What causes my script to appear on Add/Remove Programs?

[stevengraff]

I just noticed that my script (compiled exe) is listed in Programs and Features (Server 08) and Add/Remove Programs (XP).

What caused this? did it happen because I installed it as a service?

[Deana]

It is my understanding that you would need to explicitly create a registry key here on Windows XP HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\{Product} in order to have it show up in the Add/Remove Programs control panel applet.

Do you see an entry for your compiled script in the registry under this key on Windows XP?

How was the script installed exactly?

Reference:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms954376.aspx
http://techsupt.winbatch.com/webcgi/webbatch.exe?techsupt/nftechsupt.web+WinBatch/Installation~Licensing~Setup+Add~Remove~Programs~Example.txt

[stevengraff]

It is my understanding that you would need to explicitly create a registry key here on Windows XP HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\{Product} in order to have it show up in the Add/Remove Programs control panel applet.
It does appear to be there, though with a cryptic long guid type name rather than its own.

Do you see an entry for your compiled script in the registry under this key on Windows XP?
No.

How was the script installed exactly?
            fileName = dirscript(): "goldsmsSVC.exs"
            stringvalues = "%svcName% | %svcName% | %FileName% |  | %username% | %password%"
            dependencies = ""
            reserved = ""
            numericValues = "16 | 2 | 1"
            svc = wntSvcCreate("", stringvalues , numericvalues, dependencies, reserved)
            status = wntSvcStatus("", svcName, 0, 0)


Reference:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms954376.aspx
http://techsupt.winbatch.com/webcgi/webbatch.exe?techsupt/nftechsupt.web+WinBatch/Installation~Licensing~Setup+Add~Remove~Programs~Example.txt

[stevengraff]

So, I ran the uninstaller, but I have no idea what it might have uninstalled... certainly not the service I mentioned earlier.

My "application" consists of about 8 compiled scripts, plus a few other files, all of which simply get copied into place by my "installer," which, of course, is just another compiled script. The only reason I singled out the service is that that's the only thing I'm aware of that's not just a simple copy operation.

[Deana]

It is my understanding that you would need to explicitly create a registry key here on Windows XP HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\{Product} in order to have it show up in the Add/Remove Programs control panel applet.
It does appear to be there, though with a cryptic long guid type name rather than its own.

Do you see an entry for your compiled script in the registry under this key on Windows XP?
No.

How was the script installed exactly?
            fileName = dirscript(): "goldsmsSVC.exs"
            stringvalues = "%svcName% | %svcName% | %FileName% |  | %username% | %password%"
            dependencies = ""
            reserved = ""
            numericValues = "16 | 2 | 1"
            svc = wntSvcCreate("", stringvalues , numericvalues, dependencies, reserved)
            status = wntSvcStatus("", svcName, 0, 0)


Reference:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms954376.aspx
http://techsupt.winbatch.com/webcgi/webbatch.exe?techsupt/nftechsupt.web+WinBatch/Installation~Licensing~Setup+Add~Remove~Programs~Example.txt

As far as I am aware the wntSvcCreate doesn't contain any explicit code to add ANY uninstall information to the Add/Remove Program control panel applet. IS it possible you have named the service the same name as an existing software program on your system?

Try giving the service a truly unique service name such MyWinbatchGoldsmsSVC. Do you still see it show up in add/remove?

[stevengraff]

My "program" is called GoldSMS. It consists of:

goldsms.exe
goldsmsConfig.exe
goldsmsAlert.exe
goldsmsPull.exe
goldsmsBlast.exe
goldsmsPullConfig.exe
goldsmsBlastConfig.exe

etc.... you get the idea.

The service is called goldsmsSvc.exe

Again, I think there's no need to focus on the service, I think that's not it. I only went there because I know how the other files got "installed," i.e. they just got copied. And I'm unfamiliar with what's going on under the hood with the installation of a service.

So... it's still a mystery.

[stevengraff]

I just noticed that the install date was Oct. of 2012.

My current guess is that back then I was experimenting with one or another "real" installers.

Sorry 'bout that!

[etippelt]

And the moral of the story is to test on virtual machines that you can roll back to a clean state when the testing is finished!!

[stevengraff]

You'll excuse me if I ask -- I'm still a little new at this -- what does "finished" mean again? :)

[td]

You'll excuse me if I ask -- I'm still a little new at this -- what does "finished" mean again? :)

A scattering of ashes or a dark hole in the ground.

[etippelt]

You'll excuse me if I ask -- I'm still a little new at this -- what does "finished" mean again?

1. I'm bored with testing and the users are giving me earache, so deserve what they get....
2. I have reached retirement age.
3. The boss has returned from holiday/business trip/rehab
4. Testing - what's that ?

[stevengraff]

Anyone have a favorite amongst installers that they'd care to share? Most recently (i.e. 2 years ago) I was trying out the free version of Advanced Installer.

Do most folks just use Winbatch itself?

[etippelt]

Winbatch can be used for installation, but is not optimised for this purpose and of course you need the additional baggage of the embedded DLL(s), which is overkill for small installs. Corporates are pretty much left with Flexera Adminstudio since the Wise product family was end-of-lifed by Symantec. There are many other tools available either for free or for varying amounts of money, that are specifically intended for packaging applications, and include essentials such as capture tools that can handle 64 bit environments. Sure, you could probably write something similar in winbatch but I suspect it would be a lot slower than native code.