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Tyler [MSFT] (Moderator): Hello everyone, and welcome to
today's chat.
Tyler [MSFT] (Moderator): It is time to get started.
Tyler [MSFT] (Moderator): Today's topic is: What's New in Windows Installer 4.0
Tyler [MSFT] (Moderator): Our experts will be happy to answer any questions you
might have.
Tyler [MSFT] (Moderator): Please remember to use the Ask Question button to ask
a question of our experts, they will not be answering questions in the guest
chat room.
Tyler [MSFT] (Moderator): Let's get started with introductions...
Tyler [MSFT] (Moderator): My name is Tyler Robinson and I am a Program Manager
for the Windows Installer and also your moderator.
Carolyn [MSFT] (Expert): Greetings! My name is Carolyn and I'm the development
lead for Windows Installer
KenW [MSFT] (Expert): Hi my name is Ken and I am a tester on the Windows
Installer team.
William [MSFT] (Expert): Hi, my name is William, and I'm a developer on the
Windows Installer team.
Tyler [MSFT] (Moderator): Thanks everyone.
Tyler [MSFT] (Moderator): So let's go ahead and get started
Tyler [MSFT] (Moderator): So, as some of you may know the Windows Installer Team
has been hard at work on Windows Installer 4.0 ... This release of the Windows
Installer will be made available when Windows Vista ships next year.
Tyler [MSFT] (Moderator): You may have seen previous posts about the features in
Windows Installer 4.0 on our team's blog here on MSDN.
(http://blogs.msdn.com/windows_installer_team)
Tyler [MSFT] (Moderator): Or you may have seen my talk at PDC 2005. If not,
videos are available on-demand from http://microsoft.sitestream.com/PDC05/
Tyler [MSFT] (Moderator): Finally, me and Carolyn also did a video for Channel 9
right here on MSDN! http://channel9.msdn.com/Showpost.aspx?postid=134577
Tyler [MSFT] (Moderator): So there is lots of information available out there on
the next release of the Windows Installer.
Carolyn [MSFT] (Expert):
Q: [1] Will embedding language transforms in an .MSI ala
http://www.installsite.org/pages/en/msi/articles/embeddedlang/ ever be put in
the Windows Installer documentation?
A: That's actually not officially supported functionality. Only officially
supported functionality is put in the Windows Installer documentation. We are
considering improving the language transform support in a future release (but
not MSI 4.0).
KenW [MSFT] (Expert):
Q: [3] are msm and mst supportet with msi 4.0?
A: Yes, MSI 4.0 will continue to support MSM and MSTs.
Carolyn [MSFT] (Expert):
Q: [3] are msm and mst supportet with msi 4.0?
A: Yes. Merge Modules (Msms) are used at authoring time to build packages and
share setup logic. Note that they still cannot be serviced indepently and must
be serviced via the product that consumes them. Transforms (MSTs) are fully
supported.
Tyler [MSFT] (Moderator):
Q: [2] For someone who is experienced with MSI 2.0 and 3.0, do you have any good
reading to share with us that will help us get ready for the changes in 4.0?
A: I think viewing the PDC 2005 presentation as well as our video on Channel 9
are good starting points. Our blog will also be updated with the latest
information. Once Vista Beta 2 comes out most of our MSDN documentation should
be updated by that time as well.
Carolyn [MSFT] (Expert):
Q: [6] is msi 4.0 is installed with vista 5.231 or is it only saying it is
installer 4.0?
A: MSI 4.0 is included in Vista build 5231. The versioning scheme of MSI in this
version of windows is 4.0.windowsbuildnumber.windowsqfenumber. You'll note that
normally most binaries in Windows (like kernel32.dll) will have a version of
6.0.5231.0 where 6.0 represents the major and minor versions of the OS. MSI
follows it's previous versioning scheme and would be 4.0.5231.0.
Carolyn [MSFT] (Expert):
Q: [8] Will there be better integration with Wix?
A: That's really a question for the Wix team. Wix is an authoring tool. MSI is
the platform. As with all authoring tools partners, the Windows Installer team
provides information in MSDN and thru other interactions (like the PDC) to
enable authoring tools to take full advantage of the new MSI 4.0 feature set.
Tyler [MSFT] (Moderator):
Q: [4] Is Windows Installer 4.0 for Vista only?
