MSI Package Re-Installs Everytime

[ranja]

I have created a few .msi packages using Veritas WinINSTALL LE. The idea being I could deploy these packages to the users and computers using GPO. While the GPO side of things works fine, each time a user clicks on one of these deployed packages it re-installs. This happens everytime the user double clicks on the application. It only seems to happen with Non-microsoft products like WinZip, Acrobat Reader, QuickTime Player, etc and only when the users log in as power users. If an administrator logs into that same machine, the application installs just once regardless of whether it has been assigned to the computer or user. Any subsequent attempts under the administrator account to open the application launch the application straight away, which is the way one would expect it to work.
Has anyone seen this problem before? Is anyone aware of a workaround for this. I browsed through Veritas site but could not locate any pointers for resolving this problem.All the msi packages were created on a "clean" machine as recommended by Veritas.
Any help would be much appreciated.
Thanks

 

[koquito]

It seems like the users you are installing the software, doenst have the local admin rights (or power users or other with the rights to install) to install the msi on their computers, so the msi seems to be installing but actually it wont because of the rights.
You must give them more rights, so next time they request to install a software from an msi thy will be able to do it. A+, MCP, CCNA
marbinpr@hotmail.com

Keep fighting for your knowledge!

 

[ranja]

Thanks koquito but I was wondering if it is the rights that is causing this, how come the same users can install Microsoft products the first time? We are hesitant to give any more rights than they currently have for obvious reasons as they are already power users. Being a power user should theoretically give them the rights to install the packages. I have seen the same question on the veritas site but as yet there is not a definitive answer.
Looking forward for some more contributions. Thanks.

 

[koquito]

if they are power users already..mmm..everything should be ok for them..
LEt em ask you something...are you using mandatory profiles? A+, MCP, CCNA
marbinpr@hotmail.com

Keep fighting for your knowledge!

 

[ranja]

No we are not using mandatory profiles. I was just wondering if it would make a difference under which account the msi packages were created. For instance, the clean machine that we used was logged in as the adminstrator and the package was created. Does this mean that the Windows Installer service would run with administrative privileges only when the package is executed? I'm not sure. Just throwing ideas.

 

[GlenJohnson]

If you log onto the local machine, and check and see who's in local machines admin group, are your users there? Glen A. Johnson
Microsoft Certified Professional
glen@nellsgiftbox.com


"Science is built up with facts, as a house is with stones. But a collection
of facts is not more a science than a heap of stones is a home".
Henri Poincare (1854 - 1912) French mathematician

 

[ranja]

Glen,
No the users are not in the local admin group.
Thanks
"I'd rather trust a liar than a politician"

 

[ranja]

Any suggestions or pointers from anyone? I have checked the registry entries to confirm that the MSI Installer runs under AlwaysElevatedPrivileges but it still goes in a loop. How can one bypass this issue whereby the msi package keeps reinstalling for users who are not admins on a machine?

Thanks for any help. "I'd rather trust a liar than a politician"

 

[koquito]

Did you try stoping the service at the local machine? WINSTALL.. A+, MCP, CCNA
marbinpr@hotmail.com

Keep fighting for your knowledge!

 

[koquito]

I guess stoping the service is not an option for you...Why dot you try remaking the MSI under a different user name...? A+, MCP, CCNA
marbinpr@hotmail.com

Keep fighting for your knowledge!

 

[oldcoach]

I was seeing this same problem at work. We are still looking for an answer. Just saw that Veritas has a patch for it. Was wondering if you had installed the patch. Hope that will fix it. If you have not, the link is

http://seer.support.veritas.com/docs/229403.htm

 

[tlcscousin]

It will also depend on if the package is assigned to users or computers.If assigned to users it will redeploy every logon. This is because the app does not know that the user is using the same machine or one they have already used. It does not completely redeploy the application, it just installs parts needed.
If an app is assigned to a machine, it will deploy once on bootup and be available all the time no matter which user logs on.
So in short (or long) this is normal behavior for an application deployed to an individual user.

 

[ranja]

Thanks to everyone for their feedback. Koquito, I tried making a package (winZip)as a power user and did not have any problems when deploying it. However, some apps like QuickTime Player require adminstrative privileges to install so packaging it up under a power user is not a possibility.
OldCoach, I have not tried the patch as yet. Will try it and see if it makes a difference. Thanks for the link.
futuretech204, the problems we are experiencing are regardless of whether they are assigned to users or computers.
Thanks once again for your suggestions. "I'd rather trust a liar than a politician"

 

[oldcoach]

Just wondering if YOU had made any progress. I have applied the patch to Winstall but no difference. Still getting the re-installs. Also have upgraded the Windows Installer to 2.0 but no difference there either. Any other ideas out there? If not, coaching sounds pretty good.

 

[paul123456]

i have deployed winzip, acrobat, and office 2000 on my network but instead of publishing them u should assign. so it always installs the first time. also if a different user logs on to the computer it will reinstall because of their profiles. also check the properties and make sure that the check boxes are unchecked for the disintall if it falls out of scope, and disintall previous version, all of those. i forget what they are but check the advance properties. let me know how it goes. Thanks, PAUL

 

[ranja]

Oldcoach, I haven't tried the patch as yet. Will be doing it this week and see if it makes any difference. I too updated the Windows Installer to 2.0
paul123456, I did try numerous options when either assigning or publishing including what you mentioned above but it still hasn't made any difference. Hopefully, will be able to spend some time this week on this and will let you know of any progress, if any.
Thanks "I'd rather trust a liar than a politician"

 

[paul123456]

oh i fogot to mention that it takes two restarts on the client side to begin installing,. aslo don't forget to do a secedit command on the server side. Thanks, PAUL

 

[oldcoach]

I worked on it again some today but with no success. The reason I don't think that it is on the server side is that I can publish a ready made MSI (such as Crystal Reports) and everything works fine. There is no re-install when I try it out. But the MSI's that I create through WINSTALL LE I get the reinstalls. I think that the problem is within WINSTALL LE and maybe the way that I am creating it. I've seen a few articles on Veritas' website but not a lot of help yet.

Those of you who have had success with WINSTALL LE, do you use the default exemptions for the discovery? Are there any other changes that you make to the discovery or afterward to the MSI itself?

 

[ranja]

Yes, any native msi packages that come with the apps themselves like Office 2000, McAfee VirusScan 4.5.1 work the first time. Any msi packages created using WinInstall LE seem to be having the problem. I have trawled through veritas' website but there is no definitive solution to this problem. Hopefully someone will crack this soon for my projects sake!
Thanks
"I'd rather trust a liar than a politician"

 

[paul123456]

i have created a few with wininstall le and never once have had a problem. were are u applying the GPO at, at the domain level, or an OU. i have created things like acrobat, winzip, Ghost Recon (its a good game) little apps that i need for the network. those are just the ones i created. i have also done office, norton, winrar ahhh u get the point anyways from experience u are doing one thing wrong, don't ever publish something, this is not recommended by neither me or microsoft. (read it) u need to assign, assign it only once to either an OU or domain, and with assign u can't assign to users, only computers, ONE important thing!!!!! if u publish to users it will reinstall everytime a different user logs on to that certain computer. because it writes to that users profile. this is why it is not recommended. u need to assign to the computer. Let me know if all works out ok

A+
Net+
MCSE
MCSA
Thanks, PAUL