Tips & Tricks for MSI Packaging

In case there are more than one shortcut in the Start Menu, they will be moved to a “application folder” under Programs. This folder is either named by the application or by the software producer.

●     Shortcuts must be created as advertised shortcuts, to support the self-repair feature

●     Shortcuts related to Readme/URL/Documentation/Manual etc should not be present. They must be removed from a Windows Installer package if they are installed by default.

A windows installer package may have several dependencies such as:

●     Before installation of the packaged application we have to install some other standard applications like .net framework 3.5 SP1 or SP2 etc.

●     Installation of the packages  in a specific order

●     Requires a system reboot after the installation

Such information must be documented clearly in the application packaging questionnaire and provided to the application packaging team. The management of these dependencies becomes an operational task within the application deployment mechanism.

∙          Patches MSP’s cannot update certain attributes of a windows installer packa              it does not have a database like a MSI package.

Some applications inherit a function to automatically search for updates in the Internet. These automatic updates features must be disabled.

No uninstall icons must be installed in the Start menu or somewhere else on the desktop.

The uninstall button must be disabled in “Programs and Features” to restrict users from uninstalling the applications.

If an application tries to restart explorer or asks a prompt (task bar reappears), apply any one of following properties:

MSIRESTARTMANAGERCONTROL = Disable                       OR

you would need to use both of these: 

  MSIRESTARTMANAGERCONTROL=Disable 
  REBOOT=ReallySuppress

For Reference on the above topic. Please read it only if required:

Try setting WixUIRMOption=DontUseRM on the command line. The default in 
WiX installers is to set WixUIRMOption to "UseRM", and I'm guessing 
that's what is used when the dialog is not shown. 
However: that property only affects the RmShutdownAndRestart event 
(https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa371365%28v=vs.85%29.aspx), 
and that should not matter at all if the MSIRESTARTMANAGERCONTROL 
property is set to "Disable"

I think you have to set a policy on your computer(s) to disable the 
restart manager, because as it says here: 
https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/aa372466%28v=vs.85%29.aspx 

"Silent UI level installations always shut down applications and 
services, and on Windows Vista, always use Restart Manager." 

So you have to set the "DisableAutomaticApplicationShutdown" policy as 
described here: 
https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa368298%28v=vs.85%29.aspx 
to "2". 

Setting "DisableAutomaticApplicationShutdown" = 1 keeps 
Explorer from restarting, but your MSI returns a return code of "0", not 
"3010" which indicates everything went smoothly and no restart is required. 
Is that correct? (Setting "DisableAutomaticApplicationShutdown" = 2 did not 
keep Explorer from restarting by the way). 

Perhaps those don't have a MsiRMFilesInUse dialog included? If that 
dialog is missing in the msi, the restart manager is disabled

You could try to remove the MsiRMFilesInUse dialog from the msi: if that 
dialog is not there, the restart manager is not used.

The installer sets properties using the following order of precedence.

Properties specified by the operating environment. 


2. Public properties set on the command line. 


3. Public properties listed by the AdminProperties property set during an administrative installation. 


4. Public or private properties set during the application of a transform. 


5. Public or private property that set by authoring the Property table of the .MSI file.



ISCHECKFORPRODUCTUPDATES: A public property to stop application from checking for updates.