Merge Module Hell

[metzler000]

I'm using Wise Installer 4.2. I am trying to package AutoCAD 2000 and when I compile one of the merge modules that it tells me to use is sqlbase.msm. Microsoft article Q274224 refers to a problem with this .msm that I am having, where the installation tells you that you need another version of IE whether you actually do or not. It states that the updated sqlbase.msm is on the SQL 2000 SP1 CD. I have done a search on the cd, which I have, and it's not there. Does anyone have a copy of the updated merge module? This is a big pain and should be easily available, but it's not. Everyone tells me to use merge modules, but Microsoft doesn't make it very easy. Any advice appreciated.

Mark

 

[craig16229]

Mark,

I had the same problem when repackaging Dreamweaver MX 2004. The problem does indeed reside in the sqlbase.msm There is some problem where the searches for the IE version fail, even though the target machine meets the minimum IE requirement. You can find these lines in the CustomAction and DRlocator tables (using ORCA or some other editor capable of looking inside an .msi or .msm).

Deleting these lines will get you past the IE 5.0.2314.0 error. For me, though, I then ran into a SQL error, stating that the SA password was not complex enough.

After diving back into research to solve this problem, I found that Microsoft now recommends not incorporating MSDE merge modules into other .msi installations.

I went back, and created and tested my package without the merge modules, and found that my package can survive for now without them. I am currently researching what actions to take when those files absolutely are needed for an application.