Windows Installer Editor Reference
478
Custom Action Reference
Usage
Double-click the custom action and complete the Details tab:
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Custom Action Name
Enter a unique name that begins with a letter or underscore. It can contain numbers
and periods. It must not match the name of any Windows Installer standard action.
See Standard Actions Reference in the Windows Installer SDK Help.
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Product Code
Either enter or copy and paste the product code of the nested installation. The
product code is stored in a property named ProductCode. To find the product code of
the nested .MSI, view its Product Code field on the Product Details page.
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Property Settings
Enter properties to set for the nested installation. You can set Windows Installer
properties or private properties. Example: To set the main installation directory for
the nested installation to be the same as for the current installation:
INSTALLDIR="[INSTALLDIR]"
If the directory represented by the property might contain spaces, as is typical with
the installation directory, enclose the property in quotes as shown above.
To set the nested installation to be advertised, enter:
ADVERTISE=ALL
To uninstall the nested installation, enter:
REMOVE=ALL
For a list of properties, see Property Reference in the Windows Installer SDK Help.
See also:
Guidelines for Nested Installation Custom Actions
on page 455
Guidelines for Custom Action Location
on page 454
Using the Custom Action Properties Tab
on page 490
Using the Custom Action Location Tab
on page 488
Custom Action Type 39 in the Windows Installer SDK Help
Nested Installation Actions in the Windows Installer SDK Help
Install MSI From Installation
This custom action stores an .MSI in the Binary table of this installation and runs it
during installation (referred to as a nested installation). This is useful for deploying a
second application from within the main installation.
Tips
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Manage the .MSI on the Resources page, which reflects the Binary table.
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This custom action is not available in an Administrative Installation.
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The installation being called must be a Windows Installer installation.
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On the Properties tab, In-Script Options is unavailable for this custom action and
Processing only allows synchronous execution.
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For best results, place this custom action in the Execute Immediate sequence after
the InstallFinalize action.