A: Windows Installer 4.0 is different than previous Windows Installer releases
in that we are not planning any down-level redistributable. This is because of
three reasons: (1) The big-ticket features we targeted for Windows Installer 4.0
(UAP, Restart Manager, MUI, etc...) were all Windows Vista-specific, and those
features would not be supported down-level. (2) We designed all the features to
be backwards-compatible with previous versions of the Windows Installer (so
there is no need to target Windows Installer 4.0, specifically -- you can create
a package that installs perfectly fine on Windows Installer 2.x or 3.x and the
new features will "light up" on Windows Vista). (3) We realized that many people
redistribute the latest Windows Installer engine without actually needing the
new features, so we decided this will be a safe way to save people the reboot
down level.
Carolyn [MSFT] (Expert):
Q: [9] To robmen: Will Windows Installer files still be compound documents or
will they be in XML or something similar?
A: I know Robmen can answer this... but making this official: The file format of
the Windows Installer file has remain unchanged. It's still a compoud document
(or OLE structured storage file). Think of it as the compiled format. Wix uses
XML as its source code format in the same manner that MSI supports the IDT file
format as a text file method for building (or compiling) and MSI file. Text
files provide a number of other benefits, especially with regards to diffing and
source control management.
Tyler [MSFT] (Moderator): Just a reminder to everyone that today's topic is
"What's New in Windows Installer 4.0" ... Please use the Ask Question button to
ask a question of our experts as they will not see questions in the guest chat.
Tyler [MSFT] (Moderator):
Q: [5] How fast do you expect software vendors to move to .net framework
installations?
A: When you say ".net framework installations" to you mean ClickOnce-style
deployments?
Carolyn [MSFT] (Expert):
Q: [7] will the installer be a stand alone or will it require some additional
support from .Net 2.0?
A: Windows Installer 4.0 is included within Windows Vista. It is an OS
component. There is no installer for for MSI 4.0 and at this time, no
redistributable for other platforms (given that the features are Vista only).
MSI does not have any dependency on any version of the framework. The closest
you get to a dependency is when one of your installations installs assemblies to
the GAC -- then you need the framework to be on the machine.
Carolyn [MSFT] (Expert):
Q: [10] Will the dialogs/controls in MSI 4.0 be enhanced so that controls such
as edit fields can be refreshed when a property that backs the control is
changed and the control is currently being displayed?
A: Unfortunately no.
Tyler [MSFT] (Moderator):
Q: [12] Is there anything new for driver installation or should we continue to
use the DIFX merge modules?
A: There are no changes in the Windows Installer 4.0 with respect to driver
installation. You should continue to use the tools that the Driver Install
Framework provides. The DifX tools will continue to be updated.
Tyler [MSFT] (Moderator):
Q: [13] Yes - Click Once installations
A: We have seen a lot of interest in ClickOnce and we are evangelizing that
developers who are creating applications that fit into the ClickOnce model
should use ClickOnce for deployment. We discuss this in my PDC presentation
(FUN222 viewable from http://microsoft.sitestream.com/PDC05/). If you are
creating an application that targets the .NET Framework 2.0 and is completely
isolated, then you should definately take advantage of ClickOnce. For all other
applications, Windows Installer provides the best experience on Windows Vista.
Tyler [MSFT] (Moderator): Some of you may not be familiar with some of the new
features in Windows Installer 4.0, so I will discuss some of them.
KenW [MSFT] (Expert):
Q: [11] would it be possible to recache the local cached transform with a repair
like a msi repair with the paramter /fv?
A: Transforms are only applied on first installations and cannot be recached.
MSI does have the ability to replace a missing transform (Path of the transform
depends on whether the transform was secure or not).
Tyler [MSFT] (Moderator): As many of you know, the need to reboot the system as
part of an application or OS update is a huge customer pain point. As part of
Windows Vista, there will be a set of APIs called the "Restart Manager"
Tyler [MSFT] (Moderator): You may have read about this in the media referred to
as "Reboot Manager" as well.
Tyler [MSFT] (Moderator): The purpose of these API's are to determine files that
are locked on the system and unlock those files (by shutting down applications,
processes or services) so that an installation can take place without the need
for a reboot,
Tyler [MSFT] (Moderator): Windows Installer 4.0 fully supports the Restart
Manager on Windows Vista. We have created a new dialog called the
MsiRMFilesInUse dialog that is used instead of the FilesInUse dialog that you
all may be familiar with.
Tyler [MSFT] (Moderator): The MsiRMFilesInUse dialog is used on Windows Vista,
the FilesInUse dialog is used down-level. So it is very easy to take advantage
of the Restart Manager functionality on Windows Vista while remaining completely
backwards-compatible with previous Windows Installer versions.
