I have an executable application setup.exe for Windows that I realized with Launch4j/Inno Setup based on Java.
I often frequently release new versions and bug fixes.
I would like to know if there is a mechanism to install updates automatically?
Inno Setup does not have any built-in mechanism for implementing automatic updates.
You need to implement that yourself:
Make your application check for new versions (against your application webpage?). E.g. on startup (on a background thread?)
If the application detects a new version, make it download an installer to a temporary location.
Make the application execute the downloaded installer. You can make the installer run in silent mode (/silent switch). The application should close itself, to unlock any files it is using, to allow files update.
This approach will need the update installer to prompt for Administrator privileges. If you need the update to proceed completely seamlessly, you will have to implement a service. For that, see Deploying application with .NET framework without admin privileges.
Related
Recently by using Visual Studio 2013 I have developed a program that displays alarm information based on its time and alarm tone settings. Those settings and files are stored in MySQL database.
The issue is:
Is there any way to install this application to another computer without requiring to export the database, install MySQL database and configuring it.
Just I want to Install the required database file and application at ones including to the Software installation package. or what you will advice me.
Using the Installshield Lite packaged with VS2013 you can create a setup that will include the setup of applications such as MySQL.
When the setup runs, it will install MySQL with the parameters provided. If you configure the application to use silent install as discussed here: https://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.1/en/windows-installer-msi-quiet.html then the installation will be seen as 'part of' your setup.
For the settings, I would recommend creating a setup application (console app) that will read a .sql file etc and configure the database. This too can be run as a pre-requisite of your installation.
You can also do this all manually (i.e. write your own setup application that will call MySQL setup using Process class, install MySQL, create project folder, create shortcuts etc). The Installshield is not fully functional and a gets a lot of bad press, but will do the job for a quick/simple install.
Why does the ClickOnce Deployment installer run the application during installation?
Details:
For an XNA 4.0 application I am prototyping it runs once. If you have Avast! installed and with its Deep Screen feature enabled, it will run twice (Avast! kills it and re-runs it).
Note:
This is similar to, but not the same as, Install ClickOnce without running. Please see that question for a solution to make it stop running the application. The answer is right here, you must use MageUI.exe. Here, I am only interested in understanding why it runs the application. What am I misunderstanding?
We have few windows services developed using .Net framework 1.1(VS2003).For each windows service an msi installer(set up project) is created to make installation easier.These installers are able to install windows services successfully in windows XP.But these installers unable to install windows service in WIN7 though I have admin privileges on the machine in which I am trying install them.While I am trying to install the windows service in win7, Through msi installer,installation is progressing till 90%.After that it is neither completing nor throwing an error.I am unable to understand what the problem is.
I tried following ways.
1.Opened cmd window in admin mode and tried to execute the msi with the command msiexec -i --Din't work
2.Right clicked on the actual exe(windows service exe) file and tried to run it in admin mode.--Din't work
3.Changed the UAC to never notify, restarted the machine and then tried to install--Din't work
4.Right clicked on both exe and msi and open their properties and changed the compatibility to lower version of windows and tried to install--Din't work
One thing I have noticed is that for all the custom actions of our windows service installer, primary output of our main project(exe) was given as input.I build the msi installer by removing all the custom actions.Then i tried to install it in win7.Then it was installed.But during the installation system not prompted for account details (which is the actual case while installing windows service) and also the service was not appeared in services manager window.
I spent somuch time to identify the cause and resolution.But I dint find any posts on this issue.I suspect that the problem is with custom actions.But not sure.If the problem is with custom actions please let me know how to overcome it.
Please provide a resolution for this issue or share me if there are any links which talks about this.
FWIW, .NET 1.1 isn't supported on Win7. Also I'm guessing you are using InstallUtil custom actions to drive the setup of your .NET Windows Service. These are very fragile and you can eliminate all those brittle points by refactoring and using the ServiceInstall ServiceControl tables in MSI.
I'm using a very old version of InstallShield Express 4 to package my VB6 application. Installing it on XP, it works great. But when I install it on a Windows 7 box, not using the "run as administrator", everything seems to be read-only. I can't edit an INI file because access is denied. The application just doesn't function properly. It's almost like it can't even access the folder. And it's installed in the default "program files" folder. I uninstall the application, reinstall using the "run as administrator" option, set compatibility of the short cut to "run as administrator", and everything works fine.
My question is this something inherited in VB6 where the application has to run as administrator or is it an InstallShield issue? And if it is an InstallShield Express issue, would the latest version of InstallSheild Express 2012 fix this? I would prefer the user not have to worry about installing or running the application as an administrator.
Nothing is specifically wrong with your VB6 application. I would say it's the older version of InstallSheild which might be the problem in this case.
The feature is called User Access Control (UAC) that has been introduced in Windows Vista and the following Microsoft operating systems to prevent arbitrarily write access into %ProgramFiles% by applications. You can still perform it manually (by copying and pasting files into %ProgramFiles%) but UAC will prompt for your permission.
To make sure your application behaves expectedly, save application settings in %APPDATA% or in registry, NOT in %ProgramFiles% directory. During installation or uninstallation of your program which requires write access into %ProgramFiles%, you'll have to run it as administrator (unless of course you have UAC disabled which is a massive security risk and strongly recommended against).
Yes, there is something specifically wrong with your VB6 app. It is storing its data in the wrong place. Your application cannot access the program files folder, unless it is running as administrator. This is due to User Account Control, as explained in gsabil's answer.
Here are some solutions (the best one last)
Always run the VB6 app as administrator.
Turn User Account Control off. This opens some security holes and is not recommended
Make your install program change the permissions on your installation directory, granting write access for all users. This is rather a hack, but it could be a fast way to get your program working
Change your application (not your install program) so that it stores its data in %AppData% rather than in the installation directory. This is preferable. Here is some detailed advice on how to do this in VB6
How does Windows handle security and software updates? I need to deploy software to several computers, which will be regularly updated. The update just downloads and runs the new installer. Obviously for the initial installation an administrator needs to run the installer, but after that is the installer white-listed to be run as a non-administrator? This is for XP and 7. The installer is an msi generated with WiX.
No, the installer is not white listed. Even if it were, the update is another installer. So the answer to your question: users will have to confirm elevation in UAC prompt.
Firefox and Opera are the examples. Every time an update is ready to be installed, the updater shows UAC prompt. Chrome on the other hand updates without UAC prompt, simply because it installs into user's profile which is not write-protected (I mean current user has full rights).
Firefox plans to implement a service to facilitate the update process. The service runs under system privileges, it can start the updater with system privileges without user consent for elevation, because it already has full access to the system. This is how antivirus software updates itself. Usually there are two processes: the service and the client which displays UI and communicates to the service.
In the case of MSI, there are system policies. For example, you can enable a policy according to which any Windows Installer-based installation will be run elevated. Usually patches (minor updates) are run elevated. There may exist a policy which controls major updates (where the old version is uninstalled and then a new one is installed), yet I am not aware of such.
I don't know WiX, but it is possible to generate an .msp patch for your existing installer package. If the MSI is properly filled out with an MsiPatchCertificate table, you can avoid elevation when patching.
More details here at MSDN: User Account Control (UAC) Patching, Patching Game Software in Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7