Microsoft Visio 2002 Resource Kit

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Chapter 3 - Overview of Setup

Microsoft Visio 2002 SR-1 uses Windows Installer technology. The Setup program for Visio has been enhanced and now coordinates the entire installation process, including system file updates, core Visio installation, and installation of chained packages.

On This Page

Setup Components
Tasks Handled by Setup
Installations That Require Elevated Privileges

Setup Components

You use the Microsoft Visio 2002 SR-1 Setup program (Setup.exe) to do the following:

  • Create an administrative installation point for users to install Visio over the network.

  • Install Visio and related packages on users computers.

Like Microsoft Visio 2000 Setup, Visio 2002 SR-1 Setup calls Windows Installer to install Visio features; Visio 2002 SR-1 Setup, however, manages much of the installation process.

For example, on computers running Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 and Microsoft Windows 98, Setup automatically checks for the required versions of shared and system files on the users computer and updates the files from the System Files Update before installing Visio. Setup can also coordinate installations of multiple chained packages through the Setup settings file (Setup.ini).

Setup program

Visio Setup manages and coordinates the installation process from beginning to end. Setup spans required restarts and does not terminate until the last chained package is installed. Tasks performed by Setup include the following:

  • Detecting and installing required system files, including restarting and resuming if necessary.

  • Installing the core Visio 2002 SR-1 product.

  • Installing chained packages specified in the Setup settings file.

Setup.exe makes successive calls to Windows Installer (Msiexec.exe) to perform the installation of each package listed in the Setup.ini file. All command-line options documented in the Microsoft Visio Resource Kit are defined for Setup.exe, which passes appropriate options to Msiexec.exe.

Setup settings file

Setup.exe reads the Setup settings file (Setup.ini) and writes tasks to the registry based on the information contained in the settings file. You can customize Setup.ini, or you can create your own custom INI files, to control many aspects of the installation process. Setup.ini is located in the Files\Setup folder on the administrative installation point. When you use the Setup INI Customization Wizard to specify your modifications, the wizard automatically writes the information in the appropriate sections of the INI file.

Note   The Setup INI Customization Wizard is installed by default when you run the Microsoft Office XP Resource Kit Setup program. Use the wizard to modify the Setup settings file, customize the installation process, and automatically generate the correct command line. For more information on the Setup INI Customization Wizard, see Setup INI Customization Wizard in the Office XP Resource Kit Toolbox.

For Visio, the Setup settings file contains the following sections:

  • [Product] section

    Contains the product code, product name, and version number. Setup uses this information to determine whether Visio 2002 SR-1 is installed.

  • [MSI], [MST], and [Options] sections

    Contain information about the core Visio package (MSI file) and any transform (MST file) to apply, as well as property settings for the core Visio installation. For example, you can specify a value for the COMPANYNAME property in the [Options] section.

  • [Display] section

    Contains settings for the user interface displayed during Setup. These settings override default values and apply to the entire installation process, including the System Files Update.

  • [Logging] section

    Contains the logging mode to use for each portion of the installation process, as well as the location and naming scheme for log files.

  • [Installer] section

    Contains Windows Installer information, including minimum version and path to Instmsi.exe or Instmsiw.exe (the program that installs or upgrades Windows Installer).

  • [SystemPack] section

    Contains information about the System Files Update package, as well as some property settings to apply. For example, you can enter DISPLAY=Basic to display only simple progress indicators during the System Files Update installation, even if you set the core Visio installation to run with a full user interface.

  • [SystemPackOptions] section

    Contains custom settings and properties to pass to the System Files Update installation. For example, you can enter TRANSFORMS=Custom.mst to apply a transform to the System Files Update package.

  • [SystemPack_DetectionFileList] section

    Lists all the shared and system files and version numbers that Setup checks during the detection process.

  • [ChainedInstall_n] sections

    Contain information about chained packages and any transforms to apply. You can chain as many additional packages as you want and apply a transform to each one.

