Summary

This article discusses how to launch a custom executable from an InstallShield project.

Synopsis

This article discusses how to launch a custom .exe from an InstallShield project and is applicable to Basic MSI and InstallScript MSI Project Types.

Discussion

InstallShield supports calling an .exe from within the Installation, Advertisement, or Administration sequence. Using the Custom Action Wizard, you can include a custom action to launch your executable.

To launch the Custom Action Wizard:

1. Open your setup project.
2. Click on Custom Actions in the view bar.
3. Right-click on Custom Actions and select the Custom Action Wizard.

The Custom Action Wizard presents a series of panels that allow you to specify the custom action's properties.

Basic Information Panel

Here, you name your custom action. You may enter a description for your custom action, however, this field is optional and used only for your own reference. It does not appear during the setup.

Action Type Panel

Select Launch an Executable for Action Type and to choose the Location, consult the following table:

Action Parameters Panel

For the Source field, specify the source executable. The way in which you do this will depend on the Location you specified in the previous panel. The Target should be any command line parameters you want to pass to the .exe.

Additional Options Panel

Here, you can check Wait for the action to finish executing, if you want the installation to wait for the custom action to finish before continuing.

Next, select an In-Script Execution option: 

• Select Immediate execution to launch the .exe as the installer processes the .msi package.
• Specify Deferred execution to queue the action and perform it in sequence with all of the other queued actions.
• Pick Rollback execution to indicate the .exe should be launched during a failed installation as the system is being restored to its original state.
• Choose Commit execution if you want the .exe to run after the installation is completed, after the InstallFinalize action.

Finally, select from the options provided for the Execution Scheduling option.

Add It to the Sequence

Select the Sequence in which you would like to execute this custom action and specify a Condition, if necessary.

In the case of custom actions that are Installed with the Product, you will need a condition of Not Installed. This will prevent the installer from trying to run an exe that is already removed during uninstallation.

There are certain restrictions, however. For example, you cannot insert a custom action before the InstallFiles action if the file referred to is installed by the setup.

If your custom action is going to be launched from a dialog, you do not need to add it to a sequence. Just add a DoAction event to one of the controls, and pass the name of your custom action as the argument. Then, the custom action will be launched when that dialog control is activated. Only Immediate execution custom actions can be launched from a dialog.