Wavepoint Studios - InstallShield Tutorial, InstallShield Training
 

Creating MSI Installations with InstallShield 2012

24 hours, 25 minutes of Instruction

167 Flash movies, 3.9 GB

Give it a go

Price: $323.00  



Overview

If you have ever wanted to learn how to develop Basic MSI installations with InstallShield, but didn't want to outlay a large sum of money to travel to another city and take a class, or you didn't want to be at the mercy of the program's Help, you have an option.   Wavepoint Studios is offering an InstallShield Training course that satisfies this need.

The Creating MSI Installations with InstallShield 2012 course provides you with a thorough understanding of Windows installation program development using the Basic MSI project.  You will learn about the InstallShield Development Environment (IDE), the Windows Installer service, installation terminology, and what an installation program needs to do.

Please note that InstallScript MSI projects are not covered.

Please Note: The license for this course is held on a USB Stick (a flash drive that is supplied with the course), which means you have to have the USB stick plugged into the machine that you are viewing the course on.  You can install the course on more than one machine, but the USB Stick has to be plugged into the machine that you are viewing the course on.

Sample Movies

To watch sample movies from this course, please go here.

Course Presentation

The course contains 24 hours, 25 minutes of instruction and is presented on a DVD-ROM that plays on your computer.  After installing the course, you will be able to run the launch program and watch the individual Flash movies that make up the course.  Each movie covers a different aspect of installation program development, and is comprised of narrated PowerPoint slides and desktop screen-capture video (PowerPoint is not required).  The experience is one of looking over the shoulder of the developer and watching as the different aspects of installation development are demonstrated, and as installation projects are created and enhanced.  You are encouraged to follow along with the examples on your own computer, with your own copy of InstallShield 2012.

The Visual Studio 2008 Professional projects and the InstallShield 2012 Professional/Premier projects that are created in the course are included on the second DVD, so that you may review them at your own pace.

Table of Contents

This course is very extensive and covers all aspects of Basic MSI installation development.

