CSI-Windows Debugging Checklist Mousepad for Previous Students of DesktopEngineer.com Wednesday, March 31 2010 @ 02:22 PM CST Contributed By: Darwin Sanoy If you've ever taken a class from DesktopEngineer.com or CSI-Windows.com and did not receive one of our cool Debugging Checklist mousepads, drop us a line to get yours. See below for a graphic of what it looks like. read more Unnecessary Roadblocks in the Windows Software Logo Program Wednesday, March 31 2010 @ 02:17 PM CST Contributed By: Darwin Sanoy Microsoft is running a survey about the Windows Software Logo Program to find out how it can be improved. For Windows 7 the program was streamlined for developers to make it easier for them to get on board. There is, however, one area that remains challenging for smaller development shops - you know, precisely the one's that IT admins would love to have focused on building platform compliant software? You can help by showing your vote... read more Windows 7 MSI Update Course Scheduled Tuesday, January 12 2010 @ 02:20 PM CST Contributed By: Darwin Sanoy This new course familiarizes participants with the new features from MSI 4.0 through 5.0 (Vista through Windows 7)... read more New Class: MSI Packaging Update for Windows 7 in December Tuesday, November 3 2009 @ 05:38 PM CST Contributed By: Darwin Sanoy This new course familiarizes participants with the new features from MSI 4.0 through 5.0 (Vista through Windows 7).  A lot of time is spent on UAC and on packaging for User Admins (Non-IT Admins)... read more Packaging In November and January, Custom Actions In Dec Tuesday, October 6 2009 @ 06:18 PM CST Contributed By: Darwin Sanoy We've scheduled two new session of Windows Installer Packaging and one of Custom Actions... read more New Session of Windows Installer Packaging Tuesday, September 1 2009 @ 11:07 AM CST Contributed By: Darwin Sanoy We've scheduled a new session of Windows Installer Packaging in October... read more Custom Actions in Windows 7 version lie to Vista Friday, May 15 2009 @ 02:54 PM CST Contributed By: Darwin Sanoy Chris Jackson has a great article on the reasons behind why Windows Installer 5 (Windows 7) custom actions are lied to by the shimming engine. It also provides another great example that Microsoft is committed to the shimming infrastructure to the point where major segments of the OS rely on it for their own compatibility. Shimming is not a bolt-on! read more New MSI Training - Big Discounts for Previous Students on CSI Windows Training Wednesday, May 13 2009 @ 11:48 PM CST Contributed By: Darwin Sanoy In addition to the June 1st Packaging Track, we've added a Scripting and Custom Actions class for September.  The really big news is that previous students of DesktopEngineer.com are eligible for some serious introductory discounts on the new CSI Windows offerings - our Internals Training Focused On Application Management.  Check out the details at http://CSI-Windows.com read more MMS 2009 Follow Up Videos Wednesday, May 13 2009 @ 11:42 PM CST Contributed By: Darwin Sanoy I had a failed demonstration when speaking at the Microsoft Management Summit - it pains me!  As I promised, I have posted a video of the demonstration working as it should have.   You can find the videos at CSI-Windows.com or at YouTube.com/CSIWindows.  YouTube lets you play at full screen, and since these are HD videos, that option may actually be useful to you. read more Win 7 / MSI 5 Test Package and 30 Pages of Labs Wednesday, May 13 2009 @ 11:23 PM CST Contributed By: Darwin Sanoy DesktopEngineer.com / CSI-Windows.com has released an MSI test package that can help you explore and test the new features of MSI 5 in Windows 7 and MSI 4 in Windows Vista.  Read more about it at CSI-Windows.com read more DesktopEngineer.com Launches Concise Systems Internals for Windows Training Wednesday, April 29 2009 @ 09:58 PM CST Contributed By: Darwin Sanoy Probably everyone has seen the gurus of Windows systems internals dig deep diagnostic information out of a nasty application crash.  We wonder how to get our hands on the "book of knowledge" they use for their magic.  