Installshield upgrade a patch with extra components

Question

We build our installs\releases using Install Shield. I have come to a situation where we have a patch that cannot be upgraded by a release with a higher version number, that is missing components included in the patch.

After releasing a full minor release (i.e. 7.2.0) we released a patch on a previous full minor release (i.e. 7.1.12).

The Patch 7.1.12 had files and components added that do not exist in 7.2.0. The patch is not uninstallable.

It is now impossible to upgrade 7.1.12 to 7.2.0 because of the missing components. Some customers specifically want to upgrade to 7.2.0 and not a later version (7.3.0) where the components can be added to fix the issue.

Short of uninstalling 7.1.12 and then installing 7.2.0 I couldn’t find any solution to fix.

Is there any way around this? Can we build a 7.1.13 as a bridge to somehow fix the mistake. Or use an argument when installing 7.2.0 to get around this.

I looked around the registry and I am trying to figure out if it is possible to remove the components through the registry. I tried deleting the component entries in the registry. that didn't do it. If I delete the product entry in the registry that works - but it must be overkill.
I also tried deleting the patch msi from C:\Windows\Installer but that didn't do it.
There must still be a way to unlink the component from the feature in the registry without deleting the entire product.

Answer 1

It sounds like you're trying to do a series of Minor Upgrades, with at least 7.1.12 delivered as a patch. Using minor upgrades imposes various limitations; anything that requires you to Change the Product Code must be avoided. In your case, note that adding components is allowed, but not the reverse:

• The update can add a new component to a new or an existing feature.

The product code must be changed if any of the following are true for the update:

• A component is removed from an existing feature.

In short, any modifications to the feature-component tree, other than the addition of new ones, is going to require changing the product code, and thus a Major Upgrade. Major upgrades perform an uninstallation behind the scenes, and thus are less restrictive about the changes they are allowed to deliver.

You have two options:

1. Use a major upgrade, or some other means of uninstalling the old installation before installing the new version. If possible, this is what I would recommend. Using minor upgrades often adds more difficulty than benefit (though your needs may differ).

2. Maintain the new components in your newer versions. Note that you do not necessarily have to maintain the resources within them:

   • The update can add, remove, or modify the files, registry keys, or shortcuts of components that are not shared by two or more features.

   But you will have to make additional changes to account for the changes to the resources. In your case, this probably will require additions to the RemoveFile table, and may be best served by "puncture component" pattern.

Spelunking through the registry for a workaround that modifies Windows Installer's bookkeeping is a bad idea. It may work, it may appear to work, or it may not work at all. In no case is it supported.

If both versions 7.1.12 and 7.2.0 are already publicly released, you're in a rough spot. I think your best bet there is to re-release 7.2.0 with a new product code and version, e.g. a 7.2.1 major upgrade. You can advise your end users that those already at 7.2.0 don't need to install it.