BAE4FB4A5FF29B325FAC3BE=C:\Optima3\rel421\AUX1PACK\ _7E2D4D727EBD4E5198F0C8B81AFC81AE="C:\Optima3\rel421\wfs\Source NPI Capture\Cntlpack\" _8097CA1C511F4FDF9DD3643C5129BCE0=C:\Optima3\rel421\RECYCLER\ _82936752FAD64E5AAD2197BDCDEE91F3=C:\Optima3\rel421\WORKSTATION\ _8D1171E63E2344B3A813B332CA5C1401=C:\Optima3\rel421\wfs\Formatpatch\ _8D1562B2E0DA4F89BB7C47E0B4DEC83E=C:\Optima3\rel421\CNTLPACK\Tables\ _8D9EF6687DF642029C6637BBA714F355=C:\Optima3\rel421\SimulatedSorter\INIFILES\ _904B7F48F49D48BD806FDEA2C233ACCC=C:\Optima3\rel421\Support_Docs\ _93618D9C15A04F3BAC6CC4625691D0BA=C:\Optima3\rel421\IMGPACK\SURRGATE\ _9370651974BB4683ABDF0CF655CE43E1=C:\Optima3\rel421\TrackApp\NPIINIFILES\ _9A8BC1DB3D3C4E35ADB191E7F3F33221=C:\Optima3\rel421\MAINTPRG\ _9ED9917E538E44E99B4E465D31256261=C:\Optima3\rel421\IMGPACK\ _A50B150CB10C464BBDA9F2B76B7B43A6=C:\Optima3\rel421\APPLPACK\ _A61B2E60CBDF4A1D8E1F0B04B93ABA44=C:\Optima3\rel421\AUX2PACK\ _A76B378298E44522B608B6ABAFA21AAB=C:\Optima3\rel421\xferpack\ _AF441E8261074B058197D478C0E07206=C:\Optima3\rel421\CNTLPACK\Example\ _AF98F12FEDF544F49A5CAE3D5FE82038="C:\Optima3\rel421\wfs\Comctl32 Tools\" _B340AA47F6C6473CB2FEA45BEB271853=C:\Optima3\rel421\SimulatedSorter\Manuals\ _B427E8BC3B9547B8A0CD07FCA4E502A8=C:\Optima3\rel421\BACKPACK\ _B92F114C053441B19F5DBAEC0499B8FD=C:\Optima3\rel421\IMGSTMT\ _BB148290DA924DF681745826FBF9C8FF=C:\Optima3\rel421\SYSTEM32\ _C427BC9801014A378B7E0AAEF8F0FA24=C:\Optima3\rel421\SORTPACK\ _C766C00FF14643DCBE13CC3A7F1C7CBC=C:\Optima3\rel421\TRACK_SETUP\ _C9C3A2A3ECE742799632B534AD2EA6EC=C:\Optima3\rel421\Recycled\ _CB0005CFE5974B189F9443ABCD1CC823=C:\Optima3\rel421\wfs\CheckRec\ _CDDC17110A5B41CA8B6D82CC4BC1D14D=C:\Optima3\rel421\$Rel421\ _D36457CDB029478A8D0F0CA999EADCCB=C:\Optima3\rel421\ODBC35\ _DBC3C8CFA913406685C5E5D393B3F79E=C:\Optima3\rel421\logs\ _DC613A55B967435AA0E1BF7A6F25D5AE=C:\Optima3\rel421\FORMDATA\ _DE76C9E66B424B81AB7148D8EC5C7E35=C:\Optima3\rel421\PWRPACK\ _DED377D7C4B443EB81B13D3E71CD9623=C:\Optima3\rel421\Reportwriter\ _DF4DC545E71348808A219649BCDB9C0C=C:\Optima3\rel421\NPIPACK\ _E09B22881A00440FACEC93CCF66496C7=C:\Optima3\rel421\RAWPACK\ _E226A3FD607E41129DA64BF5D0E4C5DF=C:\Optima3\rel421\ACUMPACK\ _E2E3255E3AE64D46BD4796FED5095814=C:\Optima3\rel421\wfs\ _E88C3D1A418542A18713395A851B180C="C:\Optima3\rel421\Recognition Server Doc\" _ED9977A29C8449359FDA8B977ADC062D=C:\Optima3\rel421\FLATPACK\ _EFB8643B5FBC49C4BE5B1F3483203D07=C:\Optima3\rel421\IQAPACK\ _F06602ACDD2146F6B29F7EE51DFA30A5=C:\Optima3\rel421\SPLPACK\ _F0EE4E9435C4420EB72C156670CE495D=C:\Optima3\rel421\ctar\ _F191756815404CF8A28A4EB87B44008B=C:\Optima3\rel421\SimulatedSorter\ ARPSYSTEMCOMPONENT=1 ARPNOMODIFY=1 ARPNOREMOVE=1 ISSETUPDRIVEN=1

I tried to drop this in at the end of my msiexec /i "msiname.msi" /qn statement but I just get the help menu back. I went through and quoted any statements that had spaces in them and still get the same.

Most of that looks like fluff. I can't know for sure, but I *believe* the salient parts are:

ADDLOCAL=FOptimaWork
ALLUSERS=1
ARPNOMODIFY=1
ARPNOREPAIR=1
ARPSYSTEMCOMPONENT=1
COMPANYNAME=CompanyName
ISSETUP_UISEQUENCE_PROCESSED=1
ISSETUPDRIVEN=1
ISVROOT_PORT_NO=0
OPSERVER=MIBDCTRW01-VIP
SETUPEXEDIR=Z:\Optima\4.21\DISK1
SITEID=01
USERNAME=Username
WORKID=0023

so try with just these on your command line. Note that I've shown them on separate lines here for clarity: you'll need them all on one line. You may want to ditch ARPSYSTEMCOMPONENT (i.e. remove it, not set it to 0) as this will mean the app won't appear in 'Add/Remove Programs'.

Still no go. It acts like it installs but no go. This thing is put together as sloppy as they come. My guess is it would require a complete re-package to get this to work since this is what it appears to do:

The install offers you one of two options - The server install or client install. With the Server install it installs the C:\appfolder with a bunch of other sub folders, exe's, dll's.When installing the client it creates the same C:\appfolder with a select fiew folders from the Server install.

Now if I look at the MSI in WPS I can see that the client install contains the C:\appfolder, but none of the subfolders. So my guess is that this stupid install, must call part of the server install to create the workstatoin C:\appfolder structure.

Just stupid, who writes crap like this?