Re: [WiX-users] Understanding Windows Installer Exit (Error) Codes
Guys, I appreciate the reply. Do you have any suggestions on how to accomplish this? If I understand you correctly, you are referring to a "status code" that might be presented in the (verbose?) log ? Parsing the log was something I have thought about, but it is really going to add more complexity to the install/verification process than I wanted to deal with. Currently, anything other than zero (or a code that is not expected) is considered "bad", and it sounds like there is really no good way around this issue... darn. :-/ Thanks again. On Tue, Nov 30, 2010 at 12:11 PM, Blair wrote: > There are two types of "error" codes in windows installer: internal > "status" > codes and external "result" codes. As you noticed, the catchall for the > external codes tends to be 1603. Sometimes, however, the internal codes > that > end up in a detailed log are actually more useful. > > If you have the ability to use either an external or internal UI handler, > sometimes you can get a useful "internal" code you can report along with > the > 1603 as additional information (not as an exit code, but yes in your own > logging/reporting). That is how we have distinguished your situation. > > -Original Message- > From: Rob Mensching [mailto:r...@robmensching.com] > Sent: Tuesday, November 30, 2010 7:03 AM > To: General discussion for Windows Installer XML toolset. > Subject: Re: [WiX-users] Understanding Windows Installer Exit (Error) Codes > > Sadly, no. > > On Tue, Nov 30, 2010 at 5:33 AM, Andy Clugston wrote: > > > Hi All, > > > > After doing some searching, it seems that the general understanding is > that > > Windows Installer does a poor job with exit codes returned when an MSI > does > > not complete "successfully" for some reason. A case that we have > > encountered > > is where we are preventing downgrades for our install packages. When we > > encounter this, Windows installer returns a 1603 error code. I can > > understand some type of error code being returned being that the install > > did > > not "complete" successfully. However, 1603 seems to be a pretty common > > error > > code, and in some cases it is impossible to determine if the downgrade > > logic > > was encountered, or if actually something "bad/fatal" happened that > caused > > the 1603 code. > > > > Is it possible to instruct Windows Installer to return a specific error > > code? For instance, in our downgrade scenario, would it be possible to > exit > > with a different code instead of the 1603? > > > > Thanks. > > > > > > > -- > > Increase Visibility of Your 3D Game App & Earn a Chance To Win $500! > > Tap into the largest installed PC base & get more eyes on your game by > > optimizing for Intel(R) Graphics Technology. Get started today with the > > Intel(R) Software Partner Program. Five $500 cash prizes are up for > grabs. > > http://p.sf.net/sfu/intelisp-dev2dev > > ___ > > WiX-users mailing list > > WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net > > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users > > > > > > > -- > virtually, Rob Mensching - http://RobMensching.com LLC > > > -- > Increase Visibility of Your 3D Game App & Earn a Chance To Win $500! > Tap into the largest installed PC base & get more eyes on your game by > optimizing for Intel(R) Graphics Technology. Get started today with the > Intel(R) Software Partner Program. Five $500 cash prizes are up for grabs. > http://p.sf.net/sfu/intelisp-dev2dev > ___ > WiX-users mailing list > WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users > > > > -- > Increase Visibility of Your 3D Game App & Earn a Chance To Win $500! > Tap into the largest installed PC base & get more eyes on your game by > optimizing for Intel(R) Graphics Technology. Get started today with the > Intel(R) Software Partner Program. Five $500 cash prizes are up for grabs. > http://p.sf.net/sfu/intelisp-dev2dev > ___ > WiX-users mailing list > WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users > -- Increase Visibility of Your 3D Game App & Earn a Chance To Win $500! Tap into the largest installed PC base & get more eyes on your game by optimizing for Intel(R) Graphics Technology. Get started today with the Intel(R) Software Partner Program. Five $500 cash prizes are up for grabs. http://p.sf.net/sfu/intelisp-dev2dev ___ WiX-users mailing list WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users
Re: [WiX-users] Understanding Windows Installer Exit (Error) Codes
There are two types of "error" codes in windows installer: internal "status" codes and external "result" codes. As you noticed, the catchall for the external codes tends to be 1603. Sometimes, however, the internal codes that end up in a detailed log are actually more useful. If you have the ability to use either an external or internal UI handler, sometimes you can get a useful "internal" code you can report along with the 1603 as additional information (not as an exit code, but yes in your own logging/reporting). That is how we have distinguished your situation. -Original Message- From: Rob Mensching [mailto:r...