[wpkg-users] Installer for windows 64 bits

[Rainer Meier]

Hi,

>  I haven't fiddled with writing .MSI files since I started playing with
> WPKG :-)
> 
>  ...but if you send me a log of the install (/l*v <file>) I'll have a
> look
> to see if I can see anything obvious.

Hmm, unfortunately I installed without logging options. Probably 
somebody noticed the same and stored the log. Or I would have to re-do 
the installation. Thanks for offering help.


>  Is this any help,
> http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cd7a85k9.aspx?
> 
>  It suggests that you still have to explicitly target the files into the
> (x64) folders rather than just target "Program Files" and count on
> Windows
> Installer to handle it.
> 
>  It's a terrible design but I guess MS are being 'consistently' terrible
> :-)

Thanks a lot for the link. Statements like "Creating 64-bit MSI packages 
is not available in Visual Studio Express Edition." make me quite mad. 
Unix systems are available in 64-bit editions since years but Microsoft 
still thinks that 64-bit is not required or should be offered for 
"business partners" only. I know lots of private people who already hit 
the 4GB (3-3.5GB) limit with their Vista machine but Microsoft still 
seems to think that they do not need 64-bit.
Personally I use 4GB on my Laptop and 8GB on my Desktop running Vista 
Business - and it still lags like Ubuntu on a Pentium I 350MHz with 64MB.
Switching of Superfetch improves the situation slightly, but still... 
but I am drifting away...


>  Try here, http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/cc163486.aspx. 
> 
> It's an interesting read. Again MS don't make it easy.
> 
> If you added a manifest to wpkginst.exe to make it require Admin privs
> then you probably wouldn't need the exit button or greying out of save
> buttons either :-)

Thanks again for the link.
Unfortunately it is not true that such a manifest solves the problem 
completely. It would just make sure that I don't have to right-click 
wpkginst.exe and select "Run as administrator" each time. The UAC prompt 
will pop up automatically. However I would still have to enter the 
password of the administrator user each time I run wpkgins.exe. 
Therefore I would like to start it once and keep it open as long as I 
play with the settings. Now I am forced to close it down each time in 
order to apply the settings.

Also from design point of view the "Save" button combines two functions:
- saving the settings
- exiting the program
So these actions are coupled together and cannot be split. So what I am 
asking for is to split up the actions to two independent buttons.
To users new to WPKG it might also be irritating that wpkginst.exe GUI 
disappears when they click the "Save" button.


br,
Rainer