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How do i create a MSI file from a legacy application?
John Savill
January 8, 2000
3 Min Read
A. The problem at the moment is that not many applications ship with MSI files and so deploying legacy applications via group policies is notpossible. Windows 2000 ships with WinINSTALL LE which can be used in the same way as SYSDIFF. You take a snapshot of you system, install the application, take an after snapshot and a discover program runs extracting the different files and registry entries that have been made.
Its important to run WinINSTALL LE on a clean system, by this I mean don’t run it on an installation that has applications installed onas when you install an application it may check if certain runtime’s etc are installed and if so not bother to recopy over, this would mean your distribution package would be missing vitalfiles if applications were already installed.
To install WinINSTALL LE perform the following, however its recommended NOTto install the application on the PC that's going to act as the package creationcomputer incase the program itself effects the installation of the applications:
Insert the Windows 2000 Server CD
Move to the VALUADD3RDPARTYMGMTWINSTLE folder
Double click the SWIADMLE.MSI file
The installer will begin and a progress bar displayed showing the progress of the installation.
A folder will be created under the Start menus Program folder 'SeagateSoftware'.
The first stage is to take a snapshot of the blank Windows 2000 Professionalinstallation so any changes made by the application installation will bedetected.
Logon to the professional reference installation as an Administrator
Run the Discover wizard from the distribution server (do not map a drive, use the Run dialog or Network Neighborhood), for example
"\titanic.savilltech.comd$Program FilesSeagate SoftwareWinstallDiscoZ.exe"The wizard will start, click Next
Enter a name for the package (the name of the software you are creating a package for) and a path for the .msi file (make sure its on a drive other than one that forms part of the package, and select a new empty directory) and click Next
Click here to view imageSelect a drive for the temporary files and click Next
Select the drives that the discover program should scan and click Next
Select the files to exclude from the scan (leave as the default unless you know what you're doing). Click Next
The WinINSTALL Discover program will then start
Once complete it will ask you to click OK which will prompt for a setup program to run, this is the legacy application which you want to create an .MSI file for.
Select the setup program you want to run and click Open
Continue the application setup as per normal
Once you have installed the application and made and configuration changesyou need to create the "after" snapshot:
Logon to the professional reference installation as an Administrator again
Run the Discover wizard from the distribution server (again, do not map a drive, use the Run dialog or Network Neighborhood), for example
"\titanic.savilltech.comd$Program FilesSeagate SoftwareWinstallDiscoZ.exe"The wizard will detect that a before snapshot exists and will ask if you want to create the after snapshot. Leave the 'Perform after' and click Next
The check will begin on both the registry and file system
If there are any potential problems they will be displayed. Click OK
A notice saying the after snapshot is complete and the package created
Before running any other package creations remove the application youinstalled or better yet, reinstall the machine (RIS is useful for this).
Its possible to fine-tune your created package using the 'Seagate SoftwareConsole' MMC snap-in. Select Open from the File menu and you can then change andview the files and registry components that will change be changed if installed.Select Save after any changes.
The Seagate console that allows you to edit the MSI files.
Once you have finished you must not only place the .MSI file to thedistribution server but all files and subdirectories in the directory chosen forthe MSI file.
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