Guidelines For Creating Platform-Specific Installations - Symantec WINDOWS INSTALLER EDITOR 8.0 Reference

Guidelines for Creating Platform-Specific Installations

Windows Installer Editor Reference
The following guidelines refer to creating installations in Windows Installer Editor. For
more general guidelines, see Using 64-Bit Windows Installer Packages in the Windows
Installer SDK Help.
32-bit Installations That Contain Only 32-bit Components
On the New Installation File dialog box, select 32-bit as the target platform. This
sets the initial target platform for the Default release.
Set the target platform for all features to 32-bit. A 64-bit feature in a 32-bit
installation will never be installed.
Add resources to the installation as usual. Do not add 64-bit components to a 32-bit
installation.
Set the target platform for all releases to 32-bit (this is the default).
64-bit Installations That Contain Only 64-bit Components
On the New Installation File dialog box, select one of the 64-bit options as the target
platform. This sets the initial target platform for the Default release.
Select the appropriate 64-bit target platform for all features.
Add resources to the installation as usual. When you add 64-bit .EXE and .DLL files
or 64-bit registry keys, they are designated as 64-bit components. (The 64-bit
component check box is marked on the Component Details dialog box.)
Select the appropriate 64-bit target platform for all releases.
AMD 64-bit computers require Windows Installer version 3.0 or later. If your
installation targets AMD 64-bit computers, include a system requirement to check
the destination computer's Windows Installer version.
64-bit Installations That Contain Some 32-bit Components
Select the appropriate target platform for each feature, and add the correct type of
component to each one. Do not add a 64-bit component to a 32-bit feature, and
vice versa, because it will never be installed.
When you add 64-bit .EXE and .DLL files or 64-bit registry keys, they are designated
as 64-bit components. (The 64-bit component check box is marked on the
Component Details dialog box.) When you add 32-bit files or registry keys, the 64-
bit component check box is not marked.
Select the appropriate target platform for each release.
AMD 64-bit computers require Windows Installer version 3.0 or later. If your
installation targets AMD 64-bit computers, include a system requirement to check
the destination computer's Windows Installer version.
You can create a single installation project (.WSI) that can produce 32-bit and 64-bit
installation files.
See Creating Multiple, Platform-Specific Installations from One Project File
Platform-Specific Merge Modules
A 32-bit merge module can be merged into a 32-bit or 64-bit installation.
Working With Wise Installation Files
on page 67.
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