InstallSite Blog

Acresso announces end of life for InstallShield 11.x and InstallAnywhere 7, special upgrade discount offer

On August 27, 2008, Acresso announced the end of life of InstallShield 11 and 11.5. This includes Premier, Professional and Express Editions and all languages of these Editions. Acresso also announced the end of life of InstallAnywhere 7.x.

To stay current with the latest Acresso release, InstallShield 11.x and InstallAnywhere 7.x users can purchase the latest version of InstallShield (for Windows support) or InstallAnywhere (for multiplatform support) - depending on their existing version and edition - at the upgrade price through December 31, 2008. After December 31, 2008, they will need to purchase a new license of the latest version of InstallShield or InstallAnywhere at the regular full license price in order to stay current.

• InstallShield End-of-Life Notice
• InstallAnywhere End-of-Life Notice

Special upgrade discount through September 30, 2008

Customers who want to upgrade from InstallShield 11.x or InstallAnywhere 7.x to the latest version can get an extra 10% discount off of the upgrade price when ordering before September 30, 2008 (please contact your preferred reseller for discount code).

You can buy InstallShield and InstallAnywhere in the InstallSite Shop

InstallShield 2009 Express available

On August 27, 2008 Acresso released version 2009 of InstallShield Express, completing the InstallShield 2009 product family: Premier, Professional and Express.

New features in this version include:

• Setup Prerequisites based on feature selection
• Visual Studio 2008 support
• MSI 4.5 Support
• Adobe Flash support on billboards
• Windows Mobile 6.x support and other improvements for Windows Mobile
• Value Added Service - you can (optionally) install the Yahoo! Toolbar with your setup, which might be useful if your product is ad-funded.

Support for Adobe Flash animations on the billboards that are displayed during file copy is currently only available in the Express edition.

Webinar: What's New in InstallShield 2009 Express Edition 
Registration required. WARNING: Anyone who knows your e-mail address can retrieve the information you entered during registration, so be careful what you enter as address, phone number, company revenue, etc.

You can buy InstallShield in the InstallSite Shop

New Advanced Installer 6.5 brings Windows Installer 4.5 support and WiX import

On August 19th, 2008 Caphyon Ltd. announced the latest edition of its Windows Installer authoring tool. The new Advanced Installer enables developers and system administrators to easily build and repackage complex applications into reliable, ready to deploy MSI and EXE installers, patches and on-line updates.

The 6.5 version completes the full implementation of Windows Installer
4.5 features. Embed multiple MSIs in a unified setup package and install them chained in a single, atomic transaction.

A new WiX import feature helps you leverage existing installer projects while at the same time giving you access to the numerous Advanced Installer features and capabilities.

Collect user information during install and POST it to your server with the included predefined Custom Action. With just one click specify your software dependencies using one of the newly added prerequisites and launch conditions.

Other improvements in this version:

• Complete Windows Installer 4.5 feature support
• WiX projects import
• .NET Native Image Generation 2.0 support
• .NET Native Image Generation support for assemblies installed in GAC
• User info collection and retrieval custom action
• Support for discrete "INI entry removal" operation
• Windows Installer 4.5 predefined Prerequisites
• SQL Server compact edition predefined prerequisite
• Visual C++ 2005 SP1 redistributable predefined prerequisite
• Visual C++ 2008 redistributable predefined prerequisite
• MS XML Parser predefined prerequisite
• Acrobat Reader 9.0 predefined prerequisite
• Acrobat Reader 9.0 predefined launch condition
• DirectX predefined launch condition

Advanced Installer is available in four editions, starting with the Freeware community edition and offering a 30-day trial period for the other editions.

For more information about Advanced Installer please see:
www.installsite.biz/advancedinstaller.htm

(Text based on a press release from Caphyon Ltd.)

Clean install taken literal, or how to solve error 1335

Error code 1335 means: "The cabinet file '[2]' required for this installation is corrupt and cannot be used. This could indicate a network error, an error reading from the CD-ROM, or a problem with this package."

Software maker Encore, Inc. recommends a "clean install" to fix this problem:

When attempting to install The Print Shop® 22, an error that includes the message "Error 1335..." appears. A conflict during the installation may cause this issue. Completing a clean installation of the program will help to prevent conflicts that can occur. The remainder of this note describes the procedure.

Complete the steps below to reduce conflicts during the installation.

Clean the CD or DVD

1. Place a small amount of nonabrasive, liquid soap on the shiny side of the CD or DVD.
2. Using your fingertips and warm water, gently rub the soap on the disc in a circular motion.
3. Rinse the disc thoroughly and dry it using a clean, soft T-shirt or lint-free towel. Do not use paper towels or tissue paper.
4. Install the program.

I couldn't help but laugh when I read these instructions for a "clean install". But seriously: Cleaning the CD might actually help if the error is caused by stains on the CD.

Pantaray adds MSI support to QSetup, releases free SuperOrca MSI editor

The QSetup family of products from Pantaray Research Ltd. used to produce setup programs for Windows using proprietary technology for many years. With the release of QSetup 9.0 Panatray recently added the ability to create setup files in the form of an MSI file as well as a traditional EXE file. Developers can decide at any time whether to generate an EXE or MSI installation from the same project definition. QSetup also includes an auto-update tool to notify end users when a new version of a product is available. MSI Support is only included in the PRO edition, not in the Studio or Lite editions.

Pantary also released a free MSI editor they call "SuperOrca". It is a direct replacement to the Orca MSI Editor from Microsoft. SuperOrca version 1.X is distributed free of charge.

• Pantaray web site
• Purchase QSetup PRO

Deploying VSTO Office Add-Ins with Windows Installer

If you are creating Office add-ins you may find this two-part MSDN article useful. It describes how to install add-ins created with Visual Studio Tools for Office (VSTO) using Windows Installer. The article uses Visual Studio to create the MSI.

• Deploying a Visual Studio Tools for the Office System 3.0 Solution for the 2007 Microsoft Office System Using Windows Installer (Part 1 of 2)
• Deploying a Visual Studio Tools for the Office System 3.0 Solution for the 2007 Microsoft Office System Using Windows Installer (Part 2 of 2)