EMCO MSI Package Builder - Release Announcements

Version 4.5 is available

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:17:00 GMT

Improved custom actions

Custom actions, that can be executed automatically during installation and uninstallation of generated MSI packages, were improved. You can not only to define an action, but also pass command-line parameters to the executed action, let MSI installer to wait for completion of the action and cancel MSI installation in case of error in the executed action. You can also define multiple actions that will be executed before or after installation and uninstallation.

Target platform selection

When you generate an MSI package, you can select if you like to generate it for x86 or x64 platform. By default the application will generate MSI for the platform where MSI generation is performed. This option can be useful for cases when MSI project is created manually, but it's not recommended to change the platform for projects that were generated automatically using the Live Monitoring technology, because in this case generated project may work incorrectly.

New and improved features

Features below were firstly introduced or significantly improved in this release:

Added an option in the Project Wizard to pass command-line parameters to an installations that are started automatically for monitoring of their actions.

Resolved issues

This release contains a set of resolved issues, including most important ones, listed below:

Possible errors while opening existing projects

Learn more: EMCO MSI Package Builder

Version 4.4.9 is available

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 18:19:00 GMT

New and improved features

Features below were firstly introduced or significantly improved in this release:

Added preview of System Folders locations on the Machine where MSI Package Builder is running

Resolved issues

This release contains a set of resolved issues, including most important ones, listed below:

.NET applications may stop working after installing of an MSI packages created using the Live Monitoring technology in the specific environments

Learn more: EMCO MSI Package Builder

Version 4.4.8 is available

Fri, 07 Oct 2011 16:07:00 GMT

Custom actions execution

The application allows you to specify custom actions that should be executed by an MSI package when its installation and/or uninstallation will be completed. On the Run Actions tab of the Wizard you can enter a path to an executable file or a batch script located on a PC after an MSI installation, in order to execute it. You can also specify an URL to open it in browser or path to files in order to open them by default viewers registered in a system.

Resolved issues

This release contains a set of resolved issues, including most important ones, listed below:

Error during decompilation of large MSI packages
Potential errors during shortcuts creation
Wrong sort order in the Open Project dialog

Learn more: EMCO MSI Package Builder

Version 4.4.7 is available

Mon, 11 Jul 2011 15:38:00 GMT

Product and Upgrade GUIDs

MSI generation options were extended to allow you not only to specify an Upgrade GUID, but also to specify a Product GUID manually. Both GUIDs are preserved and associated with MSI projects, so every time you generate MSI for a particular project, Upgrade GUID and Product GUID are stay the same, but if you like, you can override them manually.

New and improved features

Features below were firstly introduced or significantly improved in this release:

Introduced features to restart a service during an MSI package installation and/or uninstallation
Introduced features that allow to delete default values of registry keys in scope of installation created manually or using the Live Monitoring technology

Resolved issues

This release contains a set of resolved issues, including most important ones, listed below:

Invalid results of a live monitoring process when an installation creates or modifies string registry values
The application allows to perform a copy and move operations for file system elements within an installation that is not prepared
It is impossible to define a version that starts with zero for an MSI package
Potential errors during the application startup
The Restore Defaults button in the application preferences does not restore the Processes Monitoring Filters configuration

Learn more: EMCO MSI Package Builder

Version 4.4.6 is available

Tue, 19 Apr 2011 17:44:00 GMT

New and improved features

Features below were firstly introduced or significantly improved in this release:

Added support of Microsoft Windows 7 Service Pack 1 and Microsoft Windows 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 operating systems
Slightly increased the MSI package generation process speed

Resolved issues

This release contains a set of resolved issues, including most important ones, listed below:

The System cannot find file specified problem for $PrepareToShrinkFileSize folder
Invalid website and e-mail links in the application user interface

Learn more: EMCO MSI Package Builder

Version 4.4.5 is available

Mon, 07 Feb 2011 16:17:00 GMT

New and improved features

Features below were firstly introduced or significantly improved in this release:

Introduced an option to specify target operating systems supported by a created MSI package
Introduced a check for free space availability before MSI generation start
Improved MSI generation process to reduce a disk space required to build an MSI package
Improved folders permissions management in the Live Monitoring feature

Resolved issues

This release contains a set of resolved issues, including most important ones, listed below:

Potential fatal error during MSI package decompilation process

Learn more: EMCO MSI Package Builder

Version 4.4.4 is available

Wed, 19 Jan 2011 17:40:00 GMT

Installation upgrades support

When you generate MSI package on the Upgrade tab of the Create MSI Package dialog, now you can define if the package is an upgrade for another installation. If created MSI package is an upgrade, you have to specify an Upgrade GUID that should be the same, as GUID of upgraded MSI installation. In this case during installation MSI upgrade package will update original installation entry on computer instead of creating the new entry that's happen during the first time installation.

