Summary

This article discusses how to configure an installer to create a Windows Registry entry with Type REG_NONE for Windows file type association.

Synopsis

Since there is currently no built-in functionality for configuring an installer to register Windows file type associations, it is necessary to configure the installer to create the necessary Windows Registry entries instead. To accomplish this, it may be necessary to create a Windows Registry entry of Type REG_NONE, as described in the Microsoft documentation here, specifically under the OpenWithProgIDs Section.

Discussion

InstallAnywhere currently does not support creating a Windows Registry entry of Type REG_NONE through the Set Windows Registry Entry Action. So this article discusses a possible workaround.

Here are the steps for the possible workaround:

1. Create a new text file in a text editor.
2. Define the Windows Registry entry. For example:

   Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
   
   [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\MyIATest\MyNewKey]
   "MyProgID"=hex(0):

3. Save the text file as a Windows Registry (.reg) file. For example, test.reg without the .txt file extension.
4. Create a project in the InstallAnywhere IDE.
5. Add the Windows Registry file to $USER_INSTALL_DIR$ under the Install Task.
6. Add an Execute Script/Batch file Action after this File Action.
7. Configure the Execute Script/Batch file Action with the following Script:

8. $WIN_WINDOWS$$/$regedit.exe /s "$USER_INSTALL_DIR$$/$test.reg"

   where test.reg is the name of the Windows Registry file.
9. Build the project.
10. Run the installer as an Administrator.

Additional Information

There is an Enhancement request for functionality for creating a Windows Registry entry of Type REG_NONE through a Set Windows Registry Entry Action with Issue# IOJ-1734266.

For more information about the Set Windows Registry Entry Action, see this article.