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Specifying the Location Where All Virtual Packages Should Be Built

InstallShield 2012

Edition-Specific

Edition

Support for virtualization is included in the Virtualization Pack.

When InstallShield converts an .msi package to a virtual package, it saves the virtual package in a subfolder of the folder that contains the .msi file by default. In some cases, you may want to specify a different location for generating all of the virtual packages. For example, if the .msi packages that you are converting are in a read-only location, you may need to override the default virtual package location with an existing writable location.

InstallShield includes a machine-wide setting that lets you specify an existing writable location where all virtual packages should be built. The following instructions explain how to configure this global setting.

Caution

Caution

The following instructions require that you modify the Settings.xml file that is installed with InstallShield. This file contains critical data; if it is edited incorrectly, it can cause InstallShield to fail to work. Use extreme care when editing this file.
Task

Task

To specify the location where all virtual packages should be built:

  1. Close InstallShield.
  2. Find the Settings.xml file that is installed with InstallShield. Settings.xml is installed in one of the following locations, depending on which language version of InstallShield you are using:
    • English—InstallShield Program Files Folder\System\0409
    • Japanese—InstallShield Program Files Folder\System\0411
  3. Create a back-up copy of the Settings.xml file, in case you later need to revert to the original version.
  4. Use a text editor or XML file editor to open the Settings.xml file.
  5. Search for the <Virtualization> element and its child element. They look something like this:

    6. <Virtualization>

      <!-- Instructions on how to specify a global path -->

      <GlobalBuildRedirectFolder></GlobalBuildRedirectFolder>

    </Virtualization>

  6. Enter the global path as the text content for the <GlobalBuildRedirectFolder> element. For example, to create the virtual packages in a subfolder of \\NetworkFolder\VirtualPackages, use the following:

    7. <GlobalBuildRedirectFolder>\\NetworkFolder\VirtualPackages</GlobalBuildRedirectFolder>

    Note that the path must already exist. Do not enclose the path within quotation marks.

  7. Save the Settings.xml file.
  8. Ensure that your XML code is well formed; if it is not well formed, you may have problems using InstallShield. In most cases, you can identify improperly formed XML code by opening the Settings.xml file in Internet Explorer. You should be able to expand and contract the <Virtualization> element; if you cannot, check the code for errors.

Whenever you convert an .msi package to a virtual package in InstallShield, InstallShield uses the path that you specified.

See Also

Creating Customized Virtual Applications

Configuring Advanced Settings for InstallShield



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