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unable to install MSI

Hello there,
I have this small application, which installs successfully when run using its setup.exe which in turn gives call to msi present under the same directory. now i have tried adding ISSETUPDRIVEN property to the MSI, but for some reason the msi doesnt install. checked the log , but , the only command line parameter which was found was
TRANSFORMS=:SETUP.MST CURRENTDIRECTORY=C:\Windows\system32 CLIENTUILEVEL=0 CLIENTPROCESSID=2276

even the process explorer was used to see , what different set of command line parameters was the setup.exe passing to the msi. However, even process explorer gave us the same results . The command line parameter that we got from process explorer was as follows

"C:\Windows\System32\msiexec.exe" /i "C:\Users\XXXXXXXX\Desktop\Serif Craft Artist 2 Professional\SERIF CRAFTARTIST 2 (EN-GB) 64.MSI"  TRANSFORMS=":SETUP.MST"

any help with respect to this application would be very much appreciable

Asked 11 years ago 2530 views
16 Comments   [ + ] Show comments
  • Hi,

    Is there a corresponding value in the "Control" table? Another way to do it would be to create an answer file. Is it a silent install your trying to achieve or could you elaborate on why you don't want to use the setup? Thanks! - LBarclay 11 years ago
    • Hi LBarclay,
      well the problem is, we tried creating response file for the setup.exe by every possible mean known to us. however , nothing actually got recorded. We even tried with the following silent switches
      /q / -q
      /s / -s
      /Silent / -silent
      /Quiet / -quiet
      but nothing seems to work.
      the reason for not opting for installation using setup.exe is, its a fullUI installation and requires some guy to be practically present for completing the task(which obviously we wouldn't desire). Hence silent install, or by any way by which we can utilize the MSI to complete the installation. - talonsprem87 11 years ago
  • Hi,

    Which switches did you use for recording the installation? You can actually use the silent then use /v which passes commands to the MSI. Can you try:

    Setup.exe /s /v" /qn"

    The spacing of the quotes is important.

    Thanks,
    Lewis - LBarclay 11 years ago
    • As usual we setup.exe -r -f1 <name of iss file> - talonsprem87 11 years ago
  • Can you create a folder in your C: drive called "answer" then try this:

    setup.exe /r /f1C:\answer\setup.iss

    I've never used -r before, only /r. I'm assuming you have used it before however. Try that to record and let me know, sometimes you have to run through the full installation before it creates one, or sometimes you just have to press one button on the installer for it to create.

    Did you try the other one I posted in my above comment?

    Thanks,
    Lewis - LBarclay 11 years ago
    • Yes i tried both. But i am afraid i'll have to say, none of that worked. As far as response files are considered , they mostly work for installer created using installshield. - talonsprem87 11 years ago
  • If you start the MSI , what message do you get?
    Is that the same message when using the ISSETUPDRIVEN property?
    If Setupdriven, means thatthere is also an ISScript#.MSI that needs to be installed?
    Do you have this? - jaybee96 11 years ago
    • Hello jaybee96, i was expecting your response. The application doesnt need ISScript.msi as a pre-requisite. so here is the catch - talonsprem87 11 years ago
  • can you dropbox me the installer, seems like a nice challenge - jaybee96 11 years ago
    • I wish i could Jaybee96, but, i'm bound by the policies and restrictions and cant do that - talonsprem87 11 years ago
  • What's the actual program? Is it a free program that I can download to find the solution? It's hard as I'm sure you know to try figure out commands for someone else when you don't have the program to test infront of you! Give me an email or something if you prefer!

    Thanks. - LBarclay 11 years ago
    • its not a free program. i have mentioned the name of msi in my question. if u search by that name , you'll land on the site - talonsprem87 11 years ago
  • If you could send it to me also I would like to take a look! Just for my own curiosity :P! - LBarclay 11 years ago
    • just like i said to Jaybee96, i cant give the installer to u guys. I m so sorry on that part - talonsprem87 11 years ago
  • There is most likely a Custom Action which checks to see if the MSI is being run outside of a stub. All you need to do is find it then see if any conditions are applied to its execution. Normally, there'll be a public property in the condition so all you'd need to do is supply that property and a suitable value. For example, I just tangled with the MS Visual J++ 2.0 Runtime which, like some of the C++ Runtimes, needs 'ADDEPLOY=1' to be set. - anonymous_9363 11 years ago
    • unfortunately there wasnt any CA, that triggered the problem, i dissected the entire MSI, but didnt find anything. Went through each and every table known , but all efforts were in vain. but now the problem has been sorted out. I have even shared a link. If you want you can have a look at it. you'll be amazed at the minuteness of the problem - talonsprem87 11 years ago
  • Do you have the full msi logging (voicewarmup) enabled? There might be some hints in there as to transfered properties from the setup or strange CA's - EVEEN 11 years ago
    • I had that enabled and the prime thing that took my attention has been mentioned in the question - talonsprem87 11 years ago
  • Im intrigued and wanna have a go at this too, cant find the file anywhere though, but by the looks of it it quite a big download. - rileyz 11 years ago
    • its a small app withing 1.5 Gigs. but problem is, its not open source and you'll have to shell some amount on this baby - talonsprem87 11 years ago
  • What error code is generated in the log file? I've never seen a colon mark in the path of a transform. Any chance that's a typo? - vjaneczko 11 years ago
  • Hello all ,
    I have sorted out the problem. The :MST means, the transform is embedded inside the installer and we have to make use of a third party tool to get the mst out of the MSI and now the application has started working fine. Thank you............all of you for all the help and suggestions.Dont know where would have i gone if you all were not there. :) - talonsprem87 11 years ago
  • Since this question has been sorted, i would like to know , if anyone has ever made use of msidb.exe provided along with windows SDK????. Since i cant make use of 3rd party tool to extract the embedded MST, i am now left with an option to use the tools provided along with windows installer SDK - talonsprem87 11 years ago
  • No I haven't. (You could download a trial version of Advanced Installer or AdminStudio or any other tool out there and just this once run the thing in a VM to extract a single file. Not exactly correct but if you tell your manager you needed an external tool to get the job done and promise to lobby to buy one of the products in the future..) - EVEEN 11 years ago
  • Okay guys, lets call it off. I have solved my problem with both msidb.exe and the other thrird party tool. It was a healthy discussion out here. Thanks for your help and suggestions. - talonsprem87 11 years ago
  • Just be sure to give the answer to the question and close this one :) Good find the :msi. forgot about that. Seen it in the foldertable some times ago. The 6 points are yours - EVEEN 11 years ago
    • here is my solution. The MSI had MST embedded inside it. this was the prime reason it wasnt getting installed when running only the MSI. And the only way it installed without running setup.exe was to get that MST out of MSI , using msidb.exe (command line for the tool; msidb.exe -w <name of file to be extracted>). rest everything was smooth as silk. Hope this helps others too.
      Cheers - talonsprem87 11 years ago

Answers (1)

Answer Summary:
Posted by: appfreak 11 years ago
Senior Purple Belt
0

Use verbose logging to what parameter are used for installation of MSI,,Check Command line in log. SetupCapture exe part by diabling windows installer service and launch the MSI with command line parameter.

 

Comments:
  • the application issue has been sorted out,but, still, thanks for your comment. Appreciate it - talonsprem87 11 years ago
 
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