Application Packaging Update: Some new tools

As part of the application compatibility story, there is a chapter on quality for every customer.

As I have mentioned previously, getting applications to run on a target platform (think Windows 7) is only part of the migration effort for our clients. We need to get their application portfolio working and then keep it working for the next 36 to 48 months...

So, we need to keep our application packaging tool-kit up to date.

Here are some links to some updated tools that are now available; 

MSI Explorer/Analyzer

This is a new MSI editor written by an MSI employee. A handy addition to your MSI Installer package editing tool-kit.

Found here: http://blogs.technet.com/b/sateesh-arveti/archive/2010/11/21/msi-explorer.aspx

WIX (The open source MSI Editor)

This XML based open source MSI installer editor has been revved-up to version 3.5. I recommend this version/update.

Found here: http://wix.sourceforge.net/downloadv35.html

ResEdit

This is an invaluable tool if you are creating security manifests and need to determine if a particular EXE (or PE file) already contains an embedded manifest. This tool allows you to view and extract the internal manifest from the target file.

Found here: http://www.resedit.net/

And, if you are using local workstation security and need to lock-down some local directories for your applicaitons I suggest the following interesting articles;

Darwin Sanoy explains the new LockPermissionsEx Table in Win7

http://csi-windows.com/toolkit/csigetsddlfromobject

Installshields (Flexera for you folks who are new to the game) on same subject can be found here: http://blogs.flexerasoftware.com/installtalk/2010/11/setting-permissions-in-windows-installer-msilockpermissionsex-and-islockpermissions.html