CODEWITHSUNDEEP
vb6installshield
DrZ
DrZ

Reputation: 181

Is it InstallShield Express 4 or Windows 7 causing me issues when I install a VB6 application

I'm using a very old version of InstallShield Express 4 to package my VB6 application. Installing it on XP, it works great. But when I install it on a Windows 7 box, not using the "run as administrator", everything seems to be read-only. I can't edit an INI file because access is denied. The application just doesn't function properly. It's almost like it can't even access the folder. And it's installed in the default "program files" folder. I uninstall the application, reinstall using the "run as administrator" option, set compatibility of the short cut to "run as administrator", and everything works fine.

My question is this something inherited in VB6 where the application has to run as administrator or is it an InstallShield issue? And if it is an InstallShield Express issue, would the latest version of InstallSheild Express 2012 fix this? I would prefer the user not have to worry about installing or running the application as an administrator.

Upvotes: 0

Views: 1260

Answers (2)

MarkJ
MarkJ

Reputation: 30398

Yes, there is something specifically wrong with your VB6 app. It is storing its data in the wrong place. Your application cannot access the program files folder, unless it is running as administrator. This is due to User Account Control, as explained in gsabil's answer.

Here are some solutions (the best one last)

  • Always run the VB6 app as administrator.
  • Turn User Account Control off. This opens some security holes and is not recommended
  • Make your install program change the permissions on your installation directory, granting write access for all users. This is rather a hack, but it could be a fast way to get your program working
  • Change your application (not your install program) so that it stores its data in %AppData% rather than in the installation directory. This is preferable. Here is some detailed advice on how to do this in VB6

Upvotes: 2

gsbabil
gsbabil

Reputation: 7703

Nothing is specifically wrong with your VB6 application. I would say it's the older version of InstallSheild which might be the problem in this case.

The feature is called User Access Control (UAC) that has been introduced in Windows Vista and the following Microsoft operating systems to prevent arbitrarily write access into %ProgramFiles% by applications. You can still perform it manually (by copying and pasting files into %ProgramFiles%) but UAC will prompt for your permission.

To make sure your application behaves expectedly, save application settings in %APPDATA% or in registry, NOT in %ProgramFiles% directory. During installation or uninstallation of your program which requires write access into %ProgramFiles%, you'll have to run it as administrator (unless of course you have UAC disabled which is a massive security risk and strongly recommended against).

Upvotes: 3

Related Questions