DesktopEngineer.com has a new training offering designed to get you started... read more FREE: Excellent Application Monitor And Control Utility Tuesday, February 24 2009 @ 08:34 PM CST Contributed By: Darwin Sanoy Kiwi Application Monitor provides excellent, long term application performance and usage tracking, but that's not all ... read more FREE: Cool Microsoft Setup Chainer With a Wacky Name Wednesday, November 12 2008 @ 03:55 AM CST Contributed By: Darwin Sanoy One of the little setup gems unveiled at the Microsoft Professional Developer Conference was a setup chainer ... read more RELEASED: Windows Installer 4.5 Wednesday, June 4 2008 @ 03:44 AM CST Contributed By: Darwin Sanoy Windows Installer 4.5 has moved from beta to release, the main improvements focus on ... read more RELEASED: Finally .NET Custom Actions For Windows Installer Monday, May 19 2008 @ 10:44 PM CST Contributed By: Darwin Sanoy It has been a long time coming, but the WIX team has delivered a complete, documented version of support for .NET Custom Actions for Windows Installer ... read more Windows Installer 4.5 In Beta Tuesday, August 28 2007 @ 04:19 PM CST Contributed By: Darwin Sanoy If you'd like to get on the beta of the next release of Windows Installer ... read more Windows Installer COM Advertising and Cross-Product Interaction Thursday, March 15 2007 @ 12:32 PM CST Contributed By: Darwin Sanoy Don't your users hate it when they start a software application that then triggers a request for the installation media of a totally unrelated application?  How about some relief ... read more Symantec Acquires Altiris Tuesday, January 30 2007 @ 01:48 PM CST Contributed By: Darwin Sanoy Symantec has entered a definitive agreement to acquire Altiris.  I have to tell you the first thought that came to my mind ... read more ProcessMonitor - Regmon + Filemon on a Single Process Tuesday, November 21 2006 @ 02:41 PM CST Contributed By: Darwin Sanoy It has been many moons since I asked Sysinternals if they had thought of combining regmon and filemon for a single process  ... read more UAC in MSI Notes by MSI Team Member Monday, October 9 2006 @ 07:20 PM CST Contributed By: Darwin Sanoy Microsoft employee Robert Flaming has been publishing some excellent information about how Vista's UAC and MSI interact  ... read more Wise Package Studio 7 Beta Thursday, May 4 2006 @ 06:55 AM CST Contributed By: Darwin Sanoy Wise has opened up the beta of their next major release of package studio.  Significant enhancements include full integration of SVS (Software Virtualization Solution) with the Repackager, Test Expert and Software Manager also the ability to include RPMs for Linux Packaging ... read more MaSai Editor bought by Script Logic Thursday, April 13 2006 @ 11:26 AM CST Contributed By: Darwin Sanoy The Windows Installer editor formerly known as MaSaI has been acquired by Script Logic... read more FREE: FLEXNet AdminStudio 7 SMS Edition Friday, April 7 2006 @ 04:28 PM CST Contributed By: Darwin Sanoy Macrovision has upgraded their SMS Edition to the version 7 release of AdminStudio... read more Windows Installer 4.0 Video on Channel 9 Thursday, December 15 2005 @ 08:51 AM CST Contributed By: Darwin Sanoy Learn about the details of the Vista version of Windows Installer by the team who actually builds it... read more Tutorial for WIX (Microsoft Open Source Windows Installer Tool for Developers) Monday, December 12 2005 @ 11:00 AM CST Contributed By: Darwin Sanoy Here is a fairly comprehensive tutorial on using WIX.  Those administrators who support in-house developers may find advantages to having in-house developers use WIX to build their packages... read more Microsoft's Windows Installer Team Blog Monday, October 3 2005 @ 02:49 PM CST Contributed By: Darwin Sanoy Microsoft's Windows Installer Team has a blog where they disseminate a lot of good information on MSI technology.  The blog handles a lot of Q&A about indepth Windows Installer topics. read more Windows Installer 3.1 V2 - Critical Update For Those Who Repackage Tuesday, September 27 2005 @ 02:20 PM CST Contributed By: Darwin Sanoy Windows Installer 3.1 has been released more than once - unfortunately, if you caught the first release it has a serious bug... read more FREE: 2.0 Release of MS Driver Information Framework (DIFx) Tuesday, July 19 2005 @ 12:27 PM CST Contributed By: Darwin Sanoy DIFx is Microsoft's first attempt to standard device driver installations and make them more managable.  Included in this kit is Windows Installer... read more MaSaI Editor 2.4 Released Wednesday, July 13 2005 @ 11:36 AM CST Contributed By: Darwin A new version of the most affordable Windows Installer tool for administrators has been released. read more MS Chat: Windows Installer and the Driver Installation Framework Thursday, June 16 2005 @ 10:18 AM CST Contributed By: Darwin Sanoy The Driver Installation Framework is Microsoft's new standard for installing drivers on Windows.  It includes support for driver installation and management via Windows Installer.  This chat... read more