Missing links repairing

Missing links may appear in the installation project on the preparation phase when captured modified files are copied to the application's projects storage. If the application detects that file was modified during monitoring, but it can't be copied to the projects storage because it's missing at a time of project preparation or is locked, it's marked in the project as missing link.

To resolve the problem with missing links you can now use Repair Missing File Links action, available for installation. As the result application tries to copy all files, marked as missing links, from original location (captured during monitoring) to projects storage. So now if you get any missing links in project, you can restore missing files in original location or resolve problem with access permissions or locks and then perform Repair Missing File Links action.

New and improved features

Features below were firstly introduced or significantly improved in this release:

Improved MSI decompilation process to extract and preserve general MSI information from decompiled MSI package, such as installation version and manufacturer.

Resolved issues

This release contains a set of resolved issues, including most important ones, listed below:

Potential error while closing the application

Learn more: EMCO MSI Package Builder

Version 4.4.3 is available

Thu, 30 Sep 2010 18:07:00 GMT

Application changes filter

The Choose Processes to Filter dialog has been reworked to reduce a number of mistakes caused by wrong filter settings. Now by default this dialog displays only active applications which activity can be filtered out from capturing. To get an access to a list of running processes and apply filters for them you can switch the dialog to the advanced mode. In the advanced mode you can filter out any active process, including a system process. But you need to note that in many cases system processes are responsible for a performing particular installation actions. For example, Windows Explorer handles shortcuts creation and if this process will be filtered out, the produced MSI package will become incomplete. So in typical cases it's recommended to apply filters for applications only.

New and improved features

Features below were firstly introduced or significantly improved in this release:

Improved representation of the active processes on the Choose Processes to Filter dialog to include process ID, icon and description.

Resolved issues

This release contains a set of resolved issues, including most important ones, listed below:

Help menu item disappears sometimes from the main menu
Incorrect behavior of pop-up menus in table views

Learn more: EMCO MSI Package Builder

Version 4.4.2 is available

Thu, 05 Aug 2010 10:05:00 GMT

New and improved features

Features below were firstly introduced or significantly improved in this release:

Introduced codepage validation for MSI language and MSI properties

Resolved issues

This release contains a set of resolved issues, including most important ones, listed below:

Potential application hang up during following of MSI creation wizard steps
Potential errors during application initialization
MSI generation failure if the Version field contains incorrect value
Potential MSI generation error if monitored application is excluded from Add/Remove Programs
Warning displayed for some generated MSI, that are added to GPO
Invalid descriptions in the Add System Folder dialog

Learn more: EMCO MSI Package Builder

Version 4.4.1 is available

Fri, 18 Jun 2010 15:46:00 GMT

Improved processes filtering during Live Monitoring

The feature that allows to get a list of running processes before starting of Live Monitoring and choose unwanted to filter them out was improved in this version. Now processes that were added before to a list of processes filters are highlighted. So you know what processes will be filtered by default. Also you can add any process to a permanent list of processes filters, so it will be excluded by default every time when make monitoring.

MSI packages with more than 65535 file system items

Standard MSI packages can include up to 65535 file system items. To workaround this limitation MSI package should store all resources over this limit in external CAB files. Starting from this version the application automatically create one or multiple CAB files for MSI package if the total number of file system items is over 65535.

New and improved features

Features below were firstly introduced or significantly improved in this release:

Improved logging of MSI package generation process

Resolved issues

This release contains a set of resolved issues, including most important ones, listed below:

The Application Update Wizard dialog is displayed above the Trial dialog
Wrong data validation in the Create System Folder dialog

Learn more: EMCO MSI Package Builder