Software Deployment

take a look at the dialog table and look at the dialog which takes in the license info for the vendor msi, keep an eye out for controls, events and properties associated with that dialog.

a suggestion is to use tuner(installshield)\ installtailor(wise) to create an mst of the desired install, this mst will contain all the properties and the desired values. simply take the properties you see as relevant and put them into your mst.

Thanks for that, was hoping to create it using a Resonse Transform but if not an option i'll do what you suggest and drop into the .MST whats required.

ya tuner(installshield)\ installtailor(wise) are the tools i would use to create a response transform. i wouldnt use that mst though as it usually contains lots of irrelevant properties and values. Sift through the property table of the response mst for what you would deem necessary and add them into your clean mst.

to ensure you have captured all the necessary propertes do a quick test of the msi with the repsonse mst to ensure it works first.

The creation of the .MST is the actaul problem.

I'm running Tuner to try and create it as a response transform.

It seems as it with Tuner open the install will not go past the s/n screen?

ORIGINAL: Wildhair

Enable the MSI logging and see what properties are written at the tail end of the logs. Vendors don't always use the standard property for passing the serial number key with, so with a log you can view what propertie the actual serial number is assigned to so you can set that in the property table of the MSI. Another action you would have to take in the MSI is to disable that particular dialog from appearing once you do located the serial number property.

Also keep in mind unless you write a script to read a file for a list of serial numbers that you need to ensure your records accurately reflect the number of serial numbers and licenses you do own in the event of an audit.

If you do not know how to enable logging (there are a number of posts here on how) you may grab a tool from my site below that will enable/disable it for you.




Cheers "Wildhair", really wanted to keep the vendor .MSI unchanged but will look into what you suggest :)