In reference to the post below, where it says I should increase the version number for older versions to be replaced by newer ones.
MSI Installer fails without removing a previous install
What I find is, just changing the version number didn't do the job. I had to change the product code also, which I got an option to change through a Message Box just after changing the Version Number.
Is this how it's supposed to be?
I think Visual Studio setup project uses the version number to generate the Product Code which is why you must update both. The product code is a unique GUID that identifies the installed application. It is good practice to update both each time you release an installer. Otherwise the client will get a message that says something like "Another version of this application is already installed, please uninstall that version first..." etc. and the MSI will not install the new version.
So to remove a previous version before installing a new version you must set RemovePreviousVersions property to True and update the version number and product code.
You can automate the version number and product code part by executing a script in the PreBuildEvent of the setup project. You can find interesting article and sample script on CodeProject http://www.codeproject.com/KB/install/NewSetupVersion.aspx
Related
I'm using Visual Studio 2017 with the Installer Projects extension to make an MSI for my app.
However, when I run the, say 0.2.7 MSI on a system with 0.2.5 already installed, it adds another item to the appwiz.cpl, and leaves the version the same, so that after the 0.2.7 install, it just runs the 0.2.5 exe.
I make sure that the UpgradeCode is the same, the PackageCode and ProductCode are changing with each version and I have RemovePreviousVersions set to true.
My source code is available here. You'll find the installer project in ChromebookGUI/Installer/.
What am I doing wrong?
You can get a list of upgrade codes for installed packages like this: How can I find the Upgrade Code for an installed MSI file?
I have another one that is a bit simpler, but I couldn't dig it up right now. I will have a look later.
Adding this answer to "evolve" it if you provide more follow-up information (to avoid too many comments).
UPDATE: the other answer is here, but I wouldn't recommend that script if you have automatic logging enabled since it will create log files in the temp folder when run.
I have created an installation project for Outlook Plugin application using Add In Express.
I wish to create an installation package that would simply overwrite the previous version without asking the user to manually uninstall the previous version.
Well this is becoming a real problem for me. Certainly the internet has some information on this but even with all that info and experimentation I am not able to get out of this.
I have set the property values of the set up project thus:
1) DetectNewerInstalledVersion : True
2) InstallAllUsers : True
3) RemovePreviousVersions : True
4) UpgradeCode : Same as in the previous version
5) ProductCode : has been changed by VS itself as I incremented the Version
property of the set up project (I clicked yes).
I have also incremented the Assembly version of the Outlook Plugin project in the AssemblyInfo.cs class.
Result:
The .msi file on double clicking, installs the new version and does not uninstalls the older version. :(
I am using .Net 4.0 with Windows 7.
Any help is appreciated.
regards,
Has TomTom has stated, we need to know what technology you are using. I am going to assume that you are using the Installer package with Visual Studio. To have the installer automatically uninstall your application you need to set RemovePreviousVersion to True and make sure that you increase the version number of your application by at least the Build number.
I have created VS installer in VS2010. it works fine. when the program is already installed and you re-run the installer it would prompt for repair and uninstall. this is good. the problem is when I re-build the same exact installer and try to install it on a machine that already has one installed it would not give me the prompt repair and uninstall. Instead it gives me pop up error "Windows Installer: Another version of this product is already installed. Installation of this version cannot continue...." then it asks me to do manual uninstall using Add/Remove program from Control panel.
So there is gotta be something changed/auto generated during the re-build. kind a like key or something that is different from the older version which makes the newer one fails to recognize the older version. anybody knows how to handle this?
increment your setup project version and set
- DetectNewerInstalledVersion = true
- RemovePrevousVersions = true
more info : http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en/winformssetup/thread/717cfce0-3061-400f-9ea3-069f73f3a473
If you increase the version it will automatically detect the previous version and handle it as per your configuration on RemovePrevousVersions and DetectNewerInstalledVersion.
On the properties on the VS Setup project set the RemovePreviousVersions to True. I believe by default it is set to false. I beleive that would save some time instead of doing it manually.
Also, there is an ProductCode, UpgradeCode, and Version in these properties. These control installation behavior, more information is here:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa372845(v=VS.85).aspx
Here are more details:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa370579(v=vs.85).aspx
I have a msi created for a project which uses C# & Jscript. version-1.0 is currently public. I want to release a bug-fixed version v-1.0.1 of this package but while testing it, I am getting "Another version of this product is already installed Installation of this version cannot continue.To configure or remove the existing version of this product, use Add/Remove program on the Control Panel".
