Need advice please

[batman321]

Hi all,

I have encountered more deployment issues and I'm thinking of ditching the p&d wizard. The reason I say this is because I have tested my vb6 program on every computer I know (friends, family etc) but then I sent my program to another friend and instantly he gets an error "Please insert disk 1" during the P&D setup. I'm pretty sure I selected "single cab" not multiple cab this error shouldn't have happened. Anyway, I found out I could double click the support folder the p&d wizard makes and double click my application file...presto, my program works...all I need to do is register the .dlls (when the VB6 program starts instead of running the p&d wizard. I guess this is bad programming practice. I'm not confident using the p&d wizard because no matter what I do, I get errors from different machines. Can someone please look at my .LST file and check it. I don't want to use another installer because it may open up another "can of worms". The P&D wizard is very useful and recommended to be used, I just want my program to install without problems every time for my users.

I realise this isn't "code", I wanted to present it differently.

[Bootstrap]
SetupTitle=Install
SetupText=Copying Files, please stand by.
CabFile=Client Master.CAB
Spawn=Setup1.exe
Uninstal=st6unst.exe
TmpDir=msftqws.pdw
Cabs=1

[Bootstrap Files]
[email protected],$(WinSysPathSysFile),,,3/26/99 1:00:00 AM,101888,6.0.84.50
;[email protected],$(WinSysPathSysFile),$(DLLSelfRegister),,5/31/98 12:00:00 AM,22288,4.71.1460.1
;[email protected],$(WinSysPathSysFile),$(TLBRegister),,4/13/08 10:12:08 PM,16896,5.1.2600.5512
;[email protected],$(WinSysPathSysFile),,,3/6/10 3:37:40 AM,65536,5.1.2600.5949
;[email protected],$(WinSysPathSysFile),$(DLLSelfRegister),,4/14/08 6:42:04 AM,84992,5.1.2600.5512
;[email protected],$(WinSysPathSysFile),$(DLLSelfRegister),,12/21/10 6:32:15 AM,551936,5.1.2600.6058
;[email protected],$(WinSysPathSysFile),$(DLLSelfRegister),,4/14/08 6:42:02 AM,1384479,6.0.98.2

[IconGroups]
Group0=Client Master
PrivateGroup0=True
Parent0=$(Programs)

[Client Master]
Icon1=""Client Master.exe""
Title1=Client Master
StartIn1=$(AppPath)

[Setup]
Title=Client Master
DefaultDir=$(ProgramFiles)\Client Master
AppExe=Client Master.exe
AppToUninstall=Client Master.exe

[Setup1 Files]
[email protected],$(AppPath),,$(Shared),8/10/11 6:41:10 PM,7800,0.0.0.0
[email protected],$(AppPath),,$(Shared),1/12/10 10:34:52 AM,299008,0.0.0.0
[email protected],$(AppPath),,$(Shared),2/26/11 1:05:18 PM,1,0.0.0.0
File4=@Offline Client Master Database.mdb,$(AppPath),,$(Shared),1/12/10 10:34:52 AM,299008,0.0.0.0
File5=@no_image_logo_selected.bmp,$(AppPath),,$(Shared),5/19/11 1:54:02 PM,7456,0.0.0.0
[email protected],$(AppPath),,$(Shared),2/26/11 1:08:19 PM,3,0.0.0.0
[email protected],$(AppPath),,$(Shared),12/27/09 4:38:46 PM,28396,0.0.0.0
[email protected],$(AppPath),,$(Shared),12/27/09 4:46:18 PM,28396,0.0.0.0
[email protected],$(AppPath),,$(Shared),7/29/11 4:21:52 PM,6541,0.0.0.0
[email protected],$(AppPath),,$(Shared),1/12/10 10:34:52 AM,299008,0.0.0.0
[email protected],$(AppPath),,$(Shared),2/1/10 2:23:09 PM,24064,0.0.0.0
[email protected],$(AppPath),,$(Shared),1/13/10 10:15:33 AM,20480,0.0.0.0
[email protected],$(AppPath),,$(Shared),1/13/10 10:27:44 AM,20992,0.0.0.0
[email protected],$(AppPath),,$(Shared),2/27/11 1:51:08 PM,0,0.0.0.0
File15=@Client Master Letter Creation - Partner Letters Only.doc,$(AppPath),,$(Shared),1/13/10 10:15:33 AM,20480,0.0.0.0
File16=@Client Master Letter Creation - Customer Letters Only.doc,$(AppPath),,$(Shared),1/13/10 10:27:44 AM,20992,0.0.0.0
File17=@Client Master Letter Creation - Customer and Partner Letters.doc,$(AppPath),,$(Shared),2/1/10 2:23:09 PM,24064,0.0.0.0
File18=@Client Master Database.mdb,$(AppPath),,$(Shared),1/12/10 10:34:52 AM,299008,0.0.0.0
File19=@MDAC_TYP.EXE,$(AppPath),,$(Shared),6/26/98 12:00:00 AM,8124720,4.71.1015.0
[email protected],$(AppPath),$(DLLSelfRegister),$(Shared),6/24/98 1:00:00 AM,209192,6.0.81.69
[email protected],$(AppPath),$(DLLSelfRegister),$(Shared),6/24/98 1:00:00 AM,244024,6.0.81.69
[email protected],$(AppPath),$(DLLSelfRegister),$(Shared),6/24/98 1:00:00 AM,203576,6.0.81.69
[email protected],$(AppPath),$(DLLSelfRegister),$(Shared),6/24/98 1:00:00 AM,260920,6.0.81.69
[email protected],$(AppPath),$(DLLSelfRegister),$(Shared),6/24/98 1:00:00 AM,118064,6.0.81.71
[email protected],$(AppPath),$(DLLSelfRegister),$(Shared),5/7/99 1:00:00 AM,140288,6.0.84.18
[email protected],$(AppPath),$(DLLSelfRegister),$(Shared),5/9/08 11:53:40 PM,172032,5.7.0.18066
[email protected],$(AppPath),,$(Shared),3/22/99 2:00:00 PM,548864,9.0.0.2717
[email protected],$(AppPath),,$(Shared),10/26/06 9:55:52 PM,397136,12.0.4518.1014
[email protected],$(AppPath),$(DLLSelfRegister),$(Shared),7/15/00 1:00:00 AM,118784,6.0.88.4
[email protected],$(AppPath),$(DLLSelfRegister),$(Shared),6/18/98 1:00:00 AM,77824,6.0.81.69
File31=@Client Master.exe,$(AppPath),,$(Shared),10/28/11 5:57:14 PM,15245312,1.0.0.5