@robmensching.com] Sent: Tuesday, November 30, 2010 7:03 AM To: General discussion for Windows Installer XML toolset. Subject: Re: [WiX-users] Understanding Windows Installer Exit (Error) Codes Sadly, no. On Tue, Nov 30, 2010 at 5:33 AM, Andy Clugston wrote: > Hi All, > > After doing some searching, it seems that the general understanding is that > Windows Installer does a poor job with exit codes returned when an MSI does > not complete "successfully" for some reason. A case that we have > encountered > is where we are preventing downgrades for our install packages. When we > encounter this, Windows installer returns a 1603 error code. I can > understand some type of error code being returned being that the install > did > not "complete" successfully. However, 1603 seems to be a pretty common > error > code, and in some cases it is impossible to determine if the downgrade > logic > was encountered, or if actually something "bad/fatal" happened that caused > the 1603 code. > > Is it possible to instruct Windows Installer to return a specific error > code? For instance, in our downgrade scenario, would it be possible to exit > with a different code instead of the 1603? > > Thanks. > > -- > Increase Visibility of Your 3D Game App & Earn a Chance To Win $500! > Tap into the largest installed PC base & get more eyes on your game by > optimizing for Intel(R) Graphics Technology. Get started today with the > Intel(R) Software Partner Program. Five $500 cash prizes are up for grabs. > http://p.sf.net/sfu/intelisp-dev2dev > ___ > WiX-users mailing list > WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users > > -- virtually, Rob Mensching - http://RobMensching.com LLC -- Increase Visibility of Your 3D Game App & Earn a Chance To Win $500! Tap into the largest installed PC base & get more eyes on your game by optimizing for Intel(R) Graphics Technology. Get started today with the Intel(R) Software Partner Program. Five $500 cash prizes are up for grabs. http://p.sf.net/sfu/intelisp-dev2dev ___ WiX-users mailing list WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users -- Increase Visibility of Your 3D Game App & Earn a Chance To Win $500! Tap into the largest installed PC base & get more eyes on your game by optimizing for Intel(R) Graphics Technology. Get started today with the Intel(R) Software Partner Program. Five $500 cash prizes are up for grabs. http://p.sf.net/sfu/intelisp-dev2dev ___ WiX-users mailing list WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users
Re: [WiX-users] Understanding Windows Installer Exit (Error) Codes
Sadly, no. On Tue, Nov 30, 2010 at 5:33 AM, Andy Clugston wrote: > Hi All, > > After doing some searching, it seems that the general understanding is that > Windows Installer does a poor job with exit codes returned when an MSI does > not complete "successfully" for some reason. A case that we have > encountered > is where we are preventing downgrades for our install packages. When we > encounter this, Windows installer returns a 1603 error code. I can > understand some type of error code being returned being that the install > did > not "complete" successfully. However, 1603 seems to be a pretty common > error > code, and in some cases it is impossible to determine if the downgrade > logic > was encountered, or if actually something "bad/fatal" happened that caused > the 1603 code. > > Is it possible to instruct Windows Installer to return a specific error > code? For instance, in our downgrade scenario, would it be possible to exit > with a different code instead of the 1603? > > Thanks. > > -- > Increase Visibility of Your 3D Game App & Earn a Chance To Win $500! > Tap into the largest installed PC base & get more eyes on your game by > optimizing for Intel(R) Graphics Technology. Get started today with the > Intel(R) Software Partner Program. Five $500 cash prizes are up for grabs. > http://p.sf.net/sfu/intelisp-dev2dev > ___ > WiX-users mailing list > WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users > > -- virtually, Rob Mensching - http://RobMensching.com LLC -- Increase Visibility of Your 3D Game App & Earn a Chance To Win $500! Tap into the largest installed PC base & get more eyes on your game by optimizing for Intel(R) Graphics Technology. Get started today with the Intel(R) Software Partner Program. Five $500 cash prizes are up for grabs. http://p.sf.net/sfu/intelisp-dev2dev ___ WiX-users mailing list WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users
[WiX-users] Understanding Windows Installer Exit (Error) Codes
Hi All, After doing some searching, it seems that the general understanding is that Windows Installer does a poor job with exit codes returned when an MSI does not complete "successfully" for some reason. A case that we have encountered is where we are preventing downgrades for our install packages. When we encounter this, Windows installer returns a 1603 error code. I can understand some type of error code being returned being that the install did not "complete" successfully. However, 1603 seems to be a pretty common error code, and in some cases it is impossible to determine if the downgrade logic was encountered, or if actually something "bad/fatal" happened that caused the 1603 code. Is it possible to instruct Windows Installer to return a specific error code? For instance, in our downgrade scenario, would it be possible to exit with a different code instead of the 1603? Thanks. -- Increase Visibility of Your 3D Game App & Earn a Chance To Win $500! Tap into the largest installed PC base & get more eyes on your game by optimizing for Intel(R) Graphics Technology. Get started today with the Intel(R) Software Partner Program. Five $500 cash prizes are up for grabs. http://p.sf.net/sfu/intelisp-dev2dev ___ WiX-users mailing list WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users
