installer thinks app already installed

[Bret01]

Normally I do not build installers but those who do are on vacation and I need to release this to manufacturing today. My problem is that there is a previous version of the application which I removed from the pc. I then run the new installer and it immediately says finished - obviously without installing anything. I check and the app has not installed. It is like the installer thinks the application is already installed even though like I said the prior version has been deleted. Is there some setting that i need to check to fix this? Is on a Windows XP machine.

[nyc_(is_out_of_here)]

Check to see if the previous version was UNinstalled.

If so, just re-run the installer.

[altenbach · Accepted solution]

Just build a new version and make sure to increment the version number when you built the installer. This will create an installer that updates to the new version even if the old version is is still installed.

[Bret01 · Accepted solution]

Great thank you that worked. I'll remember to uninstall instead of delete for future if I have to do this again.

[RTSLVU]

Quite frankly you do not need to build an installer for every new version unless it requires a new runtime or VISA upgrade.

If all the runtimes are the same all you really have to do is build the executable and copy it to the target machine over writing the old executable.

If you use the same name all the Windows shortcuts will even still work properly

[altenbach]

I think it is a really bad idea to suggest a user to manually change files in system folders (e.g. program files), because there are many thing that can go wrong (e.g. note that the location of 32bit programs differ depending on the OS bitness).

If you are a seasoned user, that might be relatively safe, but I would definitely not recommend it to users that are not intimately familiar with the inner workings of windows (e.g. users that delete instead of uninstall :D)

Building an installer is always the recommended way to go.

[nyc_(is_out_of_here)]

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altenbach wrote: I would definitely not recommend it to users that are not intimately familiar with the inner workings of windows (e.g. users that delete instead of uninstall :D)

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Rather "scary" that the OP charged with creating this installer does not understand the difference between uninstalling and deleting. Hate to see what that computer looks like.