Advice for deploying VSTA v1.0 under Windows Vista

Hello,

is there some advice how to deploy VSTA v1.0 under Windows Vista? We encounter some problems with registering the host id. This problem is not existent in deploying to Windows XP.

Actually the deploying happens als follows:

- vsta_aide.msi is installed using a bootstrapper installer for the application
- the application msi contains a merge module with all needed VSTA stuff
  * proxy files are installed in the GAC
  * a custom action with the command "[Path]vsta.exe /hostid Xtract_AddIn /setup" is executed

The problem is that the execution of the msi fails with the following error:

MSI (s) (B0:DC) [14:21:39:348]: Doing action: reg_VSTA.EB26FCB0_1BBC_4F33_828B_BF41BE956D10
Action 14:21:39: reg_VSTA.EB26FCB0_1BBC_4F33_828B_BF41BE956D10.
Action start 14:21:39: reg_VSTA.EB26FCB0_1BBC_4F33_828B_BF41BE956D10.
MSI (s) (B0:DC) [14:21:42:879]: Note: 1: 1722 2: reg_VSTA.EB26FCB0_1BBC_4F33_828B_BF41BE956D10 3: C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 8\Common7\IDE\ 4: C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 8\Common7\IDE\vsta.exe /hostid Xtract_AddIn /setup
Error 1722. There is a problem with this Windows Installer package. A program run as part of the setup did not finish as expected. Contact your support personnel or package vendor. Action reg_VSTA.EB26FCB0_1BBC_4F33_828B_BF41BE956D10, location: C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 8\Common7\IDE\, command: C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 8\Common7\IDE\vsta.exe /hostid Xtract_AddIn /setup
MSI (s) (B0:DC) [14:21:51:207]: Product: Xtract DCore DevPack 3.0.1rc1 -- Error 1722. There is a problem with this Windows Installer package. A program run as part of the setup did not finish as expected. Contact your support personnel or package vendor. Action reg_VSTA.EB26FCB0_1BBC_4F33_828B_BF41BE956D10, location: C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 8\Common7\IDE\, command: C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 8\Common7\IDE\vsta.exe /hostid Xtract_AddIn /setup

Action ended 14:21:51: reg_VSTA.EB26FCB0_1BBC_4F33_828B_BF41BE956D10. Return value 3.
Action ended 14:21:51: INSTALL. Return value 3.

If one deinstalls the msi and installs ist again, it works. It looks like the VSTA.exe is able to some stuff during first execution of the msi so it is able to finish in the second try.


Remark: We are using WIX 3 for deploying and the custom action looks like:

<CustomAction Id="reg_VSTA" Directory="D_IDE" ExeCommand='[D_IDE]vsta.exe /hostid Xtract_AddIn /setup' Execute='deferred' Impersonate="no"/>

Hi,

Does the install work correctly if you launch the "[Path]vsta.exe /hostid Xtract_AddIn /setup"
Asynchronous and not wait for the return value?

<CustomAction Id="reg_VSTA" Directory="D_IDE" ExeCommand='[D_IDE]vsta.exe /hostid Xtract_AddIn /setup' Execute='deferred' Impersonate="no" Return="asyncNoWait"/>

 

 

Hi jimg,

we tried your suggestion with mixed results. With the following setting

    <InstallExecuteSequence>
      <Custom Action="reg_VSTA" Before="InstallFinalize"/>
    </InstallExecuteSequence>

    <CustomAction Id="reg_VSTA" Directory="D_IDE" ExeCommand='[D_IDE]vsta.exe /hostid Xtract_AddIn /setup' Execute='deferred' Impersonate="no" Return="asyncNoWait"/>

we get the effect that WIX places the custom action in the installation sequence after(!) the InstallFinalize which leads to an error during installation. If we use Orca to move the custom action before the InstallFinalize, the custom action completes successfully.

So we have a way to manually correct the installers that the custom action succeeds but the WIX bug with the placement of the custom action is very annoying due to the fact that we build our installers automatically and have a good handfull of them. Do you have a tip for us how to place the custom action in the <InstallExecuteSequence> so WIX will create a valid installer?

Hello,

I am not sure why the custom action is scheduled after InstallFinalize. You can try to schedule it after PublishProduct.
I think you should also place a condition on it (not run during uninstall)

<InstallExecuteSequence>
     <Custom Action="reg_VSTA" After="PublishProduct">NOT Installed</Custom>
</InstallExecuteSequence>

If this does not help, Can you zip up a small repro case of this and email it to vstasupport@summsoft.com

  

 

Not sure if this is related, but...

At the VSX conference, I heard of the concept of a 'setup.exe bootstrapper' that is used to elevate privileges through the whole install process, much like 'run as adminstrator' does. 

http://tinyurl.com/uac-devenv-setup