Unable to create a 32 bit msi using installshield

Question

I followed the instructions listed in this doc. I am using Installshield 2013 Express:

http://helpnet.installshield.com/isxhelp20/Content/helplibrary/IHelp64BitSupport.htm

In the msi, I have several .exe and several .js files.

Using Dumpbin, I checked the exe files: file1: PE32 executable GUI Intel 80386 file2: PE32 executable (console) x86-64

I thought that file2 may be causing installshield to create a 64 bit msi, so I removed file2 for testing purposes. When I created the new msi, I still got a 64 bit msi (I checked the template summary property using Orca).

Confused. What could be causing Installshield to create a 64 bit msi? According to the article above, if all the files and registry entries are 32 bit, InstallShield will create a 32 bit msi by default.

Thanks for your help!

Answer 1

The help article describes what InstallShield Express is doing; namely the part near the bottom where it chooses base don whether one or more files or registry keys are installed to 64-bit locations.

Since you're examining things in Orca, you should be able to find any 64-bit components (look for Attributes including the flag value of 256) and trace them back to the files or registry keys associated with them. If you remove those files or keys in InstallShield Express and rebuild, you should get a 32-bit package. If that doesn't fix it, chances are there's a small bug, and you may be able to fix the package by removing the 64-bit flag from a bad component.