Installing with InstallShield X

[Chris Williamson]

Hi,

I am trying to build an installation that includes the NI graphing components. I have added the following merge modules to my InstallShield project:

Microsoft C Runtime 6.0
NI Installer Utilities
Base components for running Measurement Studio
NIMesaDLL
Measurement Studio User Interface Common Classes
Measurement Studio User Interface Winforms Classes

When my project is built, these modules are combined into a single stub .msi file, which is then added to the main installation cab file.

However, the installation does not work, and none of the merge modules are installed. Experimentation has shown that in order for the National Instruments components to be installed correctly, the "Upgrade Code" field needs to contain a value (any valid GUID seems to work.)

I can add a value to this field manually, but that doesn't do any good (as by the time I can edit the msi stub file, the installation has already been built.)

Has anyone here got a workaround for this problem?
Why does NI require that the "Upgrade Code" is entered?

I have seen a similar problem posted in the labview forums, but the msm files posted are the same as the ones I already have.

Here is a short extract from the log for the installation:


NIMUPersistPartRegInfo: Version=1.2.1.122
NIMUPersistPartRegInfo: Build date=7/8/2004 10:59:35 PM
NIMUPersistPartRegInfo: Starting action...
GetNIMUComponentFeature: Entering subroutine...
GetNIMUComponentFeature: Created Faux ComponentId {DF75507B-6087-4AA9-9D3E-889293EC0053}
GetNIMUComponentFeature: Created feature "NIMUFeature" for component to go under.
GetNIMUComponentFeature: Leaving subroutine.
NIMURegPartInfo: Starting action...
NIMURegPartInfo: About to get properties
UpgradeCodeError - (null) must have a value - exiting.

thanks,

Chris Williamson

[jlaney]

Hello Chris,

I don't think that that error has anything to do with the installation. It is a custom action that runs for some specific stuff we do in our installations, but it failing does not prevent any files making it down to your system. This has been tested many times and has never shown a problem.

Do you see any error dialogs while installing? How about building? We have had issue with InstallShield in the past when it is doing it's merge process on certain MSMs as well as breaking completely. Are other merge modules working, from other verndors such as Microsoft? Do you also have LabVIEW installed? CVI? I ask because they were registring a COM component over the one InstallShield uses in the past (Fixed in version 7.1 of both apps).

If you supply me the MSI (or CAB the MSI is in) I can take a look at it, and run it with logging and see what is happening.

Regards,
Jeff
NI

[Chris Williamson]

I disagree - the error is definitely connected to the problem.

If I take the MSI stub file generated by InstallShield and try to use it without the rest of the installation it fails (shortly after the steup starts, before any user input, a dialog is shown indicating the setup has been aborted.)

If I add in an "Upgrade code" and then re-run the msi setup everything works fine.

I'd also suggest that when the log file dislays the word "exiting" half-way through an installation then a fatal problem has occurred.

And no - I don't have any problems with other merge modules (e.g. the msvc runtime installs ok)
The pc does not have either LabView or CVI installed.

Could you give me an email address to which I can send the erroneous msi file?

[jlaney]

My email is:

jeff.laney@ni.com

[CharlesB64]

Hi, I'm having exactly the same problem (identical log), but I'm using WiX (see this post).
Did you managed to make your MSI work?

[SachaE]

Hi,

  an answer has been given on the other post here :

http://forums.ni.com/ni/board/message?board.id=170&message.id=168880

Thanks

Sacha Emery
National Instruments (UK)