I want this bug-fixed version to install silently without asking user to uninstall and install new one.
Please help me how can I achieve this, I am using visual studio 2008.
Thanks in Advance!
Sam
Update: I have tried changing the package code but that creates two instances of the package using same working directory. Visual Studio geeks please help.
I would follow this process
In your main project
Increment your Assembly Version no.
In your Visual Studio Setup project
Set "Remove Previous Version" to true
Increment the Version No. (this will
change the product code for you too)
steps to solve the error:
Execute the following command from command prompt:
msiexec /i program_name.msi /lv
logfile.log
where program_name.msi is the new version
/lv is log Verbose output
open up the logfile.log in the editor
find the GUID in the log
I found it in the following:
Product Code from property table
before transforms: '{GUID}'
execute the msizap following command from the visual studio command prompt if you already have installed or get it from Microsoft website
Windows SDK Components for Windows Installer Developers
msizap.exe TWP {GUID}
it did the trick and removed the installed service successfully.
Extract from
[SOLVED]Another version of this product is already installed. Installation of this version cannot continue. To configure or remove the existing version of this product, use Add/Remove Programs on the Control Panel]2
You must specify the UpgradeCode and increment the ProductVersion to update a product. The UpgradeCode will remain the same for newer versions.
The UpgradeCode property indicates a family of related applications consisting of different versions and different language versions of the same product.
This article explains the ProductCode, ProductVersion and UpgradeCode:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa370837%28v=VS.85%29.aspx
Open Setup Project Properties
Click ProductCode .. New Code
Click UpgradeCode .. New Code
Rebuild and Install
I have a Windows service written in C# using VS2005.
The installation is via a wizard that calls msiexec to install the msi file also created using VS2005.
I am having trouble generating an msi file that will upgrade from one version of the service to another. The wizard program handles detection of the currently installed version, stopping the service, coming up with an appropriate command-line for msiexec and then re-starting the service.
The existing msi has a version property of 1.1.02, the new one is 1.1.03. The product and upgrade codes are identical.
Uninstalling 1.1.02 manually via add/remove programs works fine, as does installing 1.1.03 onto a "clean" system.
Upgrading 1.1.02 to 1.1.03 goes through the motions but the end result is 1.1.02 installed.
The command line that the wizard uses for upgrading is:
msiexec /qb /i "MyProduct.msi" REINSTALL="ALL" REINSTALLMODE="vos"
Where am I going wrong? I'm assuming I must have missed something fairly fundamental...
The fall-back position is to inform customers that they need to manually uninstall 1.1.02 before running the wizard to install 1.1.03 but I'd rather not have to do that.
Edited to add:
Changing the product code (as VS2005 also prompts you to) actually removes the ability to upgrade at all, as it the installer won't let you do a reinstall if that product code hasn't previously been installed.
All it will then let you do is install (and then you get the usual "service already exists" -type message).
There are several things that need to be done to get "upgrades" to work with MSI's if you want to automatically remove the previous version.
First some background information about the mysterious "codes". There are 3 codes (GUID's) associated with an MSI:
Package Code - This identifies a particular version of the MSI installer and should never be reused across builds. It must always be updated.
Product Code - This identifier is used to ID a particular version of the application. It is up to the installer author to decide when to assign a new product code.
Upgrade Code - This identifies the application and should not change through it's lifetime
The Upgrade Code should never change. For you upgrade scenerio, the Product Code must be changed for each version. Additionally, as you mentioned, you must bump the version number. The Product Code and Upgrade Code can be found by selecting your setup project and going to the Properties Window. The Package Code is hidden in Studio and will always be updated.
The item you are probably missing, is that you also need to set the RemovePreviousVersions setting in the Properties Window to true.
One more thing in addition to mohlsen's answer (For Visual Studio 2008):
In order for your Primary Output (your EXE!) to upgrade properly, you must increment the FILE VERSION
This setting can be found in the Project Properties: Application Tab -> Assembly Information
An easier way to manage this is to REMOVE the AssemblyFileVersion from all assemblies, including the main executable and all the managed DLLs.
In each of your AssemblyInfo.cs files, I recommend doing something like this if you don't care about the version numbers, but want to have some traceability.
[assembly: AssemblyVersion("1.1.*")]
// don't need this [assembly: AssemblyFileVersion("1.0.0.0")]
Everything still compiles fine, and if you don't have the AssemblyFileVersion defined, then the installer assumes that everything is different every time (which is probably fine if you are installing all of the DLLs next to the main EXE).
I spent a long time figuring this out, especially if I don't want to have to increment anything manually!