Software Deployment

If you're re-packaging, I figure you're probably capturing the vendor installation? If so, either:
- simply defer starting the 'After' snapshot until you've started the application, or
- use a lightweight snapshotter (e.g. Ziff-Davis's In Control) to capture the app's activity and then add that to your package.

I prefer the latter approach as you can eliminate capturing user-specific stuff.

Note that the serial number generation/key validation *could* be tied to machine-specific details (e.g. computername) and adding it to your package will be pointless.

thank you VBScab . I will try to do snapshot and let see if it work or not .

I had to create a transform for this application when we deployed it awhile ago. The Stata.lic file holds the license for the software to run. If I remember correctly, I used the application shortcut in the Start Menu as an entry point which triggered a repair the first time it ran (which put the license file into place). Once open, the application was reading the license file. Let me know if you need further details on this, it's been awhile since i've worked on it so I may need to refer back to my documentation.

hi Danr29 I am sorry for the late reply. I was out of town for a couple days and just got back. can you please fill me full detail with this option. I am realy appreciated for your help. for now I am using ghost snapshot to create AI package for this app. thank you very much for your help.

Do you have a tool to make a transform for an .msi file? If not, you can download InstallTailor or Orca for free. You don't need to take a snapshot of anything, all you need to do is make your modifications in a transform file. Here's what I did:

(1. Created the transform file (I use Macromedia Admin Studio - any tool will do).

(2. Found component called STATA.lic. I can't recall if this is the actual name of the component that held the Stata.lic file, either way just find the Stata.lic file and look at which component it is in. Replace that .lic file with the one you want to use.

(3. Found component called AllOtherFiles (i can't remember if I created it or found it - if it's not there, just create it). Imported registry entry from the HKCU hive under Stata 10 that disables the auto update prompt and query.

(4. Create a feature called (whatever you want - I called it CurrentUser). Make it the parent of all other features.

(5. Go to the FeatureComponents table. Associate the AllOtherFiles component w/ the CurrentUser feature.

(6. Find the shortcut for the version you are using (i.e. Intercooled, Small - make sure you know what version you are using - otherwise your license will not work). Make sure it's an advertised shortcut pointing to wstata.exe.

(7. I ran with the following command line: msiexec /i stata10.msi TRANSFORMS=stata10.mst STATAFLAVOR=intercooled /qn (again, STATAFLAVOR is the version you want to use - very important - otherwise you license will not work).

Now when you launch your application, a repair will be triggered and will populate your HKCU entries for each user preventing auto updates. I don't know if you want to have auto updates occur or not, I just know where I work we always want to prevent auto updating.

thanks Dan I will try it. thanks again for your help.