Carolyn [MSFT] (Expert):
Q: [14] Like common merge modules, do you see vendors sharing their Global
Assemblies or will each vendor be writting their own? Couldn't this be a source
for a new outbreak of dll hell?
A: By being in the GAC, assemblies are available for use by multiple
applications. Note that as a GAC assembly, you have a strong name that includes
a public key token... so in many cases this would ensure uniqueness. That's not
to say you can't run into the DLL problem of backward compatibility. If you
update the assembly in-place, you can force that situation.
Tyler [MSFT] (Moderator): The new MsiRMFilesInUse dialog is discussed in both
our team blog (http://blogs.msdn.com/windows_installer_team) and our PDC session
(fun222 available at http://microsoft.sitestream.com/PDC05/)
Tyler [MSFT] (Moderator): It will also be documented in the Windows Vista Beta 2
SDK.
Tyler [MSFT] (Moderator): It is essentially the same thing as the old FilesInUse
dialog except it gives the user the option to have the Windows Installer
automatically shut down the applications that are holding files in use
Tyler [MSFT] (Moderator): Including the new MsiRMFilesInUse dialog in your
installation is the only thing you need to do to enable Restart Manager support
in your installation on Windows Vista.
Tyler [MSFT] (Moderator):
Q: [16] can you ask a question other than the topic
A: While the topic is "What's new in Windows Installer 4.0" our experts are
willing to answer any Windows Installer-related question you may have. If it is
not Windows Installer-related, our experts likely will not be able to answer.
Carolyn [MSFT] (Expert):
Q: [15] our pain is not only to reboot, we have more trouble to stop or kill the
application! What is with user documents?
A: With the integration with restart manager, MSI can request that it shutdown
all in-use applications and services. The enhanced support allows MSI to better
detect files in use for window apps, console apps, services, and sys tray apps.
You're probably already aware that MSI was limited in this manner in earlier
versions to just window apps. The restart manager support also provides the way
to force shutdown as well, but that's usually an impolite method. Part of the
education here is to get application developers to write applications that are
more responsive to shutdown messages, and with the save the state ability can be
restarted right where they left off. Can you clarify the "what is with user
documents?" part of your question?
Tyler [MSFT] (Moderator): Just a reminder, our experts can not answer questions
in the guest chat. Please use the ask question button to submit your question.
Thanks.
Carolyn [MSFT] (Expert):
Q: [18] what causes your computer to keep restarting in the middle of something
all on its own
A: Unknown. In some cases it could be due to silent installation by an update or
software distribution engine (like automatic updates or perhaps SMS). Usually
machine reboots are logged in the event viewer in the application or system
event log. You can check that to see if more information about the reason for
reboot was logged.
Tyler [MSFT] (Moderator):
Q: [21] The client I am currently working at has not even deployed XP SP2. Even
with .Net Framework 2.0 deployed, how well will MSI 2.0 handle the move to Click
once installations?
A: I am not entirely sure I understand the question. Are you asking if there
will be a tool to migrate Windows Installer-based installations to the ClickOnce
format?
Carolyn [MSFT] (Expert):
Q: [19] Will MSI 4.0 include better rollback functionality, especially in
circumstances where the MSI install has been interrupted by, for example, power
outage or the annoying hard reset that happens after 60 minutes of Group Policy
processing?
A: MSI, even prior to 4.0, has had support for suspended installations where an
install can be interrupted by a power outage. With a suspended install, the
installation can be resumed or alternatively rolled back.
Tyler [MSFT] (Moderator):
Q: [23] will any of the restart manager functionality be back-ported to XP/2003,
or is this Vista specific support?
A: The Restart Manager functionality in Windows Installer 4.0 relies on the
Restart Manager APIs, which are Windows Vista specific. So yes, this feature
will only be for Windows Vista (and later).
Carolyn [MSFT] (Expert):
Q: [20] we are installing with /qb- in this cases the installation will fail
A: Generally the recommended method for troubleshooting an installation failure
is to first start by creating a verbose log file. If you're seeing the
installation fail with the generic error, like 1603, try searching for "return
value 3" in the log file. Usually the line just above (or a few lines above) are
the problem.
KenW [MSFT] (Expert):
Q: [23] will any of the restart manager functionality be back-ported to XP/2003,
or is this Vista specific support?
