Advantages Of The Windows Installer Format - Symantec WISE PACKAGE STUDIO 8.0 - REFERENCE V1.0 Reference

Advantages of the Windows Installer Format

Wise Package Studio Reference
Many software installations are not in Windows Installer (.MSI) format. Repackaging
those installations lets you take advantage of the Windows Installer features. In
addition, Active Directory deployment requires .MSI format.
See Advantages of the Windows Installer Format
What Should Not Be Repackaged?
Repackaging is not appropriate for certain types of applications:
.MSI files
Installations that are already in .MSI format should not be repackaged. Instead, use
transforms to customize them. Transforms apply changes to the installation at run
time to tailor the installed application to the needs of a particular group of users. For
general information on transforms, see About Transforms in the Windows Installer
Editor Help.
Windows Media Player, Microsoft Internet Explorer, antivirus software, and device
drivers
These types of applications make low-level changes to the operating system
involving Windows File Protection.
Distributable components of an operating system, including service packs, OS
security updates, Internet Explorer, MDAC, or the Windows Installer service
These items are not repackaged because they break Windows security rules. The
Windows Installer service might not run or might be modified by these installations.
Service packs are not repackaged because it is difficult to capture all of the changes
made to the operating system, and a significant number of service pack files are
Microsoft file-protected. MDAC is not repackaged because it is a merge module.
Wise Package Studio provides complete capabilities for migrating applications to
Windows Installer format. Using Windows Installer results in a solid, robust installation
that reduces the total cost of ownership and enables compliance with the Windows logo
program. Because Windows Installer is part of the operating system, it provides benefits
that are not available in traditional installation technology.
Installation rollback
If a Windows Installer installation fails, Windows Installer can return the computer
to the precise state it was in before the installation. This includes restoring deleted
or overwritten files, registry keys, and other resources.
Self-healing
(Also called automatic repair and self-repair.) Windows Installer can repair missing
components of the application without rerunning the installation. When an
application starts, Windows Installer checks a list of key files and registry entries. If
it detects any problems, Windows Installer repairs the application using a cached
database that contains key paths to application components.
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(Also called install-on-demand and just-in-time installation.) Advertised features are
not installed but appear installed to the user. Only the entry points for the features
are installed. The first time a user invokes an advertised feature, it is installed.
Introduction to Wise Package Studio
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