Detect Previous Version

[NewsArchive]

Hi Friedrich -

Why does the setup require that we support an uninstall if we want to
detect previous version?

Thanks

Jeff Slarve
www.jssoftware.com
Twitter free since Jan 11, 2016
I'll search help files & Google for you.

Grammar troll's, are the worse.

[NewsArchive]

Hi Jeff,

> Why does the setup require that we support an uninstall if we want to
> detect previous version?

Because this is a requirement of the Windows development guidelines. You
have to register the product (using a Product GUID) with Windows to support
the standard detect previous version feature. If you don't do this and you
would like to support a non-standard detect previous version method then you
have to create your own Windows registry key & unique value name and write
the installation folder (and optionally the version, installation date,
etc.) to the registry (e.g. using the "Edit Registry..." SB function). You
have to read that value name to detect the previous version (e.g. using the
"Get Registry Key Value..." SB function).

BTW, it is absolutely mandatory to register the uninstall along with the
Product GUID if you are using the standard method. Otherwise, system
optimizer or other registry clean tools (or even Windows itself) might
remove the Product GUID from the registry. After that your product can't be
detected any longer without performing a complete system search.

Does this help?

Friedrich

[NewsArchive]

Yes, that helps Friedrich. Thanks.

Is there a particular system wide "traditional" place I should put my
custom registry key?

Thanks.

Jeff Slarve
www.jssoftware.com
Twitter free since Jan 11, 2016
I'll search help files & Google for you.

Grammar troll's, are the worse.

[NewsArchive]

Hi Jeff,

> Is there a particular system wide "traditional" place I should put my
> custom registry key?

I believe it's this one:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\Uninstall

Best regards,
--
Arnor Baldvinsson
Icetips Alta LLC

[NewsArchive]

Hi Jeff,

> Yes, that helps Friedrich. Thanks.
>
> Is there a particular system wide "traditional" place I should put my
> custom registry key?

The following would be perfectly valid:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\YourCompany\YourProduc t

Friedrich

[NewsArchive]

Hi Arnor,

>> Is there a particular system wide "traditional" place I should put my
>> custom registry key?
>
> I believe it's this one:
>
> HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\Uninstall

This is the key for the standard registration. If you put your
"non-uninstall" information into this key, system optimizer, registry clean
tools or Windows might remove the information.

Friedrich

[NewsArchive]

Thanks again Friedrich.

Jeff Slarve
www.jssoftware.com
Twitter free since Jan 11, 2016
I'll search help files & Google for you.

Grammar troll's, are the worse.

[NewsArchive]

A checkbox in SB could do this very thing in "Detect Previous Version"
if there's no uninstall desired :)

Jeff Slarve
www.jssoftware.com
Twitter free since Jan 11, 2016
I'll search help files & Google for you.

Grammar troll's, are the worse.

[NewsArchive]

Hi Friedrich,

>>> Is there a particular system wide "traditional" place I should put my
>>> custom registry key?
>>
>> I believe it's this one:
>>
>> HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\Uninstall
>
> This is the key for the standard registration. If you put your
> "non-uninstall" information into this key, system optimizer, registry clean
> tools or Windows might remove the information.

Oops, sorry, didn't realize the change in subject;)

ut I believe that is the key where *uninstallers* should place their
information, correct?

I have software that never shows up in the Programs list in the control
panel for uninstalls. Is that because it doesn't write the information
to this key? Some may come with uninstallers and they seem to work
correctly, but just never show up in the list so they have be
uninstalled "manually"

Best regards

--
Arnor Baldvinsson
Icetips Alta LLC

[NewsArchive]

Hi Arnor,

> Oops, sorry, didn't realize the change in subject;)
>
> ut I believe that is the key where *uninstallers* should place
> their information, correct?

Yes, that's correct :)

> I have software that never shows up in the Programs list in the
> control panel for uninstalls. Is that because it doesn't write
> the information to this key? Some may come with uninstallers
> and they seem to work correctly, but just never show up in the
> list so they have be uninstalled "manually"

Yes, I think so. The installer has to write an unique application product
code GUID and specific information (e.g. product name, version, install
location, etc.) to this key. SetupBuilder handles this automatically.

Friedrich

[NewsArchive]

Hi Friedrich,

> Yes, I think so. The installer has to write an unique application product
> code GUID and specific information (e.g. product name, version, install
> location, etc.) to this key. SetupBuilder handles this automatically.

What I found interesting was that there are several non-GUID keys in
there - not surprisingly some from MS<g> See:
http://screencast.com/t/ehUfsUUwMf I also notice that those non-GUID
keys don't have all the values that the normal GUID keys have.

Best regards,

--
Arnor Baldvinsson
Icetips Alta LLC

[NewsArchive]

Hi Arnor,

>> Yes, I think so. The installer has to write an unique application
>> product code GUID and specific information (e.g. product name,
>> version, install location, etc.) to this key. SetupBuilder handles
>> this automatically.
>
> What I found interesting was that there are several non-GUID keys in
> there - not surprisingly some from MS<g> See:
> http://screencast.com/t/ehUfsUUwMf I also notice that those non-GUID keys
> don't have all the values that the normal GUID keys have.

Well, they indeed are the masters of disaster :-) Microsoft doesn't always
follow their own rules <g>.

I really enjoyed their Visual Studio 2012 (RTM) for Windows 8 installation.
They failed to get it to work properly. Rules are only for those who follow
them <g>

http://www.lindersoft.com/forums/showthread.php?35894-Visual-Studio-2012-on-Win8-(PCA-mitigation)

Friedrich

[NewsArchive]

A little bit of schadenfreude never hurt anyone<g>

Jeff Slarve
www.jssoftware.com
Twitter free since Jan 11, 2016
I'll search help files & Google for you.

Grammar troll's, are the worse.