A: The PatchWiz 4.0 Beta will be part of the Longhorn Beta 1 PSDK as well as
through the Windows Installer beta program. For more information, please go to
http://beta.microsoft.com.
Tyler [MSFT] (Moderator):
Q: [24] No . As vendors move to Click Once installations in prepration for
Vista, will installations be backwards compatable to MSI 2.0
A: ClickOnce is not a replacement for Windows Installer. It is a complimentary
technology. On Windows Vista (and beyond) you will continue to have both
ClickOnce and Windows Installer-based installations. They are distinct
installation technologies targeted at different scenarios. With that said, we
are working closely with the ClickOnce team and our partners to ensure that the
appropriate "bridges" are in place for those developers who want to take
advantage of both ClickOnce and Windows Installer.
KenW [MSFT] (Expert):
Q: [22] Where can we get the new patch wizard?
A: The PatchWiz 4.0 Beta will be part of the Longhorn Beta 1 PSDK as well as
through the Windows Installer beta program. For more information, please go to
http://beta.microsoft.com.
Tyler [MSFT] (Moderator):
Q: [25] Tell us more about the new automatic logging feature.
A: The Windows Installer has always had the ability to turn on logging via the
command line (per-package) and also policy (per-machine). A common request we
heard from customers is that they wanted a way to enable per-package logging
without having to specify the command line each time. The new MsiLogging
property is used to specify that the logging is turned on (in the same way the
policy works today), but on a per-package basis.
Tyler [MSFT] (Moderator): (continued from Q25) We have also added the ability to
know which log file in the %TEMP% folder actually belongs to your package. The
new MsiLogFileLocation property will hold the path and file name of your log
file, so you can easily add a control to make the log file viewable at the end
of the install.
Carolyn [MSFT] (Expert):
Q: [26] Q20 was subqestion to the restart manager and Q15
A: Generally "/qb-" works as expected. If you're seeing a problem specific to
your application, then the first step is to troubleshoot with the verbose log
file. You can also do a comparison to the working case. In a forum like this,
it's difficult to identify the root cause without having full details on the
environment, scenario, package information, and log files.
Tyler [MSFT] (Moderator):
Q: [27] Have there been any improvements to ICE Validation in Vista/MSI 4.0,
possibly a new set of ICEs? If so, is there anywhere we can get details on this?
A: We have not yet determined if new ICEs will be created for Windows Installer
4.0. We are currently working on the Windows Vista Logo Program and a set of new
ICE rules may come out of that. If there are specific ICEs that you would like
to see us add, please go to the Windows Installer Team Blog
(http://blogs.msdn.com/windows_installer_team) and send us a message! We would
love to hear from you!
Carolyn [MSFT] (Expert):
Q: [28] Will customers find it easier to read the log file information with 4.0?
A: The log file format hasn't changed, so most likely it's not as readable as
you desire. There are some tips and tricks to deciphering the log file that will
be posted on our team blog and perhaps in an upcoming whitepaper. We do have
improving the readability and diagnosability of setup failures on our radar as a
feature in future release.
Tyler [MSFT] (Moderator):
Q: [29] THANKS! I have seen very little from the boys at Installshield or Wise
on thin client (no touch) installations, and am worried that they will continue
to believe that the world installs with a standard MSI, bypassing Clickonce
installations.
A: We are actively engaging our tools partners on how they can provide
additional value for developers and system administrators for both Windows
Installer 4.0 and ClickOnce installations.
Tyler [MSFT] (Moderator): As a reminder to everyone, the subject of today's chat
is "Whats new in Windows Installer 4.0." Please use the Ask Question button to
submit a question to our experts as they will not be able to answer questions
asked in the guest chat.
Carolyn [MSFT] (Expert):
Q: [30] will any additional logging information be added in MSI 4, such as the
way property change logging was added in 3.0?
A: The two logging fixes or features that were added in MSI 3.0/3.1 were the
property change enhancement and the handling of embedded NULLs in registry value
and service information (which would usually result in truncation of the log
file line). These were of course, carried over into the MSI 4.0. Other than the
logging thru package capability, we didn't really add any new big-time logging
changes. However, individual features (like the restart manager integration and
the LUA/UAP support) do log their own data to the log file.
Carolyn [MSFT] (Expert):
Q: [31] This is probably the wrong place to ask, but does anyone know how to
make MSVS 2005 automatically interpret stuff like "MessageBox" as "MessageBoxA",
instead of "MessageBoxW"?