Windows Installer

Windows Installer (which includes Msiexec.exe) installs Visio by using a dynamic-link library file (Msi.dll) to read the Windows Installer package (MSI file), apply a Windows Installer transform (MST file), incorporate command-line options supplied by Setup.exe, and install programs and files on users computers.

When a user selects a feature to install during Visio Setup, Windows Installer identifies a corresponding set of components to copy to the computer. Each component consists of a unique set of files, programs, dynamic-link libraries, and registry entries that work together as a unit.

Windows Installer uses two types of files to install Visio and related products: packages (MSI files) and transforms (MST files). A Windows Installer package is a relational database that contains all the information necessary to install a product. The MSI file associates components with features. It also contains information about the installation process itself, such as installation sequence, destination folder paths, system dependencies, installation options, and properties that control the installation process.

Like a Windows Installer package, a Windows Installer transform is a relational database that contains information about components, features, and Setup properties. A transform is based on a particular package and contains the modifications to apply to that package during installation. When you use the Custom Installation Wizard to create a transform, the wizard compares the original MSI file and the MSI file with all your customizations incorporated. The differences are recorded in an MST file; the original package is never altered.

Visio requires Windows Installer 1.1 or later. The newer versions contain a number of improvements over Windows Installer 1.0, including better support for upgrading to a new version of a previously installed package.

If Windows Installer 1.0 is present on the computer, Setup automatically updates the program. If Windows Installer is not present on the computer, Setup calls Instmsi.exe (Windows 98) or Instmsiw.exe (Windows NT 4.0) to install it. Microsoft Windows 2000 includes Windows Installer 1.1, and Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition (Windows Me) includes Windows Installer 1.2. If you are installing Visio on one of these operating systems, no Windows Installer update is required.

Visio 2002 SR-1 package

The Visio 2002 SR-1 package includes the Visio core files, solutions and add-ons, and other files required to run Visio. It also supports Input Method Editors (IMEs) for Korean, Japanese, and Simplified and Traditional Chinese. After Visio is installed, Windows Installer continues to use the original package to add or remove features or to replace missing or damaged files. When you set Visio features to be installed on first use, Windows Installer uses the package to copy the files the first time the user activates a feature.

System Files Update

Visio requires minimum versions of a set of dynamic-link library (DLL) files and other shared and system files. Before installing Visio under Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 98, Setup verifies that these key system files are up–to-date and, if they are not, updates them automatically from the System Files Update before proceeding with the rest of the installation.

The release versions of Windows 2000 and Windows Me include an equivalent or better level of the key system files required for Visio. Under Windows 2000 or Windows Me, you cannot install the System Files Update or run Internet Explorer Setup from the System Files Update. The /spforce command-line option has no effect on these operating systems.

If you are upgrading from Office 2000 Service Release 1 under Windows 98 or Windows NT 4.0 and you have Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.01 or later, your system files are also up to date. In these cases, you can install Visio without installing the System Files Update.

Note   During the installation of the Visio package, Setup copies some files to the Systems folder on the user's computer. They include dynamic-link library (DLL) files required by legacy applications and other shared files that the operating system looks for in the Systems folder.

The System Files Update is a separate package (MSI file). If required, it is installed automatically with the Visio package, but you customize it in a separate transform applied to the Osp.msi package. Key system files and components in the System Files Update include the following:

  • Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.01

  • HTML Help

  • Microsoft Data Access Components 2.5

  • Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications Runtime

  • Microsoft Visual C Runtime

  • Microsoft Foundation Class 4.2

Tip   The Setup settings file (Setup.ini) includes a list of the system and shared files that Setup checks before installing Visio, along with minimum required version numbers. Setup.ini is located in the Files/Setup folder on the administrative installation point; you can find the file list in the [SystemPack_DetectionFileList] section of Setup.ini.

