MSI Readiness Analyzer for Windows Vista

ScriptLogic offers a free tool called "MSI Readiness Analyzer for Windows Vista".

MSI Readiness Analyzer for Windows Vista is a free standalone utility for IT professionals which analyzes MSI application installers and highlights methods to prepare them for Windows Vista. MSI Readiness Analyzer shows where application installers can take advantage of new technology in Vista, and also where problems might occur.

You don't need to register for the download, not even your e-mail address. That's nice.

Niceness stops when you read the EULA:

ScriptLogic, or its representative, may audit your usage of the Software at any of your facilities.  ScriptLogic may make copies of any information as part of the audit, and you will cooperate with such audit.

Scary. But I still proceeded because I wanted to give the tool a try.

The analyzer runs validation quite similar to the ICE validation tools available elsewhere. It does some extra checks, but with questionable value in my opinion. Plus they mix the output with  advertisement for their paid product, like:

  • Vista's Restart Manager will be enabled for this installation. Using Desktop Authority MSI Studio you can disable it.
  • A restart will occur if one is required. Using Desktop Authority MSI Studio you can change this behavior to always require a reboot, or to never reboot.

However in my test the analyzer didn't report a deferred custom action that was set to run with impersonation instead of system context, which is one of the most common problems that cause setups to fail on Windows Vista. So the tool is of no use for me.

http://www.scriptlogic.com/products/msi-readiness-analyzer/

Published Tue, Jun 19 2007 9:20 by stefan
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Comments

# re: MSI Readiness Analyzer for Windows Vista

Thanks for taking a look at our new MSI Readiness Analyzer - feedback is essential for us to refine and improve our products.

We will update the utility in the near future with an updated EULA and also add more checks along the lines you have suggested.

As you say, MSI Readiness Analyzer contains a number of references to Desktop Authority MSI Studio, our main product for MSI editing, packaging and repackaging. Our goal was to make sure that the user is aware that we have another product (www.scriptlogic.com/.../DA_MSIstudio) which can fix the potential problems highlighted by the Analyzer. We can certainly try and find less obtrusive way to achieve the same result in future revisions.

Thanks again for taking the time to review our product.

Regards,

Jon Rolls, Director of Product Management, ScriptLogic Corporation

Wednesday, June 20, 2007 4:48 AM by Jon Rolls, ScriptLogic Corporation