Creating / Editing Custom Installers

Software Deployment > Configure > Catalog > New Windows Installer or Edit Installer, when a custom installer is selected

The New Windows Installer or Edit Custom Installer window displays the following properties when a custom installer file is added or edited in your local Software Catalog.

Note: See Editing Standard Installers.

Installer Settings tab

Installer

• Name - The name of the installer.
• Description - The description of the installer.
• Version - The version of the installer.
• Language - The language of the installer. Language Neutral is the default. The drop-down list of supported languages is defined using the Application Settings > Languages tab.
• Upload Installer File - Select the installer file to upload. File types such as msi and exe file types must be added to the VSA Attachment Upload Whitelist before creating an installer record using these files types.
• Upload Answer File - Select the answer file to upload. An answer file is a text file used to provide the answers to installer prompts in support of an unattended installation. The creation and format of an answer file is specific to the software title and version being installed.

Deployment Settings

• Command Line Arguments - Enter additional command line arguments. A "silent-install" command line argument is recommended.

  Note: Once you upload an installer file, the complete command line, with the installer file and arguments are displayed for you to read.

• Pre Procedure - If checked, runs a specified agent procedure before the install. A pre-procedure can be used to conditionally cancel an install or uninstall. See Conditionally Canceling Installs and Uninstalls in the Catalog topic.
• Post Procedure - If checked, runs a specified agent procedure after the install.
• Reboot Required - If checked, reboots the managed machine for the install. The reboot action depends on the machine.

Uninstall Settings

• Uninstall String - The path used to uninstall the software title. Supports environment variable notation if it exists on the target machine. For example: %ProgramFiles%
• Command Line Arguments - Enter additional command line arguments.
• Pre Procedure - If checked, runs a specified agent procedure before the uninstall. A pre-procedure can be used to conditionally cancel an install or uninstall. See Conditionally Canceling Installs and Uninstalls in the Catalog topic.
• Post Procedure - If checked, runs a specified agent procedure after the uninstall.
• Reboot Required - If checked, reboots the managed machine for the uninstall. The reboot action depends on the machine.

Scan Items tab

The Scan Items tab specifies the criteria used to identify a custom install on a managed machine during a Software Deployment and Update scan. Multiple entries of all three types of scan items can be combined. All scan items listed must match during a scan for the software to be identified as installed.

• Add Scan Item or Edit Scan Item
  • Scan Type - File, Registery Key, Registry Value
  • Scan Item
    • File - The full path to the file, such as C:\Program Files\WinMerge\WinMergeU.exe. The scanner will accept, as the first part of the path, three different environment variables: %ProgramFiles%, %ProgramFiles(x86)%, and %ProgramW6432%. For instance: %ProgramFiles%\WinMerge\WinMergeU.exe

      Note: On 64-bit Windows %ProgramFiles(x86)% checks the C:\Program Files (x86) folder while %ProgramW6432% checks the C:\Program Files folder.

    • Registry Key - You can use either the long form of the registry hive name or the short form. For instance: HKLM\SOFTWARE\CompanyName\WinMerge\Locale or HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\CompanyName\WinMerge\Locale
    • Registry Value - You can use either the long form of the registry hive name or the short form. For instance: HKLM\SOFTWARE\CompanyName\WinMerge\Executable or HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\CompanyName\WinMerge\Executable
  • Has Version Number
    • If checked and File is selected, the scanner attempts to extract the version number from the EXE or DLL specified.
    • If checked and Registry Value is selected, the registry value must be a string data type. The scanner attempts to read the string of the registry value and return that string as the version number to the server.
• Delete Scan - Deletes the selected scan item.