CODEWITHSUNDEEP
windows-installerexe
Tana
Tana

Reputation: 306

What is the best tool kit to transform .msi into .exe?

I would like to encapsulate a .msi into an .exe in order to add:

  1. Hardcode folder location, example C:\Program Files (x86)\TEST\
  2. Add installation version file
  3. Use silent installation
  4. Use of command line switches (install/uninstall)
  5. Log generation
  6. Add Windows Registry foot prints

Upvotes: 1

Views: 5302

Answers (1)

Stein Åsmul
Stein Åsmul

Reputation: 42126

MSI Customization: Customization of MSI files for installation is a built-in feature of the technology. there are two primary ways to customize the installation:

  1. Light Weight: You can set PUBLIC properties on the command line as a light weight form of customization, sample here and here, or...

    msiexec.exe /i setup.msi ADDLOCAL="Core,Spell" SERIALKEY="1234-1234" /qn

  2. Heavy Weight: Use transforms (database fragments of changes) to make large changes to the whole installer - you can change almost anything in the whole package.

    msiexec.exe /i setup.msi TRANSFORMS="mytransform.mst" /qn

Tools: Major MSI tools - the major tools available to make and customize MSI files. And some (primarily) free MSI tools. Orca can be used to make transforms - customization fragments for MSI files. See that last link for how to get it downloaded / installed.

msiexec.exe Command Line: The msiexec.exe command line is complex and somewhat unusual:

There is this ancient tool that can help to build command lines. No longer officially available, but it might be gotten from archives.

Links:

Further: Further links - just for reference, the above should suffice.

Upvotes: 1

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