Easy MSI - A basic guide to Windows Installer

Chapter 3 - Files and more (Download Solution)

Exercise 3.1: The File table and file components

In this exercise you will install one single file named bgm.wav.

Open your blastermaster.msi package with InstEd and add the following new record to the Component table:

Next add the following record to the FeatureComponents table:

Finally add the following record to the File table:

Exercise 3.2: A handy utility for adding many files

In this exercise you will use the utility file_adder.hta for adding many files to your blastermaster.msi package.

Copy both the utility file_adder.hta and the installation sources to your projects folder.

Use the utility file_adder.hta as described in the book to add File, Component, and Feature_Components records for each file of the installation sources (except of the file bgm.wav which you already included in the exercise above. At the end your file table should contain the following files:

Then rename the entry File_high scores.txt to  File_highscores.txt (remove the empty space).

Finally mark all files, right-click them and click "Retrieve file details from external source path" in the context menu in order to update the FileSize, Version, and Language column values for each file.

Exercise 3.3: Including the source (uncompressed source outside)

In this exercise you will include the source located uncompressed outside of the MSI package (in an external tree).

Make sure all the files you added in the exercise above lie in the same folder as your blastermaster.msi package before you continue.

Then add the following new record to the Media table.

Note: If you install your blastermaster.msi now it will copy the files to the root folder of the drive with the largest available disk space (because we did not yet specify a value for the TARGETDIR property).

Exercise 3.4: Including the source (CAB outside)

In this exercise you wil include the source located in a CAB file outside of the MSI package.

Note: For an installation you will now need only the two files blastermaster.msi and blastermaster.cab located in the same folder.

Exercise 3.5: Including the source (CAB inside)

 this exercise you will include the source located in a CAB file inside of the MSI package.

Note: For an installation you will now need only the file blastermaster.msi.

Exercise 3.6: Setting the directory layout

In this exercise you will set the directory layout where the files will get installed on the target system.

Switch to the Component table add change the value of the Comp_File_manual_english.pdf and Comp_File_manual_german.pdf records’ Directory_ column to the following: Dir_Manuals_english and Dir_Manuals_german.

Once you you added the Components you might have noticed red errors indication that the Directory_ column of the Component table holds references to records in in the Directory table that do not yet exist. Thus, add the following records to the Directory table:

Another red error will indicate that the Directory_Parent column is not (yet) valid. Therefore, add another record for the parent directory to the Directory table.

Finally move the files manual_english.pdf and manual_german.pdf into the following sub folders:

C:\YourProjectDir\Manuals\english\manual_english.pdf

C:\YourProjectDir\Manuals\german\manual_german.pdf

Then rebuild your CAB by switching to the Media table, right-click, Rebuild selected CABs...

Exercise 3.7: Installing empty folders

In this exercise you will install an empty folder named "empty" on the target system.

First add the following record to the CreateFolder table:

Once you added the record red errors will be shown, indicating that the foreign key references to the Directory and to the Component table could not be resolved. 

Thus, add the following new records to the Directory and Component tables:

Finally link the new component with a feature via the FeatureComponents table:

Exercise 3.8: Moving, duplicating, and removing files

In this exercise you will move, duplicate, and remove files.

First the file C:\WINDOWS\notify.wav shall be copied to the installation target directory under the new name C:\BlasterMaster\notifier.wav.

Therefore add the following new record to the MoveFile table:

Next add the Prop_Path_notify.wav property to the Property table:

Then add a component that controls the execution of the MoveFiles action to the Component table and link it with a feature via the FeatureComponents table:

In a next step the file C:\BlasterMaster\bgm.wav (which is installed with the package) shall be duplicated as file C:\BlasterMaster\bgm2.wav.

Therefore add the following new record to the DuplicateFile table:

Then add a component that controls the execution of the DuplicateFiles action to the Component table and link it with a feature via the FeatureComponents table:

When you uninstall the package, you will notice that the file "notifier.wav" (which comes by the MoveFile action), is not removed.

For getting rid of that file during uninstallation you have to explicetely remove it using the RemoveFile table:

Finally, add the "Comp_RemoveFile_notifier.wav" record to the Component table and link it with the "BlasterMaster" feature by adding a new record to the FeatureComponents table.

Exercise 3.9: Reorganizing the feature-component tree

In this exercise you will modify the following records of the FeatureComponents table. All other records stay linked to the default feature Feature_BlasterMaster.

Exercise 3.10: .NET Assemblies

Purpose of this exercise is to author the tables MsiAssembly and MsiAssemblyName in order to install a .NET assembly.

First go to the Component table and change the KeyPath value for the Comp_File_NET.Library.dll component to File_NET.Library.dll.

Then add the following record to the MsiAssembly table:

Next add the following records to the MsiAssemblyName table:

Exercise 3.11: Registering for COM

In this exercise you will register a DLL for COM. 

First add the following new record to the Component table:

Then link the component with a feature via the FeatureComponents table:

Then open a Visual Studio CMD shell and call 

regasm.exe Ionic.Zip.Reduced.dll /regfile:myregfile.reg

Then import the .reg file into the Registry table as described earlier in the book (right-click component, import reg file ...).

Exercise 3.12: Setting Environment Variables

In this exercise you will set an environment variable using the Environment table. Thus, add the following new record to the Environment table:

Once the Environement table is done, add the Component and the FeatureComponents records:

Exercise 3.13: File Shortcuts

In this exercise you will create a desktop shortcut to the BlasterMaster.exe.

Before you start this exercise, download the tool IconExplorer.

Now add the following new record to the Directory table:

Use the tool IconExplorer to find out the Index for the "Star" Icon in the C:\Windows\System32\shell32.dll (43).

Then stream the file C:\Windows\System32\shell32.dll into the Icon table: 

Finally, add the following record to the Shortcut table:

Exercise 3.14: Advertised Shortcuts

In this exercise you will modify the desktop shortcut from the exercise above to an advertised shortcut.

First change the Target field of the Shortcut table for the Sc_Desktop_Blastermaster.exe shortcut to Feature_BlasterMaster.

For transforming the advertised shortcut to a non-advertised shortcut again just set the DISABLEADVTSHORTCUTS property to 1 in the Property table: