Specifying Search Locations - Symantec WINDOWS INSTALLER EDITOR 8.0 Reference

Specifying Search Locations

Windows Installer Editor Reference
Setting Options for an Administrative Installation
Specifying Search Locations
Use the Search Locations page to specify paths to search for installation files during a
reinstall or repair. Adding new source locations on the Search Locations page replaces
the default location. This feature is intended for system administrators who want to
dynamically replace the default search location for self-repair, reinstall, and installation-
on-demand.
By default, if an application needs to be repaired or reinstalled, Windows Installer
searches the original source path (stored in the property [SOURCEDIR]), which is the
original location from which the application was installed. For a mobile end user, the
original source path might not be a good choice for reinstalls and repairs because the
user might be at a different location when the reinstall or repair is started.
Example: You have a department of mobile end users who travel around the world with
their notebook computers. Jim installed Norton AntiVirus from the Applications server
while at his home base of Chicago, Illinois. But while Jim is in Amsterdam, you release
an update to the Norton installation that neutralizes a new virus. It is more efficient for
Jim to be able to reinstall from the Amsterdam Applications server.
To solve this problem, you could:
Use your network logon script to always set an environment variable with the
nearest Applications server name.
Complete the Search Locations page, but instead of hard coding a server name,
specify the environment variable that points to a local server.
In addition to using an environment variable to specify a search location, you can use
Windows Installer properties, URLs, mapped drive letters, and UNC formatted paths.
Search locations are searched in the order they are listed, and the first found instance is
used.
To specify a search location
1. Select Installation Expert > Search Locations page.
2. Click Add.
The Search Location Details dialog box appears.
3. Enter an alternate location that this application should search for the installation
package if a repair or reinstall is necessary. You can use the following formats:
To specify a property, you must set the property to contain an appropriate
server location. Example: [APPS_SERVER]\Apps.
To specify an environment variable, you must set the environment variable to
contain an appropriate server location. Example: %CLOSEST_SERVER%\Apps.
To specify a URL, enter the URL. Example:
http:\\intranet.mycompany.com\Apps.
To specify a mapped drive letter, enter the drive letter and path. Example:
X:\Apps
To specify a UNC formatted path, enter the location in UNC notation. Example:
\\APPS_SERVER_AMSTERDAM\Apps.
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