A: This is off-topic for the chat, but generally the resolution of the API to
the A or W version is dependent upon the UNICODE define. (Check your compiler
options and your #defines).
Tyler [MSFT] (Moderator): Another great new feature in Windows Installer 4.0 is
our support for "User Account Protection" also known as UAP or LUA.
Tyler [MSFT] (Moderator): The Windows Installer team has done a lot of work to
minimize the number of consent dialogs the user might be presented with over the
lifecycle (Install-Update-Uninstall) of an application.
Tyler [MSFT] (Moderator):
Q: [32] ini files with the file attribute readonly cannot be modified with the
WriteIniValues Action, will this be fixed with msi 4.0?
A: We're not familiar with this issue. Please go to the Windows Installer Team
Blog (http://blogs.msdn.com/windows_installer_team) and send us an email with
the details so we can look into it.
Carolyn [MSFT] (Expert):
Q: [30] will any additional logging information be added in MSI 4, such as the
way property change logging was added in 3.0?
A: The two logging fixes or features that were added in MSI 3.0/3.1 were the
property change enhancement and the handling of embedded NULLs in registry value
and service information (which would usually result in truncation of the log
file line). These were of course, carried over into the MSI 4.0. Other than the
logging thru package capability, we didn't really add any new big-time logging
changes. However, individual features (like the restart manager integration and
the LUA/UAP support) do log their own data to the log file.
Tyler [MSFT] (Moderator): For example, some of you may be familiar with with the
"LUA Patching for Games" feature we added in Windows Installer 3.0. We have
enhanced this feature in Windows Vista and removed some of the restrictions
(like the fact that the original install had to come from removable media) so
that just about any installation can use this feature to avoid UAP consent
prompting on Windows Vista.
Carolyn [MSFT] (Expert):
Q: [33] Have any changes been made to WI 4.0 to make it easier to set security
options (ACLs, etc.)?
A: In this area, there weren't any additions to set security options. YOu still
have the basic limitations of the LockPermissions tables. Most authoring tools
are providing a library of sorts (custom action wise) to let you do this. Of
course, the recommendation with custom actions is that well-written ones still
follow the declarative model (based off of custom tables) and plug in correctly
to the installation transaction, supporting install, uninstall, and rollback.
Tyler [MSFT] (Moderator): All you need to do to take advantage of our LUA
Patching feature is include a certificate in your original install (in the
MsiPatchCertificate table) and sign your MSP with the same certificate. At
patch-time the Windows Installer will match the certificates and elevate, if
appropriate.
Carolyn [MSFT] (Expert):
Q: [37] When you looked at features to add in MSI 4.0 did you consider the needs
of Desktop Administrators or Developers as your primary customer?
A: MSI has a varied set of customer segments including, but not limited to
end-users, ISVs, IT admins, OEMs, infrastructure developers (eg. SMS), and
tools. We try to pick features that have impact across multiple customer
segments and focus on areas that may have been overlooked in the past. For
Vista, we also had to take into the account the overall vision for the platform
-- with LUA/UAP and reducing reboots being key cogs in delivering that vision.
Tyler [MSFT] (Moderator):
Q: [39] Generally, is it very likely that if you have an MSI you currently
deploy to Windows XP/2000, and the application itself is compatible with Vista,
that the MSI will "just work"?
A: That is correct. There are some considerations that you have to make for UAP,
however. In Windows Vista running under UAP the install operates very similar to
Group Policy deployments. So you should test your installation under Group
Policy deployment scenarios -- if it works under Group Policy it should work
fine under UAP in Vista. One of the primary things to remember is that you can
not assume that your UISequence will be elevated, so you don't want to include
admin checks in the UISequence or immediate-execution custom actions that
require administrative rights in the UISequence.
Carolyn [MSFT] (Expert):
Q: [40] As long as we are talking about LUA, I have a feature request: could WI
at some point offer per-user COM registration in addition to per-machine (that
is, through the SelfReg table).
A: MSI already allows you to specify per-user versus per-machine locations for
registry data. As for the selfreg, I'll think you'll see that in our MSDN
documentation on the SelfReg table, it's not a practice we recommend.
Tyler [MSFT] (Moderator): So there is about 10 minutes left in the chat. Pleas
ebe sure to submit any questions you might have using the ask question button so
that our experts can answer.
Tyler [MSFT] (Moderator): Please also remember that the Windows Installer Team
Blog (http://blogs.msdn.com/windows_installer_team) is the place for the latest
information on the Windows Installer and also your direct-pipeline to the
Windows Installer Team! Please feel free to submit any feature requests or
comments to us there.