Introduction
        Introduction to the Course
Getting Started
        Features of the Windows Installer
        Installation Fundamentals
        Windows Logo Requirements
        Advantage of Using InstallShield for Windows Installer Installations
        InstallShield 2012 New Features and Enhancements
        Steps to Creating a Basic MSI Project
Creation of Installations
        InstallShield Interface
        Using the Project Assistant
        Antivirus Programs
        Using the Installation Designer (Part 1)
        Using the Installation Designer (Part 2)
Creation of Releases
        Using the Release Wizard
        Files Created in a Release
Setup.exe and Update.exe Bootstrappers
        Specify a Custom Icon
        Specify a Custom Version Resource
        Set an Expiration Date for Setup.exe
        Required Execution Level for Update.exe Manifests
Initial Tasks
        How to Create a Launch Condition
        How to Add a System Search
        How to Identify Your Company in an Installation
        How to Create Software Identification Tags
Billboards
        Overview of Billboards
        Billboard Example 1 - Full Screen with Small Progress
        Billboard Example 2 - Windowed with Standard Progress
        Billboard Example 3 - Windowed with Small Progress
        Billboard Example 4 - Flash File
Virtual Machine Use
        Benefits of Using Virtual Machines in Installation Testing
XML File Support
        XML File Changes View
        Import XML Settings Wizard
        Test XML File Changes during an Installation
        Test XML File Changes during an Uninstallation
Mega View Application
        Create an Installation that has Several Requirements (Part 1)
        Create an Installation that has Several Requirements (Part 2)
Components, Files, and Folders
        Component Creation and File Linking
        Permissions for Files, Folders, and Registry Keys
        Rules for Overwriting Files
        Dependency Scanners
Setup Prerequisites, Merge Modules, and the .NET Framework
        Overview of Redistributables
        Add a Setup Prerequisite to Your Installation
        Add a Feature Prerequisite to your Installation
        Add a Merge Module to Your Installation
        How to Create a Prerequisite
        How to Set Prerequisite Order
        How to Specify a Search Path for Prerequisites
        How to Install SQL Server 2008 Express
        Prerequisite Troubleshooting Tips
Windows Logo Validation
        Windows Logo Validation
        Perform Validation Tests (ICEs)
Digital Code Signing
        Steps Involved in Digitally Signing Files
        Signing Files
        One Click Releases
        Using Code Sign Verification Tools
        Digitally Signing Very Large Installations
Shortcuts
        Five Areas where Icons and Shortcuts Come into Play
        Addressing the Five Areas
Installation Deployment
        Installation Dialogs
Conditions
        Specify Conditions
        Common Properties Used in Conditions
Sequences
        Actions and Sequences
        Types of Windows Installer Installations
        User Interface and Execute Sequences
        Rollback During a Failed Installation
        Aspects of the User Interface Sequence
        Aspects of the Execute Sequence
        File Costing Process
MSI Database
        Direct Editor
        Use Orca to Edit an MSI Database
        Use Orca for Validation
        InstallShield vs. Orca
Dialog Behaviors
        Create and Modify Dialog Behaviors
Maintenance Mode
        The Maintenance Experience
Modification of the Mega View Interface
        Task 1 - Launch a Program at the End of an Install
        Task 2 - Place a Shortcut on the Desktop
        Task 3 - Add a View Photo Feature (Part 1)
        Task 3 - Add a View Photo Feature (Part 2)
        Task 3 - Add a View Photo Feature (Part 3)
        Task 4 - Enter and Validate a Serial Number (Method 1)
        Task 5 - Enter and Validate a Serial Number (Method 2)
        Task 6 - Add an Open Dialog
        Task 7 - Open a Read Me File at the End of an Install
Creation and Use of Log Files
        Create a Build Log
        Create Installation and Uninstallation Logs
        Create Bootstrapper Logs
        How to Use the MSI Log Analyzer
Custom Actions that Meet Vista Requirements
        Guidelines for Custom Actions that Meet Windows Logo Requirements
Managed Code Custom Actions
        Use Managed Code Custom Actions
        Create a Managed Code Custom Action (Part 1)
        Create a Managed Code Custom Action (Part 2)
Chained Installations
        Overview of Chained Installations
        How to Create a Chained Installation (Part 1)
        How to Create a Chained Installation (Part 2)
Standard User vs. Administrator User
        User Account Control, Administrator Accounts, and Standard User Accounts
        Per-Machine and Per-User Installations
        Registry Virtualization
Creation of a Standard User Version of Mega View
        Overview of Standard User Applications and Installations
        A Demonstration of Advertisement
        Create a Standard User Application and Installation (Part 1)
        Create a Standard User Application and Installation (Part 2)
        Create a Standard User Application and Installation (Part 3)
        Create a Standard User Application and Installation (Part 4)
        Create a Standard User Application and Installation (Part 5)
Upgrades
        Different Methods for Upgrading Applications
        Major Upgrade
        Minor Upgrade
        Small Update
        Automatic Upgrade
        Standard Patch
        Quick Patch
        Guidelines for Patch Creation
        Upgrade Scenario 1
        Upgrade Scenario 2
        Upgrade Scenario 3
Creation of Upgrades
        How to Reuse an Existing InstallShield Project
        How to Create a Major Upgrade
        How to Create a Minor Upgrade
        How to Create a Small Update
        How to Create an Automatic Upgrade
        How to Create a Standard Patch (Example 1)
        How to Create a Standard Patch (Example 2)
        How to Create a Quick Patch
        Run a Custom Action only During Patch Uninstallation
Build from the Command Line
        Build Releases from the Command Line
        Build Patches from the Command Line
Silent Installations
        How to Run a Silent Installation
Creation and Use of Transforms
        Transforms
        Create a Transform
        Apply a Transform
64-Bit Installations
        Overview of 64-Bit Installations
        How to Create a Pure 64-Bit Installation
        How to Create 32-Bit and 64-Bit Installations from One Project (Part 1)
        How to Create 32-Bit and 64-Bit Installations from One Project (Part 2)
Suite Installations
        Overview of Suite Installations
        Getting Familiar with the Suite Project
        How to Create a Suite Package Installation (Part 1)
        How to Create a Suite Package Installation (Part 2)
        How to Create a Suite Transaction Installation (Part 1)
        How to Create a Suite Transaction Installation (Part 2)
        How to Run a Suite Installation Without a User Interface
        Logging in a Suite Installation
Internet Information Services
        Overview of IIS Support
        How to Install a WCF Service Application
        How to Install a Web Application
        How to Create a Virtual Directory
        IIS Scanner
Windows Service Applications
        Service-Related Features
        Service-Related Areas of the IDE
        How to Install a Service
MSI Package Tools
        Overview of MSI Package Tools
        InstallShield MSI Diff
        InstallShield MSI Grep
        InstallShield MSI Query
        InstallShield MSI Sleuth
SQL Server Scripts
        How to Run SQL Server Scripts in an Installation
Merge Modules
        How to Create a Merge Module
        How to Create a Configurable Merge Module
Visual Studio Integration
        InstallShield Integration with Visual Studio
        Create the Mega View Standard User Installation in Visual Studio (Part 1)
        Create the Mega View Standard User Installation in Visual Studio (Part 2)
        Create the Mega View Standard User Installation in Visual Studio (Part 3)
        Create the Mega View Standard User Installation in Visual Studio (Part 4)
        Open Visual Studio-Created Installation Projects in InstallShield
Multilingual Installations
        Overview of the Unicode Standard
        Unicode-Related Features of InstallShield
        How to Create a Multilingual Installation
The InstallScript Language
        An Introduction to the InstallScript Language
Conclusion
        The End

System Requirements

In order to use this course, you must have the following:

PC running Microsoft Windows Server 2000, XP, Windows Server 2003, Vista, Windows Server 2008, or Windows 7
Adobe Flash Player
DVD-ROM drive
USB port (the license is held on a USB stick that is supplied with the course)
Monitor running at 1280x1024 (for the best viewing experience)
InstallShield 2012 (Professional or Premier edition)
Visual Studio 2008 Professional (If you want to rebuild and modify the sample applications included with
         the course. However this is not totally necessary, as Release versions of the applications are included)
Tested on: Win XP, Win Vista, Win 7

The course movies were captured at 1024x768, and you should view them at a resolution higher than 1024x768.  Also, you may find that two monitors or two machines are preferable.  One to work with InstallShield on, and one to view the course on.

Extensive editing was done where long periods of waiting were taken out.  So the course tends to move quickly, with the majority of the waiting occuring during installation builds.

It is assumed that you are some type of software developer and possess a familiarity with programming or scripting languages, such as C, C++, C#, Visual Basic, or VBScript.  That knowledge will come in handy during the Custom Action development parts of the course where InstallScript is used (InstallScript is C-like).  However, you are not required to know the InstallScript language as there is a short tutorial for this in the course.

Sample Movies

To watch sample movies from this InstallShield training course, please go here.

Course Pricing

This extensive course is priced at $323.00 for 24 hours, 25 minutes of instruction on one DVD.  A second DVD is also included that contains the course example projects.

Price: $323.00