Difference between Run, Run Once, Active Setup

Active Setup:



It is used when your application requires installation of components such as files or registry keys on a per-user basis, but application has no advertised entry points or other triggers to initiate the installation process.


Run:



The Run key is processed after every logon, either by the Explorer shell, if it is present, or by First Boot Agent (FBA), if a custom shell, Command shell, or Task Manager Shell is used. If FBA processes this key, it does so after every logon, not during first boot as it normally would. Typically, this flag is used to load Systray applications, launch services in executables, hide autostart applications, or hide background processes


Run Once:



The RunOnce key is processed only once, by FBA, after Plug and Play device enumeration and DLL registration processing have completed. The values of this registry key are deleted from the registry after it is processed, so that it will not run again. Typically, this flag is used when a reboot is required, such as for a DLL or OCX registration, or for cleaning up a setup or an uninstall.

AdminStudio Installshield Online Training Training

New batch of Application Packaging Classroom training using Installshield/Wise Packaging Studio is starting at Hyderabad on3rd September. If you are interested contact me at 91-9963678795 or Virtual.App.Packager@gmail.com


For training details please visit www.AppRepack.in

Application Packaging Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quY_a7Ye_WQ

What is Active Setup

Active setup provides a solution when the aim is to deliver user based components when no advertised entry points exist in an MSI package.


Most packages will contain some kind on entry point; commonly an advertised shortcut. When launching this kind of shortcut Windows Installer will check the keypath of the component the shortcut belongs to and verifies that the component is installed. If it is found to be missing Windows Install will kick off a repair.


This provides a great solution for installing current user data when the package is not installed in the user context. It is also a very good reason why you should never mix machine and user data in the same feature.

On logon the following registry keys are compared:

HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Active Setup\Installed Components\<UID> HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Active Setup\Installed Components\<UID>

<UID> has to unique; it is good practise to use a GUID. If the HKCU key is not found the contents of the string value StubPath is executed. The HKLM key is then copied to HKCU. The executable in StubPath can be anything (a VBS script, a regsvr32.exe call, etc), but our aim, in this example, is to deliver missing current user data from a previously installed MSI. To do this we need to force the package to repair so Msiexec.exe will be used: Msiexec.exe /fpu /qn /f - Repair /p - only if file is missing /u - all required user-specific registry entriesIf you choose to, the entire installation can be repaired: Msiexec.exe /fomus /qn

[HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Active Setup\Installed Components\{44CCA842-CC51-11CF-AAFA-00AA00B6015B}] "Version"="1" "StubPath"="Msiexec.exe /fpu {44CCA842-CC51-11CF-AAFA-00AA00B6015B}"

Where a version is included; StubPath will only execute if the version of HKCU is less than the version of HKLM. When a new user logs on Windows will find the HKCU active setup key missing, run Msiexec.exe with the repair arguments from StubPath and copy the HKLM key to HKCU. Next time this user logs in the repair won't run as the key already exists in HKCU.

Advantages of MSI Application Packaging

• Customize Applications to suit the user needs.
• Simplify the Installation and Un-installation Procedures.
• Saves Time in both Installation and Un-installation.
• Once packaged, applications can be quickly installed on a range of desktops in multiple locations, saving administrative costs, simplifying the manage of licensing fees and minimizing support and repair expenditures.
• Saves Space of the product by doing apt modifications to applications.
• Has a great flexibility of obtaining the lost files through a phenomenon called Self Heal, this reduces the down time of application. If a critical file (a .DLL or .EXE file, for example) that is part of the distribution is corrupt or is deleted, the user can be prompted to repair the installation by presenting the original .MSI distribution. Additionally, if the installation media is available (for example, on a network share), the repair simply happens automatically.
• Can be advertised. So that on demand installation could take place.
• Upgrading of the application can be done with ease.
• Clean installation and Un-Installation is achieved by a process called Roll-Back.
• Simplifies management of new user set-up along with the revision and distribution of software repairs and new applications to existing users. Application recovery can also be improved.
• Helps eliminate uncontrolled software downloads and installation, enables applications to be safely removed and reduces non-business traffic on a corporate network.
• Using .MSI format, can automate software distribution process and ensure that the installation doesn't break other applications that have already been installed.
• Application is installed via an OS service.
• State management is maintained. In the past, it's been difficult to know whether an application is installed on a machine. You would have to query for a .DLL with a specific version number or determine whether an .EXE file with a specific name was present. Windows Installer provides an application programming interface (API) that lets programmers and administrators see whether a specific application is installed on a machine.
• Scriptable API. This whips together a VBScript to help us with the MSI file manipulations. The API to manipulate MSI files is so powerful that it can create, validate and update packages, trigger installs and uninstalls, examine the MSI repository data on computers, and perform some custom actions.
• Served installs. Because MSI files can be housed in a share point and delivered via a server, we can keep our installation files all in one place or move them around -- closer to the users if necessary.

Custom Action Conditions in MSI

You can execute a custom action or make the component install using conditions as per the requirement.

1. Action run only during Install
   Condition: NOT Installed


2. Action only runs during removal of MSI
   Condition: REMOVE="ALL"


3. Action runs during Install and repair
   Condition: NOT REMOVE

Difference Between Self Heal and Repair

Self Heal and Repair are two different concepts in Windows Installer which people many times consider to be the same thing, however there is difference in these two.

Self Heal is triggered by advertised shortcuts, or other advertising information in the package which eventually Repairs the application.

When the application is launched by advertised shortcut, it checks for all the key paths of the Current Feature, if any of the key paths is missing it will launch Repair.

Note that if there are multiple features then it will not check the missing key paths of the other features, but only the feature of which the advertised shortcut is launched.

Repair of an MSI can be triggered by

• Repair from  Add/Remove programs
• Command -     msiexec /f{other option} {MSI path}
• Self Heal by advertised shortcut or other advertising information.
• Active setup

Once the repair of the package is triggered then the whole of the MSI is reinstalled by which I mean, all its features are reinstalled.