Tyler [MSFT] (Moderator):
Q: [43] In 3.0 the 'Killer Feature' was the new tables for patching. What's do
you have that will bring my fellow tech's to their knees with 4.0?
A: The feature that really resonates with our customers (and received a huge
round of applause at the PDC) was our integration with Restart Manager. We are
also confident that once people start using Windows Vista Beta 2 and see the
vastly better experience Windows Installer 4.0 provides over "setup.exe"-style
installations under UAP that people will love the investment we have made there
as well.
Carolyn [MSFT] (Expert):
Q: [44] will it ever be possible to apply/reapply transforms during minor
upgrades? i know at this point it doesn't work.
A: Can you clarify what you mean by apply/reapply transforms? The transforms
that are already registered for the product are re-applied. I presume you mean
post install customization where you can keep tweaking your transform set after
initial install. Generally patches are used today to apply customizations post
installation. We can't make a firm commitment for the transform scenario, but it
is something on our radar.
Tyler [MSFT] (Moderator): We have about 4 minutes left, if you have any
last-minute questions please submit them to our experts now.
Tyler [MSFT] (Moderator): For those of you who missed the links in the beginning
of the chat ... You may have seen previous posts about the features in Windows
Installer 4.0 on our team's blog here on MSDN.
(http://blogs.msdn.com/windows_installer_team) Or you may have seen my talk at
PDC 2005 (FUN222). If not, videos are available on-demand from
http://microsoft.sitestream.com/PDC05/ Finally, me and Carolyn also did a video
for Channel 9 right here on MSDN!
http://channel9.msdn.com/Showpost.aspx?postid=134577>
KenW [MSFT] (Expert):
Q: [42] would t be able to modify msp after creation in tables like property,
inifile, registry which has no binaries?
A: Changes to those tables made through inside a Transform within the patch. For
you to modify the MSP itself means you would have to open up the MSP file itself
and change the transforms. I would recommend recreating the msp file.
Tyler [MSFT] (Moderator): Ok everyone, that about does it for today's chat.
Thanks a lot for attending. If you missed any part of the chat you will be able
to view the transcripts at http://msdn.microsoft.com/chats
Carolyn [MSFT] (Expert):
Q: [45] Does the Windows Installer team help Microsoft with their own MSIs for
products? And on that note, can you teach the MSN Messenger team what the
AdvtExecuteSequence table is for..!
A: I hear you on that one! I've had to explain a few times in the newsgroups how
to make that package deployable. Internal product teams can contact our team
with questions... very similar to the monitoring of the newsgroups. However, we
do not control the authoring of these product teams. We provide guidance and
recommendation through the SDK, but in the end our team is too small to create
all of the setups.
Tyler [MSFT] (Moderator): Our next chat will be in January but we have not set
the date yet. Please tune into our blog or the MSDN chat calendar for and
update.
Tyler [MSFT] (Moderator):
Q: [47] Adding access Restart Manager just confuses things from a desktop
manager perspective. I currently can trigger a restart in my VB script wrapper,
SMS, Altiris, or some internal script in the installation.
A: Restart Manger is designed to avoid reboots, not trigger them.
Carolyn [MSFT] (Expert):
Q: [46] Q44: right now if i install product version 1.00.0000, with or without
transforms, and then try to run a minor upgrade and apply a transform with the
upgrade, it does not appear to apply
A: Check the log file to verify. Most importantly, you cannot apply a transform
to the product after it's been registered (either advertised or installed). If
you're saying that an existing transform is having problems, then perhaps it's
validation flags are too strict. However, you'll normally see that fail. As for
patches, MSI can detect when a patch is no longer applicable during the minor
upgrade scenario and remove it from consideration.
Tyler [MSFT] (Moderator):
Q: [48] Follow up to Q43: We can't get rid of setup.exe until there's a better
way to chain multiple MSI packages. Are there any plans in MSI 4?
A: Unfortunately, we were not able to address this in 4.0 ... However, this is
#1 on our list of things to tackle next. Using a setup.exe is perfectly
acceptable on Vista as long as it contains the appropriate manifest so that UAP
knows if the setup.exe requires elevation or not. If it's just a simple chainer
then it shouldnt require elevation and elevation should be deferred to the
Windows Installer package.
Tyler [MSFT] (Moderator): Thank you again for attending today's chat!
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