Upgrades & Uninstalling Multiple Versions

[xmaveric]

I'm very new to SUF7, and my needs for the program are very simple:

1. Install a folder of files to the user's My Document's folder.
2. Create a shortcut on the desktop to the main file.

Now, as I've been working on this, I've been releasing incrimental versions, each that has minor changes to the files in the folder.

What I did not realize is everytime a run a new version of the installer (I started with 1.1, then 1.2, etc) It added a program under Add/Remove programs.

So, my questions:
1. Is there a better way to install multiple versions so that each one doesn't show up in Add/Remove, but only the latest does?
2. Is there a way to create a master uninstall file that I can run and clean up (6 versions!) the client computers I have been testing this on?

[tsbpd]

Did you include an Uninstall with these releases? If so, you can have each version uninstall the previous one (or more... ) before or after installing the latest version. Sorry... I am not on the PC that I have SUF7 installed on, otherwise I would be more explicit.

[Brett]

A few thoughts on this:

To make it so that all of your versions register only one common uninstall:

- Go to Uninstall > Control Panel
- Make sure that the Unique Registry key is "%ProductName%", not "%ProductName%%ProductVer%"
- It is because of the changing version number between builds that the reg key changes

As long as it is using the uninstall settinsg between versions, it should merge uninstall settings with an existing uninstall XML file.

[Absynthe]

On the uninstall settings screen, what effect do the overwrite options have on merging the uninstall? It seems to me that if overwrite is checked it will overwrite the exisiting uninstall files and if not checked won't do anything at all. Sorry I can't check this out for myself but my testbed machine is down at the moment.

[Brett]

Those options affect the .dat file (the file containing your screens and actions, etc.), the uninstall control panel entry and the uninstall shortcut. The uninstall.xml file is always merged with an existing one if it exists.

[Absynthe]

Ahh, thanks that clears it up nicely.