[Updated] InstallRite & InstallWatch Pro v2.5c AddOns

[ricktendo64]

InstallWatch Pro v2.5c
Updated July-14-2007
MD5: 9A785AD9409F51AE2353115D22EEA581
Size: 1.92 MB



InstallRite v2.5c
Updated July-14-2007
MD5: CAA2CE0070AF727A5A911BDE8CD56ED6
Size: 2.32 MB
Website: http://www.epsilonsquared.com/

Changelog:

July-14-07
- Fixed DLL not getting registered and program not loading
July-11-07
- Updated INF's of both (now uses RunPostSetupCommands to create empty folders)

[ricktendo64]

Updated... See changelog for details

[rootfile]

If I create a string called %dir% pointing to, say, D:\MyApps, and substituted it for every instance of 16422 in your inf. Would your addon still work? I tried testing it in my usual manner by right clicking on the inf and browsing for the directory containing the cabinet install files. But this time it only installed all the uninstall info in InstallWatch Pro v2.5c and quit.

[Mitsuko Aninikkou]

Well, going by the [DestinationDirs] section, it's a bit more complicated than that:

[DestinationDirs]
Main.App = 16422,%IWP% = %ProgramFiles%\Epsilon Squared\InstallWatch Pro
Database.Files = 16422,%DATA% = %ProgramFiles%\Epsilon Squared\InstallWatch Pro\Databases
DAO.Files = 16427,%DAO% = %CommonProgramFiles%\Microsoft Shared\DAO
Uninstall.Short = 16407,%SUB% = %AllUsersProfile%\Start Menu\Programs\InstallWatch Pro 2.5
Uninstall.Files = 10 = %WinDir%
sys32.Files = 11 = %WinDir%\System32

[rootfile]

16422 is replaced with %MyDir%, where's the complexity?

[ricktendo64]

Code: Select all

Main.App = -1,"D:\MyApps"

Use -1, followed by the FULL Path

[Mitsuko Aninikkou]

I only meant that some (presumably important) files get copied to directories other than %16422%. But I posted that at 5 AM, and reading this now I guess you just want to install the program elsewhere. Your idea should work, just make sure the reg entries all point to the right places (if you just replace 16422 with %MyDir%, in atleast one place you'll end up with %%MyDir%%, which in your example will be translated to %C:\MyApps% in the registry.. which wouldn't work)

[rootfile]

OK. So is Main.App the only place I need to put the new path (and presumablly do a search and deletion of 16422 throughout the inf file)? Thanks again.

[ricktendo64]

OK. So is Main.App the only place I need to put the new path

NO!
You need to learn a little more about DestinationDirs and CopyFiles before going any further... You have to change ALL OF THEM, each CopyFiles section to its own sub folder in "D:\MyApps". But I cant explain right now so you are going to have to wait a bit.

[rootfile]

OK. Just to bring this thread to a close & help anyone else who had my dilemma, if you want to install an addon to another path other than the default program files directory, you insert;

Code: Select all

 -1,"D:\XXX" in the appropriate fields under [DestinationDirs] 

where D:\XXX is the full path to the installation 

Then subsitute the full path for most instances of 16422 or %16422%, as ricktendo64's response to my initial question pointed out.

However, it is, as Mitsuko suggests, a little tricky because some files

Code: Select all

 16422,%DAO%,Dao350.dll,1 

in the case of InstallRite, for example, should remain in ProgramFiles even though the main files are in another directory. Also, in many cases, I would assume altering the default directory would break any uninstaller packaged in the cab. In that instance, you can either: (1) do a trial install of the full application to the path you want, save the uninstaller, delete the program and make a new cabinet file from the uninstaller & log file or (2) delete any uninstaller files in the original cabinet and use ricktendo64's guide to construct an .inf installer that removes its own setup files.

Hope this helps.

P.S. No offense to Mitsuko & ricktendo64, I just wanted to get some clarification on how to install to non-default directories. That’s what I thought forums like this were for. I've never seen an .inf installer point to a non-Windows defined path, so I was looking for some guidance.

[Mitsuko Aninikkou]

I dunno about the dll file having to be in the default place - it seems a bit far-fetched to me that the absolute path to it would be hard-coded into the program - but otherwise you are correct.

[rootfile]

I'm sure you are right about the .dll not being hard coded. I'm just talking about a quick and dirty cut and paste job on an existing addon. You could probably move the .dll to the new path with the rest of the program files but then you'd have to test it and probably have to remove the DAO.Files file statements throughout the .inf. This is just a hobby for me. That sounds too much like work

[ricktendo64]

As long as the DLL is registered then it doesn't really matter (I think) where it is located

EDIT: Just found a typo in the addon. I have to update it because Dao350.dll is not getting registered

[rootfile]

On my puter, MS already has a version dao360.dll in %programfiles%Common Files\Microsoft Shared\DAO. I've been testing InstallRite without the older DAO. And I haven't encountered any problems yet. Just trying to see if I can jettison some unecessary files....

EDIT: Never mind! Just found ricks inctrl5. Much smaller addon, does the same thing, more modern, less complexity, and keeps settings in an .ini file. Sweeeet!.

[ricktendo64]

Fixed RegisterDLLs bug that was stopping the program from loading.

Yea InCtrl5 addon is pretty customizable, the uninstaller is too. But IMO InstallWatch is best for addon making cause you can export the registry changes to a .REG file and use Reg2Inf on it.