Summary

Synopsis

If you want your installation to install or uninstall another product before or after your product is actually installed, you should create a custom action that launches msiexec with the appropriate arguments.

Discussion

Create the Custom Action

First, create a property pointing to msiexec using the Property Manager. Name you property, using any name, except one that has already been used. In this example, the name will be "MSIEXEC." In all cases, the value column should have "msiexec," (no quotes for either).

Next, create your custom action using the custom action wizard. Select the Type "Launch an executable" and select "Stored in a Property" for Location.

The Source should be MSIEXEC (substituting your property name) and the target will vary.

The Custom Action's Target

The arguments to msiexec will be specified here.

To install a product, use the /i switch, followed by the path to the msi package. The path should include the msi file itself and must be surrounded by quotes if there are any spaces. If you want to uninstall a product, use /x, followed by the GUID or the path to the msi package. At this time, you may add any other msiexec command line switches necessary to the target.

Listed below are example target fields that may be used in this custom action. See the topic "Command Line Options" in Knowledge Base article Q103227 "INFO: Where Can I Get the Windows Installer SDK?" to find out what else you can do with msiexec.

Finish and Insert the Custom Action

You may accept the default values in the wizard for the rest of the options. The In-Script Execution Option should remain "Immediate." It is safe to change the rest of them, but it is advisable to keep "Wait for execution to finish" checked, because the Windows Installer Service will not allow more than one installation to enter the Execute sequence concurrently. It may error out if this occurs.

Finally, either insert your custom action into the UI sequence, or add a DoAction event to a dialog control to trigger your custom action.

Restriction

The type of in-script execution for this custom action must be Immediate Execution, and it must run in the UI sequence, because the Windows Installer Service will not allow more than one installation to enter the Execute sequence.

Related KB Articles

Additional Information

For more information on the approach described, see the InstallShield Help Library topics

? Launching Custom Actions from Dialogs
? Triggering Control Events in Basic MSI Dialogs