Visual Studio Installer (MSI Thingy)

[Judgey]

Hi All,

I use this addon in the Visual Studio 6 Interdev package to package up my VB projects, I am getting emails back from clients saying they will be doing stuff in my program, whent hey'll get an error and the MSI will startup and try to re-install the program in an indefinate loop. If they CTRL-ALT-DELETE out of it and try and run the EXE, it again just starts the MSI Installer ??

The latest email I have ahd is in the Install I create a sub folder from the Installation folder called Gallery, I put an image into this called notfound.jpg. The client said they went into my program, into the gallery section and removed this image via the program Delete button, and the program kicked out and the MSI started to re-install, now he can't run the EXE as it just keeps starting the MSI.

I have tried thison two machines, work and home and cannot re-create it, however, I CAN RECREATE something similar by renaming the subfolder to say "Gallery2", then when I try to lauch the EXE it starts the MSI installing not the program.

Can anybody point me in the write direction on how I switch this sort of checking off, when you lauch the EXE why is the MSI file executing and re-installing and not the program ?

Many thanks
Ken

[jp140768]

I have no idea to be honest, but can you use the Package and Deployment wizard to release your code, until you get the problem sorted?

It'd be interesting to hear what you discover.

[Twodogs]

The idea of using the MSI is so that your installed application can self-repair. Obviously, if you install that file, and the client deletes it, when your application starts up, it realises that there is a file missing, and it re-installs it.

This behaviour is by design - its what it is meant to do.

If the client's don't want that particular file, build another msi without it, and your problem will be solved.

[Judgey]

Cheers TwoDogs,

I can certainly appreciate how useful this function is, just though there would have been an option to say whether the file or folder was essential to the program operation, which woul then replace it if was missing, There is a property which says is the file VITAL, but this appears to be for installation only ?

I was just adding a few sample images, but have done what you say just taken them out altogether, shame really, I'm sure I have had MSI installations install sample stuff which I have delete myself without the MSI putting them back in ?

[Twodogs]

Those msi's may have been written with something other than VSI - then again, it may be possible in VSI, I just haven't had the need to find out how to do it yet! If you do figure it out, could you let me know pls - I'm sure that somewhere in the future, I'll have to do the same thing