MSIUniversity

Microsoft Installer Related

• Windows Installer FAQ
• Windows Installer Features
• Windows Installer Terminology
• Windows Installer Overview
• Windows Installer Functions

Webcasts / Podcasts

• Designing Installations for UAC with MSI 4.0 in Windows Vista
• Designing Software Installations for Windows Vista

Tools / Scripts

• MSI CleanUp Utility
• Windows Installer SDK Component
• MSI Tips & Notes by Robert Dickau

Understanding ICE Validation

2.28.2007 | Read the Complete Article

ICE a.k.a Internal Consistency Evaluators are a set of rules created by Microsoft to help validate a windows installer package. ICE Rules check the integrity of the package as well as ensure that the Windows Installer best practices were followed when creating an msi package. Before deploying your msi based installation, it is recommended that you ICE validate it

How to Design MSI Packages for Windows Vista?

2.23.2007 | Read the Complete Article

Microsoft has introduced a new security model called the UAC in Windows Vista. The UAC forces all users including administrators to run Windows Vista in a lock down environment. The UAC a.k.a User Access Control, locks the machine down and prompts the user to elevate privileges when a package is run.Ideally the UI Sequence of the package is run in a locked down environment, however UAC will display a Shield icon dialog before running the Execute Sequence to ensure that the package has enough privileges to make modifications on the system. Windows Vista checks the Signature on a package when you run it. If the Signature is valid, it provides the appropriate UAC Prompt.

Best Practices for Creating MSI Packages!

2.28.2007 | Read the TAO!

The Tao of the Windows Installer, is an excellent piece on MSI best practices, written by Richard Macdonald. This article is divided into 6 sections, where the author discusses topics from packaging, distributing to testing, creating patches and finally the windows security considerations.