I'm working on a new VS2010 Solution that is going to have to have a Windows and a Web Installer (two separate setup projects).
At the heart of my VS2010 Solution is the database: SQL Server CE 3.5 SP1
I know that 64-bit machines need both the 32-bit version of SqlServerCe and the 64-bit versions of SqlServerCe.
I know how to add custom installer scripts to check that both 32 and 64 bit versions are there and that their version numbers match up in the registry.
My setup projects show SqlServerCe as one of the detected dependencies.
So, my question is, do I need to use my custom installer scripts specified above to check for the right versions, or will the installer add these if they are not already on the system?
Related
I got ODTwithODAC121021 here It installs the Oracle Client, ODAC, and ODT bits.
When I run the installer, the prerequisite check fails with this:
Reference data is not available for release "12.1" on the operating system distribution "Windows XP5.1".
I actually have Windows 7 Professional SP1
Huh?
My intent is to get the ODT bits into Visual Studio 2010 so I can use Server Explorer and Entity Framework. I don't really need a new Oracle Client, I've already got one installed to match our 11g server version, but it seems I can't pick and choose with this installer, which won't run.
Suggestions? thanks.
This is a bug in this specific version of the Oracle Installer. Here is the workaround:
After making sure the installer is not running, please open up this file in the staging area where you unzipped ODAC:
....\stage\cvu\cv\admin\cvu_config
And in that file change the CV_ASSUME_DISTID value that is there to 6.1
Then save the changes and run the installer again.
This will force the installer to assume you have Windows 7.
I've got two Windows XP machines with both Visual Studio 2008 and Oracle Client 10.0.2.0.1 installed. One is a development machine and the other one a dedicated build machine. The machines were probably not set up the same way.
On my development machine, I've included Oracle.DataAccess.dll (version 10.2.0.1.100, not the asp.net v 2.x one) in a C# project. Note that the System.Data.OracleClient dll is insufficient (I don't properly remember why, I think it had something to do with bulk insertion/selection).
I was able to select that DLL from the Project->Add Reference dialog in the .NET tab.
Now on the build machine, I cannot build the project as it cannot find the .dll. The .dll is located in the same folder as on the development machine, (<installdir>\10.2.0\client_1\bin\Oracle.DataAccess.dll) in the same version.
The .dll is however not displayed in the .NET tab.
I tried (re)installing ODAC with ODP.Net for VS 2008 but it didn't change anything. When looking at the registry, I realized that my Development machine had a registry folder
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft.NETFramework\AssemblyFolders\ODP.Net]
which points to the bin directory of my oracle installation. This entry does not exist on the build machine. Unfortunately, manually adding the key did not make Visual Studio find it (I've tried rebooting).
My main question is:
What do I have to do so the Build Machine automatically finds the Oracle.DataAccess.dll? (Note: manually adding the .dll each time the solution is changed would work, but that is not an option).
You can maybe help me out already by answering one of the following subquestions:
Which installer sets that registry entry?
Do I maybe have to reinstall the whole Oracle Client in a different configuration? (e.g. ADMIN)
Do I need more than just the Oracle Client, ODAC and .NET installed?
I managed to resolve the issue by completely uninstalling the Oracle Client on the build machine, then doing a fresh installation using the Administrator configuration rather than the Developer configuration.
Note that installing the Administrator configuration on top of the existing oracle installation did not work.
I have a windows form application which is being installed on client pc by using msi file trough active directories, application is a 32bit app which is being deployed to a 32 bit and 64 bit windows systems and as we know application folder names are different between 32 and 64 bit systems, Program Files and Program Files(x86), also during installation application shortcut is placed in startup folder so app will be started when PC us powered up.
Question: Is there a chance to build msi by Windows Installer provided by Visual Studion in such a way that it will check what operating system its being installed at and place the shortcut in to start up folder with correct URI, to Program Files\Applicaiton\ or Program Files(x86)\Applicaiton?
Thank you!
Windows Installer packages are platform aware (x86, x64 ). Windows Installer doesn't support 64bit packages running on 32bit platforms or 32bit packages writing to 64bit ProgramFiles.
You can compile your EXE as AnyCPU and even though it's installed as 32bit it'll execute as 64bit. Although the Visual Studio team has moved away from that and compile as x86 by default in recent versions of Visual Studio.
Upon initialization, the Windows Installer gathers information about the operating system and automatically sets properties that can be used in optional conditional statements used by the setup application, such as VersionNT64 and "System Folder Properties"
In cases where it is necessary for the setup to know this information, it is preferred practice to allow the Windows Installer service to determine folder locations rather than try to hard-code this information into the package.
