Custom Action Settings

Note: This setting applies to InstallScript custom actions.

In the list of functions that are included in the project's InstallScript files, select the InstallScript function that you want to call.

Note: This setting applies to standard and MSI DLL custom actions that are installed with the product.

In the list of DLL files that are included in your project, select the DLL file that you would like to use for your custom action.

Note: This setting applies to MSI DLL custom actions.

Enter the name of the function in the MSI DLL that you would like to call.

Note: This setting applies to executable file custom actions that are installed with the product.

In the list of executable files that are included in your project, select the executable file that you would like to use for your custom action.

Note: This setting applies to executable file custom actions that are located in a path that references a directory.

Enter path and name of the executable file that you would like to use for your custom action. If appropriate, you can include any command-line parameters that should be passed to the executable file. Use quotation marks around long file names. For example:

Note that the path is optional only if the executable file is already present in the operating system search path (that is, WindowsFolder or SystemFolder).

Note: This setting applies to executable file custom actions that are stored in the Binary table, installed with the product, or located in a path that is identified by a property.

Enter any command-line parameters that you would like to pass to your executable file. Enclose long file names within quotation marks.

Note: This setting applies to custom actions that use a managed assembly installed with the product.

To specify the managed assembly that you want to use for your custom action, select the file from the list of DLLs and .exe files that are included in your project.

Note: This setting applies to custom actions that use a managed assembly.

Click the ellipsis button (...) to launch the Method Signature dialog box, which is where you specify arguments and return values for the managed method. When you have specified signature information on this dialog box, InstallShield uses it as the value of the Method Signature setting.

To learn more, see Specifying the Signature for a Managed Method in an Assembly Custom Action.

Note: This setting applies to kill-process custom actions.

Select the appropriate function:

For information on configuring this type of custom action, see Calling a Kill-Process Custom Action.

Note: This setting applies to PowerShell custom actions that use a PowerShell script that is installed with the product.

To specify the PowerShell script file (.ps1) that you want to use for your custom action, select the file from the list of PowerShell files that are included in your project.

For target system requirements, as well as other information about this type of custom action, see Calling a PowerShell Custom Action.

Specify how the custom action thread should be processed. Valid options are:

These flags are used to specify that the main and custom action threads run synchronously (the installer waits for the custom action thread to complete before resuming the main installation thread) or asynchronously (the installer runs the custom action simultaneously as the main installation continues).

Note that some options are not applicable to some types of custom actions. Only options that pertain to the selected type of custom action are available in this list.

Specify how many times you want the action to run. For example, if an action is listed in both the user interface and execute sequences, it can be set to run both times, or it can run only once. Available options are:

If you selected anything other than Immediate execution in the In-Script Execution setting, the Execution Scheduling setting is not available and is set to Always execute.

Project: The Execute only once option does not work for InstallScript MSI projects. If your custom action exists in both the user interface and execute sequences, it is executed twice. This is because—in an InstallScript MSI project—the InstallScript engine executes the user interface sequence and Windows Installer executes the execute sequence.

This read-only setting identifies the Windows Installer numeric value for the selected custom action. For more information about basic custom action types, see Custom Action Type Overview.

Click the ellipsis button (...) to browse to the file that describes the behavior of the custom action. The file should be a text-based file such as a .txt, .htm, or .rtf file.

At build time for Basic MSI, DIM, InstallScript MSI, and Merge Module projects, InstallShield streams the contents of this file into the Description column of the ISCustomActionReference table.

If you are working on a project in Direct Edit mode, InstallShield streams the contents of the file that you select into the Description column of the ISCustomActionReference table as soon as you select the help file. In addition, InstallShield makes this setting read-only and displays [Text Data] as the value for this setting.

Windows Logo Guideline: The intended behavior of each custom action must be documented for the Windows logo program. This is especially helpful if system administrators deploy your product to enterprise environments; they sometimes need to know what the custom actions do. If you validate your installation package but you have not specified a value for the Help File Path setting, InstallShield generates validation error ISICE10. For more information, see ISICE10.

For any built-in InstallShield custom actions, InstallShield makes this setting read-only and displays InstallShield Custom Action as the value.

To schedule this custom action during the user interface sequence of the installation mode, select the appropriate option. To leave this custom action out of the sequence, select <Absent from sequence>.

As an alternative, you can schedule an action by dragging it from the Custom Actions explorer to the appropriate location in a sequence under the Sequences explorer. When you drop it, drop it onto the item that should be directly before it in the sequence. To move it to a different point in a sequence (or from one sequence to another), drag it from the old location and drop it onto the item that should be directly before it in the sequence.

To schedule this custom action during the execute sequence of the installation mode, select the appropriate option. To leave this custom action out of the sequence, select <Absent from sequence>.

As an alternative, you can schedule an action by dragging it from the Custom Actions explorer to the appropriate location in a sequence under the Sequences explorer. When you drop it, drop it onto the item that should be directly before it in the sequence. To move it to a different point in a sequence (or from one sequence to another), drag it from the old location and drop it onto the item that should be directly before it in the sequence.

To schedule this custom action during the execute sequence of the advertisement mode, select the appropriate option. To leave this custom action out of the sequence, select <Absent from sequence>.

As an alternative, you can schedule an action by dragging it from the Custom Actions explorer to the appropriate location in a sequence under the Sequences explorer. When you drop it, drop it onto the item that should be directly before it in the sequence. To move it to a different point in a sequence (or from one sequence to another), drag it from the old location and drop it onto the item that should be directly before it in the sequence.

To schedule this custom action during the user interface sequence of the administration mode, select the appropriate option. To leave this custom action out of the sequence, select <Absent from sequence>.

As an alternative, you can schedule an action by dragging it from the Custom Actions explorer to the appropriate location in a sequence under the Sequences explorer. When you drop it, drop it onto the item that should be directly before it in the sequence. To move it to a different point in a sequence (or from one sequence to another), drag it from the old location and drop it onto the item that should be directly before it in the sequence.

To schedule this custom action during the execute sequence of the administration mode, select the appropriate option. To leave this custom action out of the sequence, select <Absent from sequence>.

As an alternative, you can schedule an action by dragging it from the Custom Actions explorer to the appropriate location in a sequence under the Sequences explorer. When you drop it, drop it onto the item that should be directly before it in the sequence. To move it to a different point in a sequence (or from one sequence to another), drag it from the old location and drop it onto the item that should be directly before it in the sequence.