Software Deployment

Your correct in thinking that the MSI Wrapper is just and MSI which calls another setup. You're basically going to create the MSiIand have a custom action which launches the setup.exe. Depending on the custom action that you choose, it should run without a problem seeing that the source location is different in each location.

I wouldn't repackage the Microsoft Project installation as you're likely to get into a whole world of hurt with it. Stick to the OCT and your wrapper.

Thanx Michael! I will try to create a wrapper.
Isn't there something like a wsi or msi template for this Office MSI Wrapper?
Or could someone post it?

If I have a good working template myself, I will see if it's post worthy [:D]

O.K. got a "working" MSI wrapper, but I have two more questions.

1:
When the wrapper is invoked by our deployment tool, de user gets elevated and can install software.
But the Custom Actions which kicks off the project setup.exe needs to be on "async, no wait".
So de wrapper.msi kicks in, the user gets elevated, wrapper.msi is done user gets unelevated. The project setup starts a bit later and will nog work because the user isn't elevated anymore.
So the wrapper.msi needs to be "open" until the project setup is ready, then the wrapper.msi can be closed.
How can I do that (have allready tried the different Custom Action properties).

2:
The source location is in each environment different, but the wrapper.msi is allways in de same directory as the setup.exe from project. Can I just us a "." to specify the "Current Directory"
Like in the example below?

-In Execute Immediate
After Register Product
if NOT REMOVE~="ALL"
Set Property InstalProcess to [SOURCEDIR](SetLocation)
---------------------------
Custom Action Name: SetLocation
Property: InstallProcess
Property Value: [.]
---------------------------
end if

1. In order for your MSI to remain open whilst setup.exe is running, you will need to change the Processing=Synchronous (or 'Syncronous, Ignore Exit code' - depending on your preference) under the properties of your custom action.

2. For you to run your setup.exe from various different directories your almost there.

Set Property InstallProcess to [CURRENTDIRECTORY]\setup.exe
------------------------------
Custom Action Type: Execute Program from Path
Custom Action Name: Whatever you want to call it, say LAUNCHSETUPEXE
Property: InstallProcess
Command Line: (Blank)
-----------------------------

That should do it for you.

Hé Thanx Michael!
I will try your suggestions. I'll post my progress here

So, do you guys know this tool.:
http://www.vinsvision.com/Articles/tabid/66/EntryID/15/Default.aspx
It's doing exactly what I want. Well...allmost.
I'm walking into the issue that I cannot start a setup.exe which invokes another MSI installation in the wrapper.

Is there allready a solution or workaround for this?

Found the followin article, but it doesn't "work". I've set the custom action which installs the setup.exe to Type 23
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa368010.aspx

No one has encountered this problem and has found a solution or workaround?

michaelnowell

hi michaelnowell,

I still didn't get success to create msi wrapper for project 2007. I will highly appreciate if you can help me in writing these custom action....

please help[&:]

Michael's posts above make it nice and clear what needs to be done.I really can't see what else could be added to make it any clearer.

When I created the custom action as suggested and installed the msi i get one message as shown below:

"Please go to control panel to install and configure system components"

and no project is installed :(

i will appreciate your help

I've left the Wrapper idea.
Have contacted Microsoft, they are currently investigating how I can install Project 2007 with the usage of only the MSI's. It's not as easy at it seems. MS has spend a lot of hours allready.
As soos as I (or MS) find a solution, I'll post it here.

I can't get the wrapper to install an other MSI (or several!!)......

With Windows Installer 4.5 these things will be a lot easier (So says MS)

So, recieved an official statement from Microsoft Premier Support;
True MSI installation of Project 2007 (and other Office system 2007 apps) is NOT supported!
They've spend some 20 Hrs on this issue.

Totally suprised by this statement of MS!!

Now I'll install project during logon, as Local Admin.
Not a nice solution....

ORIGINAL: djain3

When I created the custom action as suggested and installed the msi i get one message as shown below:

"Please go to control panel to install and configure system components"

and no project is installed :(

i will appreciate your help


That sounds like you do not have an explicit path specified to setup.exe in your custom action, in which case it will instead find and try to use the Windows OS setup.exe from the %windir% folder. Hence the message.

Regards,

Spartacus

Hi

I ran across this issue when trying to deploy Project 2007, I actually need to create log files as well.

What I did was on a clean machine, I installed Project 2007 and then found the Uninstall reg key under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\} for project Pro 2007. The uninstall was launched with MSIEXEC /X {xxxxxxxxx}.

So I took that same uninstall line but changed it to
"MSIEXEC /I {xxxxxxxxxxxx} /L*v c:\Windows\Debug\Mylog.log /qn"

This installed Project 2007 with MSI command line switches.

I hope this helps as well as the other great comments

This installed Project 2007 with MSI command line switches.No, it didn't. If it did anything, it RE-INSTALLED Project 2007. More likely, it simply repaired it.

A product can't be installed from scratch by specifying a Product Code, since that code is contained in the MSI. To install a product from scratch, one needs to specify the path to and name of the MSI.

Sorry if that seems picky but there you are...

Argh...

Your are correct Sir, I just tried..

you are not picky [:D], I find everything here of GREAT help, thanks to the great posts,

I will do more homework next time :-)

Trunks