"exe2msi" feature test

[NewsArchive]

All,

Sometimes you just need an existing .exe installer in .msi format. We have
added a new "#exe2msi..." compiler directive to SetupBuilder 7 Developer
Edition that allows to wrap .exe installations up as an MSI to simplify
distribution issues. This new feature makes use of our native SetupBuilder
MSI compiler technology.

If you have a few minutes, please download and test the following
code-signed setup.msi installer:

http://www.lindersoft.com/projects/setup.msi

The file setup.msi is a native MSI (see msi1.jpg).

1. Start setup.msi.

2. The MSI will launch the wrapped .exe installer (see msi2.jpg).

Note: on an UAC-aware operating system, the installer will request
administrator execution level privileges and you'll see an elevation prompt.

3. The "real" .exe installer will display a Welcome screen, a Custom Dialog
and a Finish Dialog (see msi3.jpg - msi5.jpg)

Of course, the installer will not do anything on your machine. It just
"simulates" an installation.

Important note: if there is a delay before anything seems to happen after
you started the setup.msi, well, that's the nature of MSI and we can't speed
things up <g>.

If there is any problem, please let me know.

Thank you for your help!

--
Friedrich Linder
Lindersoft
www.lindersoft.com
+1.954.252.3910

SetupBuilder is Windows 7 installation -- "point. click. ship"

-- Official Comodo Code Signing and SSL Certificate Partner

[NewsArchive]

> Important note: if there is a delay before anything seems to happen after
> you started the setup.msi, well, that's the nature of MSI and we can't speed
> things up <g>.

Hi Friedrich,

Other than the slight delay (which we do see in ALL MSI installers<g>),
everything worked as expected here.

Looks like a winner!

:-)

Charles



--
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Charles Edmonds
www.clarionproseries.com - "Get ProPath, make your Clarion programs ready
for Windows 7 and Vista!"
www.ezchangelog.com - "Free ChangeLog software to manage your projects!"
www.setupcast.com - "A revolutionary new publishing system for software
developers - enhanced for SetupBuilder users!"
www.pagesnip.com - "Print and Save the Web, just the way you want it!"
www.clarionproseries.com - "Serious tools for Clarion Developers"
www.ezround.com - "Round Corner HTML tables with matching Banners, Buttons
and Forms!"
www.lansrad.com - "Intelligent Solutions for Universal Problems"
www.fotokiss.com - "World's Best Auction Photo Editor"
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[NewsArchive]

Hi Charles,

> Other than the slight delay (which we do see in ALL MSI installers<g>),
> everything worked as expected here.
>
> Looks like a winner!

<G> Thank you!!! :)

Friedrich

[NewsArchive]

Worked fine under Vista x32, but sure makes one appreciate the native
speed of SB. I had UAC enabled & expected response happened.
-- Roger Due

[NewsArchive]

Hi Roger,

> Worked fine under Vista x32, but sure makes one appreciate the native
> speed of SB. I had UAC enabled & expected response happened.

Thanks so much!!!

Friedrich

[NewsArchive]

Hi Friedrich

>2. The MSI will launch the wrapped .exe installer (see msi2.jpg).


Are you sure there was an EXE wrapped in that file? (I bet you are!)

I downloaded it and it ran as expected. Then I looked for the exe that should show in
TaskManager. Could not find it.

So I used the msiexec command to try extracting the exe from the msi.
Here is what I see...

Level1: The downloaded .msi was code-signed and was 223744 bytes

Level2: When I extract files from that msi, I get another unsigned msi of 220,672
bytes also named setup.msi.

Level3: When I extract files from the level2 msi, I get a third unsigned msi of
215552 bytes also named setup.msi.

I could not extract the third level file or see any list of files it might contain. It
still would run as expected, just like the original downloaded file.

Maybe you have wrapped the EXE up very well and made it un-extractable :-)

But I wonder why I see three levels of setup.msi.

John Griffiths

[NewsArchive]

Hi John,

>
> Are you sure there was an EXE wrapped in that file? (I bet you are!)
>

<G> Yes, I am sure there is an EXE wrapped in that MSI file ;-)

> I downloaded it and it ran as expected. Then I looked for the exe that
> should show in TaskManager. Could not find it.

That's correct and (in this case) the expected behavior.

> So I used the msiexec command to try extracting the exe from the msi.
> Here is what I see...
>
> Level1: The downloaded .msi was code-signed and was 223744 bytes
>
> Level2: When I extract files from that msi, I get another unsigned msi of
> 220,672 bytes also named setup.msi.
>
> Level3: When I extract files from the level2 msi, I get a third unsigned
> msi of 215552 bytes also named setup.msi.
>
> I could not extract the third level file or see any list of files it might
> contain. It still would run as expected, just like the original downloaded
> file.
>
> Maybe you have wrapped the EXE up very well and made it un-extractable :-)
>
> But I wonder why I see three levels of setup.msi.

Very good analysis!

We have developed a special MSI extractor. The good (and shocking) news is
that this little tool can extract whatever you want from MSI files -- a MSI
is nothing more or less than a SQL database.

See attached screenshots. The setup.msi includes a "dummy" setup.cab (44
bytes) and a "binary" (159,052 bytes). This binary is the "real"
script-based SetupBuilder executable. If you rename it to .exe then you
can double-click and start it.

Friedrich

--
Friedrich Linder
Lindersoft
www.lindersoft.com
+1.954.252.3910

SetupBuilder is Windows installation -- "point. click. ship"

-- Official Comodo Code Signing and SSL Certificate Partner

[NewsArchive]

Hi Friedrich

>We have developed a special MSI extractor. The good (and shocking) news is
>that this little tool can extract whatever you want from MSI files -- a MSI
>is nothing more or less than a SQL database.

Thanks for the full explanation. Now you should have this thread deleted as you are
giving away tooooo... many secrets <G>.

John Griffiths

[NewsArchive]

Hi John,

> Thanks for the full explanation. Now you should have this thread deleted
> as you are giving away tooooo... many secrets <G>.

<BG> :-)

Friedrich