How App-V handles advertising in a sequenced MSI
Hi all,
I've noted that App-V strips out some of the MSI advertising from a sequence (i.e. advertised shortcuts become arguments to sfttray.exe instead of pointers to Features within the Product, Darwin descriptors are captured for InprocServer32 entries but do not get created on installation, but interestingly HKCR\<ProgId>\shell\open\command\ entries retain their advertising).
Bearing that in mind, does that mean that ALL of the following Windows Installer-related information should be removed from a sequence?
Registry:
MACHINE\Software\Classes\Installer\
MACHINE\Software\Windows\CurrentVersion\Installer\
MACHINE\Software\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\[ProductCode]
USER\Software\Microsoft\Installer\
Files:
VFS\CSIDL_WINDOWS\Installer\
If it's left in you end up with a number of Registry entries for source files which were probably temporaily copied to the Desktop from where you performed the original install but aren't there now, plus copies of auto-generated filename local cache msi's.
Surely the last thing you want in your sequence are MSI self repairs? What's the best practice here?
Cheers,
D
I've noted that App-V strips out some of the MSI advertising from a sequence (i.e. advertised shortcuts become arguments to sfttray.exe instead of pointers to Features within the Product, Darwin descriptors are captured for InprocServer32 entries but do not get created on installation, but interestingly HKCR\<ProgId>\shell\open\command\ entries retain their advertising).
Bearing that in mind, does that mean that ALL of the following Windows Installer-related information should be removed from a sequence?
Registry:
MACHINE\Software\Classes\Installer\
MACHINE\Software\Windows\CurrentVersion\Installer\
MACHINE\Software\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\[ProductCode]
USER\Software\Microsoft\Installer\
Files:
VFS\CSIDL_WINDOWS\Installer\
If it's left in you end up with a number of Registry entries for source files which were probably temporaily copied to the Desktop from where you performed the original install but aren't there now, plus copies of auto-generated filename local cache msi's.
Surely the last thing you want in your sequence are MSI self repairs? What's the best practice here?
Cheers,
D
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Answers (3)
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Posted by:
pjgeutjens
12 years ago
Short answer to your question: Yes (you should remove all the entries you mentioned)
As for the advertisements. Since you are working in a bubble, all the user settings should be present for each user in the app-v bubble, which means the use of advertisement becomes void, and there should indeed never be MSI self-healing (since there's really no more msi). App-V does indeed retain shell extensions (if they are not linked to application-specific dll's that only exist in the bubble) and file type associations.
Keep in mind App-V is a completely different technology from MSI, so none of the MSI-specific registration and functionality play a part anymore.
Kr,
PJ
As for the advertisements. Since you are working in a bubble, all the user settings should be present for each user in the app-v bubble, which means the use of advertisement becomes void, and there should indeed never be MSI self-healing (since there's really no more msi). App-V does indeed retain shell extensions (if they are not linked to application-specific dll's that only exist in the bubble) and file type associations.
Keep in mind App-V is a completely different technology from MSI, so none of the MSI-specific registration and functionality play a part anymore.
Kr,
PJ
Posted by:
dangle
12 years ago
Thanks PJ.
That's what I thought, but I'm under the impression that most sequencers don't do much tidying up since the bubble allows any mess to be self contained. I've sat in on App-V interviews in the past and got the feeling from the responses received that post-sequence tidy up is pretty much a 5 minute affair.
Must be hard to turn a blind eye to this after years of tidying up non-virtual packages!
It must be why such short times are quoted in the App-V trial guides for sequencing applications; you could never hit these targets in MSI packaging.
Cheers,
D
That's what I thought, but I'm under the impression that most sequencers don't do much tidying up since the bubble allows any mess to be self contained. I've sat in on App-V interviews in the past and got the feeling from the responses received that post-sequence tidy up is pretty much a 5 minute affair.
Must be hard to turn a blind eye to this after years of tidying up non-virtual packages!
It must be why such short times are quoted in the App-V trial guides for sequencing applications; you could never hit these targets in MSI packaging.
Cheers,
D
Posted by:
pjgeutjens
12 years ago
Must be hard to turn a blind eye to this after years of tidying up non-virtual packages!
it is, or well, it should be, that's why I still do a cleanup. App-V or no, I still want a package that contains only what is needed, and no extra junk.
It is true that app-v is probably more resilient in dealing with this junk, but that to me does not mean it should be in the bubble...
PJ
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