InstallShield 2012 Spring Express Edition User Guide

Chapter 17: Updating Applications
Working with Upgrades and QuickPatch Projects
Table 17-2: Full-Installation Upgrade vs. QuickPatch (cont.)
Requirement for the
Upgrade or QuickPatch
Configure server settings
such as IIS Web sites and
component services
Create a Full-
Installation
Upgrade?
Yes No
Create a
QuickPatch? Note
Also note the following details when you are determining what type of packing option you should use to
update an earlier version of your product:
• If the target image was created with Windows Installer 1.2 or earlier, and the upgraded image is
created with Windows Installer 2.0 or later, you should package your upgrade as a full installation,
but not as a QuickPatch. Creating a QuickPatch for a package that spans this schema inflection point
can be problematic.
• If you want your upgrade to move one or more files on the target system from one location to
another, you should package your upgrade as a full installation, but not as a QuickPatch. If your end
users install a patch for an upgrade that moves files on the target system, problems may occur. For
example, the patch may not work, a repair to the target system may not work, a subsequent patch
may not work, or end users may not be able to uninstall the product. As a workaround, you can
create your QuickPatch so that it deletes the files in the old location and adds the files to the new
location.
• If you want to change your installation from compressed to uncompressed, or vice versa, you should
package your upgrade as a full installation, but not as a QuickPatch. If you use a QuickPatch in this
scenario, a repair to the target system may not work, a subsequent QuickPatch may not work, or the
end user may not be able to uninstall the product.
• If you need to move files from one .cab file to another, or if you need to change the order of files in a
.cab file, you should package your upgrade as a full installation, but not as a QuickPatch.
• If your original installation had more than 32,767 files but your latest installation has fewer than
32,767 files, a QuickPatch will fail. Similarly, if your original installation had fewer than 32,767 files
but your latest installation has more than 32,767 files, a QuickPatch will fail. In either case, you
should package your upgrade as a full installation.
Note that if both the original installation and the latest installation have more than 32,767 (or both
have fewer than 32,767 files), you can package your upgrade as a QuickPatch.
Working with Upgrades and QuickPatch Projects
If you are going to package your upgrade as a full installation, you begin by opening the latest version of
your installation project and making the necessary changes, such as adding files and registry entries, as
needed.
If you would like to package your upgrade as a QuickPatch, you begin by creating a new project—a
QuickPatch project. With a QuickPatch project, you identify which earlier releases should be patched by
your QuickPatch.
326 ISE-1900-UG00 InstallShield 2012 Spring Express Edition User Guide