[honeybee]

If you don't want to use the P&D Wizard, you can try Inno Setup.

.

[batman321]

Been there, done that.

[dilettante]

I'd try to fix this setup or use an alternative packaging tool.

One big problem with manual installation is that it bypasses incrementing of usage counts for libraries and doesn't provide a safe uninstall procedure. That involves several registry settings as well as the uninstall utility PDW packages into your setup. You also run into trouble trying to get your EXE, the various libraries deployed with it, and any data files into the correct folders on the system. This part can be critical because when you register any ActiveX libraries you are redirecting all other programs that use them to your new "private" location, and if the user ever has to remove them he ends up breaking all of the other applications.

This is a common problem with Inno-based setups that are not done exactly correctly: breaking other applications. Just say NO to InnoSetup unless you really know what you are doing!!! The product isn't to blame, but the many MANY poor scripts people copy/paste blindly can lead to chaos.

There were known bugs in the PDW's setup.exe and setup1.exe in VB6 SP4 and VB6 SP5 that made setups ask for floppies sometimes. Are you sure you are using SP6? You can see this in the VB6 IDE's Help|About dialog.

Also see BUG: Multiple "Please Insert Disk" Messages When Installing VB6 Application

This talks about (a.) leftover files from a previous installation:

1. In the Windows folder (or Winnt folder on Windows NT and Windows 2000) on the target computer, look for a copy of each .cab file from your Setup. If found, delete the .cab file(s).

2. In the Windows\Temp folder (or the folder specified by the TEMP environment variable in Windows NT and Windows 2000), look for a subfolder named Msftqws.pdw. If found, delete the subfolder.

3. Now try again.

It also talks about (b.) spaces in .CAB file names. I think this could be your problem here!

I suspect the problem comes from the different ways a short file name gets made from a long file name in different versions of Windows when the name has spaces.

Sadly this same issue was covered here before, but the guy just put in a link as the answer, a link at Microsoft that is broken now. In the future Google for kb216158 if this new link gets broken.

[batman321]

Thanks for your answer!

I have two questions:

Are you sure you are using SP6?

1. Does the above quote suggest I should or shouldn't be using SP6? This is Service Pack 6 for Visual Basic 6.0 I gather.

2. I'm fairly certain the user I sent my program to has never used VB6 or installed a PDW VB6 program. Does that mean its highly likely the problem is "spaces in .CAB file names"? I'm theorising here on the probable, not the definite.

3. Is it safe to use the "underscore" character when renaming, instead of a space? i.e. "program name.exe becomes program_name.exe"??? I don't want to rename it to "programname.exe" because it looks to bunched up and harder to read.

[dilettante]

I thought I was clear on your first point. Bugs in SP4 and SP5 mean you should be using VB6 SP6. Not only for PDW fixes but many other fixes.

I wouldn't be too sure about what the user has or has not tried to install in the past, but in any case you are probably right that leftover crud from a failed PDW setup are not the problem here.

I'm not sure about underscore, however http://support.microsoft.com/kb/142982 suggests it is better than a space in a "long file name" that is no longer than 8 characters and a 3 char extension.


I'm not sure why you are so concerned about the actual EXE file name. The user shouldn't really see it very often, instead using a shortcut (Start Menu, etc.) to launch - and the name of the shortcut can be different 9i.e. can have a space). The real problem is the .CAB file name though from what I saw in the previous KB article.

As the article describes, you can modify the .DDF file using Notepad to remove the space from the .CAB file name template:

Removing Space from CAB File Names

NOTE: The following steps remove the space from the names of your existing .cab files. If you create .cab files using the PDW again later, the problem reoccurs. Instead, you may want to remove any spaces from the first six characters of your project (.vbp) and executable (.exe) file names to avoid this problem in future PDW sessions for this application.

...

The instructions are fairly explicit. You have two choices: rename the Project or else fix the .DDF file.

If you do the latter (and this sounds like your best option) do yourself a favor: create a NOTES.txt file in your Project folder, and write yourself notes on exactly what you did to edit/correct the .DDF file, what problem it fixed for you, and the URL of the KB article... anything to help you get this right if you have to revisit the project in the future.

[dilettante]

Also consider that the problem may lie somewhere else completely. Until you try to "no spaces" idea though, you won't know.

[batman321]

Can I send my program to you? You don't have to use it (up to you) but if it installs on your machine (XP, Vista, 7 - these OS my program targets) then it will be great feedback for me. I need your email address if you say yes. Download size is 23MB.