locked
How to deploy an exe that calls another exe RRS feed

 > 

  • Question

  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote

    Hi, We have an application already installed on each machine. Call it version 1.0.
    I deployed an update via SCE, call it version 2.0. The exe has a switch that will uninstall
    the old version before installing the new version. So far so good. Our main exe calls another exe
    part way through the install to install a third party app used from within the main app. Now this is
    where we had problems. After I deployed it, staff could not even start the application. Upon trying to
    restart their machines it would say "Installing update please wait" this would go on and on in an endless loop.
    The only way was to power off ungracefully, upon restart the app was in an unknown state, could not be uninstalled from add/remove
    programs. Man this SCE really toasted our machines. My question now is, does SCE support an exe calling another exe part way through the first exe's install? and how
    would you deploy this? I browsed for the main exe, then the tick box says include all files, so I ticked that so that the second
    exe would get downloaded too. is this the right way to do this or should it all be in an msi?

    Thanks
    Bob

    Wednesday, April 8, 2009 9:32 PM

Answers

  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote
    Hi Bob,

    Here is a workaround for your reference:

    1. Put two exe files in one folder.

    2. Create a bat file, edit the bat file to determine the installation order.

    3. Copy cmd (under %windir%\system32\) to this folder.

    4. Create a new software package in SCE console, choose the cmd, add the parameter to run the bat file.

    5. Deploy the package to the client.

    Note: This workaround is not a solid solution, it may be failed in your environment.
    Friday, April 10, 2009 10:20 AM

All replies

  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote
    Hi Bob,

    Here is a workaround for your reference:

    1. Put two exe files in one folder.

    2. Create a bat file, edit the bat file to determine the installation order.

    3. Copy cmd (under %windir%\system32\) to this folder.

    4. Create a new software package in SCE console, choose the cmd, add the parameter to run the bat file.

    5. Deploy the package to the client.

    Note: This workaround is not a solid solution, it may be failed in your environment.
    Friday, April 10, 2009 10:20 AM
  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote
    Thanks, the trouble with my exe's is that one of them is set to automatically start the other, I have no control over this.
    So I can't manually start the second exe via code as the first exe starts the second exe automatically.
    Tuesday, April 14, 2009 9:26 PM