I have installation solution that have installer project (not web installer but simple installer) that installs NT services, web service and web sites with help of additional two projects of dlls with my own code that performs my installation step. In user actions of installer project I call installer function of one of those projects, and this project calls to installer of second project: installer -> MiddleCaller -> InstallationCore.
All this developing on Windows 7 and work fine when I compile all in 32 bit.
The project must run on Windows 2008. Because of some reasons all must be in x64 bit.
For this purpose, in MiddleCaller and InstallationCore I click right button of mouse on project -> build -> targer x64. For to move installer project to 64 bit in properties of installer (when project is active) I check: Target platform: x64.
When I run installation on x86 I get error:
The installation package is not supported by this processor type"
And this is good, because now I know that my installation compiled in 64 bit, but when I run this on windows 2008 I get:
Error 1001. Exception occured while initializing the instance:
System.BadImageFormatException: could not load file or Assembly
'MiddleCaller, v...' or one of its dependencies. An attempt was
made to load a program with an incorrect format.
Any one has some idea what I need to do for run fine the installation on x64?
May be I still not moved the installer project to x64 bit, if yes, where I do this?
Thank you for ahead.
Found a quick tip on Microsoft's website that could be useful on troubleshooting setup and deployment projects:
64-bit managed custom actions throw a System.BadImageFormatException exception
If you add a 64-bit managed custom action to a Setup project, the Visual Studio build process embeds a 32-bit version of InstallUtilLib.dll into the MSI as InstallUtil. In turn, the 32-bit .NET Framework is loaded to run the 64-bit managed custom action and causes a BadImageFormatException exception.
For the workaround, replace the 32-bit InstallUtilLib.dll with the 64-bit version.
Open the resulting .msi in Orca from the Windows Installer SDK.
Select the Binary table.
Double click the cell [Binary Data] for the record InstallUtil.
Make sure "Read binary from filename" is selected and click the Browse button.
Browse to %WINDIR%\Microsoft.NET\Framework64\v2.0.50727.
Note
The Framework64 directory is only installed on 64-bit platforms and corresponds to the 64-bit processor type.
Select InstallUtilLib.dll.
Click the Open button.
Click the OK button.
There are some unclear things in this scenario. I understand that you are having difficulty running a 32-bit installer that calls on 64-bit assemblies. If this is correct, then what you are doing is not allowed. You cannot have 32-bit and 64-bit assemblies in the same process - that is illegal. If the 64-bit assemblies are being referenced by the installer directly, then the installer must also be 64-bit.
As clarification: I believe a 32-bit installer can install a 64-bit application, but it may only do so by copying the 64-bit files and not by actually making calls into the 64-bit files. The only way this is supported is if the 64-bit files are loaded into a different process and you use IPC to call into them, but even this is likely to be a bad solution.
In your case, I would encourage you to convert your installer into a 64-bit installer.
So, eventually, I compiled MiddleCaller and InstallationCore in AnyCpu mode, when all dll and executables that I need to install were compiled in x64 bit. All this I compiled on Windows 2008 x64 bit with x64 bit outer dependencies (like Oracle client).
I have a windows installer (MSI) project. I want to ensure that when i build it , it will be compatible with msiexec version 4.5.
Normally, compatibility is a problem with a lower verions. Windows Installer 4.5 is the latest version of windows installer and I would expect it to be backward compatible. So, most likely things that you are using will be supported.
What you should worry about is compatibility with older versions of Windows Installer. Most IDEs for creating installers would let you know if you are using something that is available only after some version of Windows Installer onwards.
If your IDE does not provide this feature then you should be aware of what all you are using in your MSI and make sure thats its available in the Windows Installer version you intend to you target with your installer.
That depends on the tool you use to build the MSI, you should be able to specify the required installer version there.
For example, WIX, which I frequently use has a "InstallerVersion" attribute at its "Package" XML Element. There I can specify which Windows Installer Version is required.
(Currently I do not require Installer 4.5 as it isn't deployed everywhere yet and I don't want to require customers to install the new installer on XP.)
Update:
Re-reading your question I get the impression that you use a Visual Studio Installer project. I believe you can't configure the Windows Installer Version there, but it defaults to Windows Installer 3.whatever (I'm not sure about the specific minor version). Setups created with that are compatible with Windows XP in any way.
I don't believe you WANT to require a newer version of Windows Installer when you use a Visual Studio setup project, as the setup project is very limited in what it can do. So to require a newer version of the installer you probably have a specific feature in mind (for example elevation on Vista). To use that feature you'd need a better tool to build installers anyways (like WIX, or Installshield or Wise or ...)