Creating MSIs

[irsprint84]

What does everyone suggest? winInstall? or is there something better?

[matt40k]

I do it from scratch, ok, you can't do it for everything and it's not perfect nor exactly easy.

 

Great guide at: Spinner Software - Knowledge Base - Creating an MSI installation package from scratch

[irsprint84]

it seems interesting, but I m from a RM environment moving to a vanilla network, so i'd like something quick and similar to rm package builder

[kmount]

Wininstall LE will be fine for you initially, but you may want to pick up Orca to tidy up anything stupid it might do.

[Ric_]

Also take a look at Windows Installer Wrapper Wizard - not exactly 'real' MSIs since they can't self heal but everything else works

[OverWorked]

Wininstall LE will be fine for you initially, but you may want to pick up Orca to tidy up anything stupid it might do.

 

I agree with this. I use Wininstall LE initially, then Wininstall LE again to do some editing to cut out windows system files it often picks up (can't remember their names right now - it's usually the same ones). Then finish off with Orca to do the fine tuning.

 

Orca can also put in the icon images that Wininstall LE always misses.

 

Orca isn't easy and documentation is scant. I worked out the basics for myself - changing shortcut locations, icon images.

[MicrodigitUK]

Wininstall LE, Orca, Windows Installer Wrapper and Bat To Exe Converter are all the tools I use for all my packages.

 

Wininstall LE is actually the same tool that RM package builder frontend is built over. But as it can be a bit messy and include bits in packages you don’t want so I tend to use Windows Installer Wrapper if the install exe will do a silent install.

 

Orca I use to make MST,s (Microsoft MSI Transform File) for existing MSI’s that just need things like the product key and local settings put in.

 

Bat To Exe Converter I use in conjunction with Windows Installer Wrapper to send out BAT scripts that only need to rune once to fix a problem on workstations. (E.G. the Sophos uninstall BAT script for when that brakes and will not uninstall to allow a re install)

[AngryTechnician]

I use the freeware features in Advanced Installer for creating MSIs, and often use Orca for tweaking existing ones or adding features to the Advanced Installer packages that the freeware version doesn't do (installing services, for example).

 

For the nitty-gritty of MSIs, the Microsoft MSI Database schema is also a very useful reference.

[meastaugh1]

I agree with this. I use Wininstall LE initially, then Wininstall LE again to do some editing to cut out windows system files it often picks up (can't remember their names right now - it's usually the same ones). Then finish off with Orca to do the fine tuning.

 

You can setup file and registry exclusion lists (.xcp) so that these system entries are ignored and not added to the package.

 

Orca isn't easy and documentation is scant. I worked out the basics for myself - changing shortcut locations, icon images.

I found the Windows Installer documentation on MSDN to be useful when working with table editors such as Orca: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa368259(VS.85).aspx

 

I use Wise Package Studio here for repackaging and either use InstallTailor, Orca or Instedit for transforming vendor packages.

[K.C.Leblanc]

I use the freeware features in Advanced Installer for creating MSIs, and often use Orca for tweaking existing ones or adding features to the Advanced Installer packages that the freeware version doesn't do (installing services, for example).

 

For the nitty-gritty of MSIs, the Microsoft MSI Database schema is also a very useful reference.

 

Advanced is excellent. Not the most powerful tool, but it's so quick and easy.

[OverWorked]

Another tip is to use a clean virtual machine running under VMWare Server. Use it for creating the MSI and testing deployment. Take a snapshot of the VM switched off before you do anything, that way you can go back to the clean machine at any time instantly.

[Zimmer]

Good advise OverWorked - I do the same thing when packaging, it saves so much time. Before Vm'ing I used to re-image a test workstation everytime I messed up the MSI package.

 

But yeah, Winstall LE is great for packaging, and Orca is also good for clean up tasks like removing unwanted Current User keys the package may want to insert into the registry.