How can a single installer 'Setup.exe' be used to install multiple instances of same application

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I have created a installer of type InstallScript MSI installer using InstallShield 2008 and it is working. Now I want to install multiple instances of same product on same machine using same installer. I want to show them as a separate application in Add/Remove programs and also a separate directory structure.

Following are the points that I have already tried but haven't find out any solution yet:

  • I find out that there is an option of "Maintenance Experience" in product's General Information from where multiple-instance type can be set to get multiple instances of same product. Later I find out that this option is not available in "InstallScript MSI Installer". So I tried to convert my installer project to "InstallScript Installer" which results in compilation failure. Reason of failure is that some methods have been used in the scripts that belongs to MSI and cannot be used in converted installer type.

  • I find out that InstallShield provides an "Automation interface" that can be used to modify the .ism project file to update product code, version etc. I tried to get CreateObject("InstallShield.GUID") and CreateObject("IswiAuto17.ISWiProject") objects but it does not return any object. I have put those lines inside Setup.rul file of InstallShield. If these object allows to update product code and a new instance will be created that will work for me.

  • I also look into "Instance Transform". But what I find out so far that it requires to pre define instance transform that has to be different from actual installer. So when the installer runs it executes any predefined transform. So this one is also not my required case as I always want new instance to be created when ever installer executes.

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windows-installerinstallationinstallshieldmultiple-instances
Why do you want to install multiple times? It tends to indicate a design flaw in your application. It is, however, common to have an UAT / QA version of your app installed at the same time as the released version. Installscript MSI is also not recommended, you should go for basic MSI due to a number of serious bugs in Installscript MSI. – Stein Åsmul
@SteinÅsmul I want to install multiple times because the project is used by a client that have its offices in multiple countries. Previously client is using different servers for installation for different countries, but now client want to use the same server for installation of different countries without mixing the data of multiple installations. – rizzz86

1 Answers

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I selected point 1 route "Maintenance Experience" and that worked for me.

I converted my project from InstallScript MSI Project to InstallScript Project. I got the compile time errors in Setup.rul file but I find the alternatives for those errors and fix them and make the script able to compile.

So far it is working fine and I am able to install multiple instances from single installer 'Setup.exe'.