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May 09, 2010 How to create a simple Windows Installer Package. How to configure a Shared Network Printer in Windows 7, 8, or 10. How to create an MSI installer package quickly and easily. This video shows how to use the monitoring feature of EMCO MSI Package Builder to create an MSI that installs fonts in Windows and performs other custom deployment steps.
An installation package contains all of the information that the Windows Installer requires to install or uninstall an application or product and to run the setup user interface. Each installation package includes an .msi file, containing an installation database, a summary information stream, and data streams for various parts of the installation. The .msi file can also contain one or more transforms, internal source files, and external source files or cabinet files required by the installation.
Application developers must author an installation to use the installer. Because the installer organizes installations around the concept of components and features, and stores all information about the installation in a relational database, the process of authoring an installation package broadly entails the following steps:
- Identify the features to be presented to users.
- Organize the application into components.
- Populate the installation database with information.
- Validate the installation package.
The next section discusses installer components and features. For more information, see Components and Features. The choice of features is commonly determined by the application's functionality from the user's perspective.
It is recommended that developers use a standard procedure for choosing components. For more information, see Organizing Applications into Components.
Package authors can use third-party package creation tools, or a table editor and the Windows Installer SDK, to populate the installation database. All installation packages need to be validated for internal consistency. For more information, see Package Validation.
So I have a compliled matlab code, 'Example.exe'...I want to create an installer package that does the following:
My exe file will reside on a network drive.
My installer will first ask the user for the installation path.
It will then copy the exe (along with some other supporting files) in the given path....IF the folder already exists, it will ask the user for overwrite confirmation.
After the copying is done, my installer will ask the user if they want to install the MCR and accordingly install it(or not).
After everything is done, a shortcut to the exe is created on the desktop.
My question is, is there some installer package generator that can do all this ?? I understand matlab can create an installer package, but I want my file to be copied from the network drive. I also don't have Visual Studio so, can't create an msi.
2 Answers
There is no simple way to do that. But if you tightly tied to Windows platform, you definitely can learn Windows Installer technology. It's NOT related to Visual Studio!
Just download WiX toolset (it is free and Open Source!) and learn MSDN docs about Windows Installer.
But it is complex way, remember. You can spent months learning how to make great Windows installers.
Ofcourse, you can use Inno Setup or NSIS, but I don't recommend that, because them re-engineer installer technology instead of native Windows Installer's.
If you want, I can learn you by Skype or something like. :-)Or (isn't great offer?) I can write the installer for you and send you all code and describe which for what is.
There's a simple way to do this, you'll need a software called IExpress, It can create a self-extracting executable (.EXE) or a compressed Cabinet (.CAB) file using the provided interface (IExpress Wizard). Its included in all versions of windows (I think..). To run the IExpress Wizard, go to your local drive then: WindowsSystem32, Search for 'iexpress' then run the program.then...
Follow these steps:
1. Run iexpress.exe
2. Create a new 'Self Extraction Directive' file
3. Extract files only
4. Specify the title, promt user options, license, etc
5. Start adding files to your package
7. Specify other options (window, message)
8. Enter the path where you want your package to be.
Then you're almost done, create your package (might take a few mins), distribute it, upload it and all.
For more details visit http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/how-to-make-an-exe-installation-file/