Novice needs help

[GaryL]

I need to know how to create an msi wrapper for a host of .exe's, we have at the school that I work in. I need the .msi to allow my to input a serial number and install silently for network deployment.

Thanks in Advance

Gary.

[jassing]

why do you want to use MSI?

Does the s/n change?

you could easily just use a zip file and a batch file...

[Adam]

Check out this article on how to make a serial number screen/dll:

http://www.indigorose.com/webhelp/msifact/HowTo/Add_a_Serial_Number_Validation_Screen_to_Your_Proj ect.htm

Adam Kapilik

[GaryL]

I need to deploy to the network using MSI's, as the REM install software only allows the use of MSI's.

Is it possible to decompile an .exe and recompile it as an MSI?

[jassing]

I need to deploy to the network using MSI's, as the REM install software only allows the use of MSI's.

Is it possible to decompile an .exe and recompile it as an MSI?

not all exe's are msi's
some exe extract msi's

extracting an msi doesn't mean it will install the way you expect.

w/o knowing really knowing exactly what you're doing -- it sounds like you just need to do is install a series of products... just install them using a batch file.

It really sounds like you're making this more difficult...

[GaryL]

What i am trying to do, is capture the changes made to the system by installing a product.

step 1. - fresh build.
step 2 - start capture
step 3 - install software.
step 4 - stop capture.
step 5 - produce MSI.

Is this process possible with this software ?

[Adam]

MSI Factory is not a repackager by design. You could most likely reproduce the existing install but it would require that you know every change that it makes on the end users machine. This can get even more complex if the existing install has custom scripting

Good luck

Adam Kapilik

[jassing]

IN addition to what Adam pointed out -- there are applications out there (regmon, filemon) that allow you to monitor what an application or process is doing. These are not for the average user tho; it is not easy to use the results; but it does tell you what an installer is doing and would help you repackage the changes.

Additionally; it may be in violation of a EULA to repackage someone elses files for use in your own installer, even if it is only for internal purposes.

[JXBURNS]

Ignoring the legalities I often repackage an application into either SUF7 or MSIF because of the way I built our networks to stop anybody installing software at the workstation without an admin logon. All the software is installed using MSI from Group Policy at the server.

I have to agree with jassing that it is quite not a simple task and I have been building installers from way back in CP/M days. Basically I use a virtual machine - these days Virtual PC 2007 from Microsoft as it is free or my personal favourite VMWARE which costs money. Install a baseline operating system and clone it to create a vm I can constantly test/destroy/rebuild.

Then I use a 3rd party software which captures the before and after effects of installing the required application, preferably one that allows the changes to the registry to be exported so that can be imported into SUF7/MSIF. From that I know what files have been installed/changed etc. plus the registry changes. I remove the extraneous stuff and then import that data (mostly manually) into SUF7/MSIF before building an installer and any wrapper around it.

This process invariably ignores extras such as custom actions because, as I point out above, the server does the install automatically without any end user involvement. In 95% of systems I can get it to work but there is the occasional software which I just cannot get to work correctly and/or reliably.

I often have to review the time it will take me to build the MSI installer versus the time I would be saving a non-technical person walk around manually installing the software from the original installation source. There have been times where I have checked what the installer did & quickly realised there was so much going on that it was not worth it and opted for the latter.

Rgds John