Installer not working "higher version installed"

[mikejda]

Hi,

I have created an exe using LV2011 and then created an installer for the exe to allow distribution to a customer without LV. After a couple of iterations of remote debug we have a final version that the customer is happy with. This being the case I have then set the version information of the exe and the installer to the versions I wish to release them at and this is where I've hit a problem. When I run the installer it informs me it cannot install as a "higher version already installed"

If I look at the properties of the exe file in the installed program files directory it has:

file version 1.0.1.0

Product version 1.0.1

In the LV project build specifications the exe version is:

1.0.6.0

the installer is :

1.0.2

It seems to me that the files I want to install are a higher version so what files or file properties is the installer looking at to return this error?

Thanks in advance

Mike

[ramses64]

Hi,

I think you should auto increase the version of your installer to prevent from these messages.

You may have built an installer with 1.0.3 (or higher ?), and now the system don't want to install an older version.

Two solutions :

- unistall current version, and install the new (do this for each computer where your application is installed)

- increment version to 2.0.0, to pass over this problem.

Hope this will help you to solve your problem.

Best Regards,

[mikejda]

Hi V-F,

Yes I could get the customer to un-install before installing the new version but I didn't want to add additional complexity to what should be quite simple. I switched on the auto increment and re-built but that didn't make any difference. I have up issued the exe to 1.1.0.0 and the installer to 1.1.0 which has worked.

As it happens this is just a piece of demo software and the version doesn't really matter it just flagged an issue I didn't understand and still don't. What meta data is the installer looking at?

Not really worth anyone spending any more time on but one of those frustrations that may be a problem in the future when you do care about the release version.

Many thanks

Mike

[ramses64]

Hi,

I think that tne installer writes something (curent version) in register base.

So now if it works with 1.1.0 version, mark the option auto increment, and you will not have this problem in the future.

Best Regards,

[Hooovahh]

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@ramses64 wrote:

Hi,

I think that tne installer writes something (curent version) in register base. 

---

This is correct, but it doens't associate the software name with the version, it associates the sofware GUID with the version.  This is not a problem as long as each piece of software made has a unique GUID.  But if you copy a project, the installer that it makes will have the same GUID by default, and Windows will get confused when you try to upgrade software because it believes a higher version is already installed.  

To help fix this NI has added the "Upgrade code" in the Version Information of any installer that is build by using the project.  This number should be unique to every installer.  So if you do copy a project this number should be generated again.

I don't think this is what you are dealing with, I just wanted to post this information because others may run into the same issue you are having but for a different reason.

[crossrulz]

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@Hooovahh wrote:

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@ramses64 wrote:

Hi,

I think that tne installer writes something (curent version) in register base. 

---

This is correct, but it doens't associate the software name with the version, it associates the sofware GUID with the version.  This is not a problem as long as each piece of software made has a unique GUID.  But if you copy a project, the installer that it makes will have the same GUID by default, and Windows will get confused when you try to upgrade software because it believes a higher version is already installed.  

To help fix this NI has added the "Upgrade code" in the Version Information of any installer that is build by using the project.  This number should be unique to every installer.  So if you do copy a project this number should be generated again.

I don't think this is what you are dealing with, I just wanted to post this information because others may run into the same issue you are having but for a different reason.

---

Well, that just answered a question I was getting ready to really dig into.  Thanks for saving me the time.

[Hooovahh]

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@crossrulz wrote:

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Well, that just answered a question I was getting ready to really dig into.  Thanks for saving me the time.

---

No problem.  If you are using an older version of LabVIEW that doesn't have this "Upgrade Code" (I think they added that around 2009), you can still manually modify the GUID by opening the project file in a text editor and changing it.

[JW-JnJ]

Just a friendly "lesson's learned" from using the auto-increment with installers.

Always save the project after generating the installer. Then, if using subversion or version control, submit the project. That way the new version is saved for later compiles.

It's easy to forget. I know I have MANY times.

[RobertoL]

I copied a project in LV 8.5.1 and just ran into the same problem when installing the new application on the a machine that has the application (higher version) from the original project installed. This answer my question.Thanks!

Roberto