InfoPath Dev

I've got a form that I am using regform on to create an MSI file. The form is a urn based solution. It works great, the problem comes when I need to come out with a new version of the form. If I try and install the new MSI, it says that it can't do so, because the form is already registered. So I have to manually uninstall the form on each users machine before I can reinstall the new one. This is a time consuming process. Is there any way to create a self-upgrading MSI package that would unregister the old version, upgrade the xsn file, and then reregister the new form? I'm thinking there should be a way to do this without too much trouble.

Thanks,
Ryan

I'm not aware of a way (at least not using regform)... but I'm sure there probably is a way. Someone more knowledgable than myself in this area should jump in here.

But one thing--why are you doing the uninstall/reinstall yourself for everyone? Post a page with instructions and have them do it themselves. That will save some time.

Hi rzwahr,

I think you should be able to do this - one way or another. Not sure if regform or using the full version of the program "installshield" is going to be the final answer for you (you can get really fancy using Installshield if you want). However, according to this article:

http://book.itzero.com/read/microsoft/0501/Microsoft.Press.Introducing.Microsoft.Office.InfoPath.2003.eBook-LiB_html/6844final/LiB0152.html

at the very least you should be able to (using jscript) make an uninstall msi & a new install msi file that the users could use when you update forms. You would send them both msi's with instructions to uninstall the old one before installing the new updated one...yes 2 seperate files, but perhaps a little easier than you unisntalling them?

Have you tried using the InfoPathDev "regform command line tool" yet? I know that there are a number of command lines within regform...perhaps that would be of some help too.

hope that helps

While I have never done it it is technically possible. All the MSI regform tool does is automatically build the MSI with the right calls to the InfoPath register solution API. You will have to build a custom MSI that checks for the presence of your existing MSI, uninstall it first, then install and call the register solution api in InfoPath to install the new form. These MSDN articles provide the raw basics:

Register Solution
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/ipsdk/html/xdmthRegisterSolution_HV01021404.asp

Unregister Solution
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/ipsdk/html/xdmthUnregisterSolution_HV01021423.asp