Internet Explorer 5

The minimum version of Internet Explorer required by Visio is Internet Explorer 4.01 Service Pack 1. By default, the System Files Update includes a typical installation of Internet Explorer version 5.01. Under Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 98, any earlier version of Internet Explorer automatically triggers the System Files Update installation.

The following table lists the versions of Internet Explorer included with recent versions of Windows and Visio.

Product

Internet Explorer

Windows 98 (release version)

Internet Explorer 4.01 Service Pack 1

Windows 98 Second Edition

Internet Explorer 5.0

Visio 2000 (release version)

Internet Explorer 5.0

Visio 2000 Service Release 1

Internet Explorer 5.01

Visio 2002 SR-1

Internet Explorer 5.01

Windows 2000 (release version)

Internet Explorer 5.01

Windows Me

Internet Explorer 5.5

During a Visio installation, administrators have several options for determining which version (if any) of Internet Explorer is installed on users computers. For example, you can do one of the following:

  • Run the System Files Update installation with a full user interface to give users the choice of installing or upgrading to Internet Explorer 5.

  • Run the System Files Update installation unattended, and set the NOIE property to True to install only a required subset of Internet Explorer– and Microsoft Windows–related components.

Note   Because the System Files Update installation does not run on Windows 2000 or Windows Me, you cannot update Internet Explorer during your Visio installation on these operating systems. Instead, deploy the desired version of Internet Explorer separately before you install Visio.

See also

For more information about Windows Installer, including online Help and other documentation, see the Microsoft Platform SDK on MSDN.

Tasks Handled by Setup

The Microsoft Visio 2002 SR-1 Setup program manages all the tasks associated with a Visio installation, including system file updates, installation of chained packages, and required restarts. The Setup.exe thread spans and coordinates multiple installations and terminates only after the last chained package is installed, as shown in the following diagram.

How Setup handles key tasks

You run Setup by double-clicking setup.exe on the Visio CD or at the root of the administrative installation point. If Visio is not installed on the computer, you can also run Setup by inserting the Visio CD or by typing the following command line:

setup.exe [display settings] [logging settings] [options]

The following sections describe the sequence of events during Setup in more detail.

Initializing the installation process

When Setup starts, it first verifies that it is running on one of the following supported operating systems:

  • Microsoft Windows XP Professional

  • Microsoft Windows 2000

  • Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition (Windows Me)

  • Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 6a

  • Microsoft Windows 98

Any other version of Windows (including Microsoft Windows 95) generates an error message and causes Setup to exit.

Next, Setup reads the Setup settings file—Setup.ini or a custom INI file specified with the /settings command-line option. Most of the instructions for running the installation process are contained in the Setup settings file, including the display settings that Setup passes to Windows Installer before starting the installation process.

Installing the packages

Setup.exe calls Windows Installer (Msiexec.exe) to install the System Files Update, the core Visio package, and any chained packages. During the calls, Setup passes command-line options and properties to Windows Installer.

Note   The Office XP Resource Kit includes a document named Setupref.doc that defines the Windows Installer command-line options most commonly used during Visio Setup. Setupref.doc is installed by default when you run the Office XP Resource Kit Setup program.

Setup.exe recognizes the options listed in the following table:

Option

Value

Description

/settings

<path>

Use the custom INI file at this location instead of default Setup.ini.

/nosp

n/a

Override System Files Update detection and do not install the System Files Update.

/spforce

n/a

Install the System Files Update even if the detection process determines that it is not required.

/sponly

n/a

Install only the System Files Update; do not chain the Visio package.

/noreboot

n/a

Do not restart the computer at the end of the installation.

Note   Do not run Msiexec.exe directly. Instead, always run Setup.exe to install Visio and related packages. Running Setup.exe ensures that all system verifications are performed.

You must have elevated privileges to install Visio under Windows NT 4.0 or Windows 2000. Installing the System Files Update requires administrator rights both before and after the computer restarts.

Installing the System Files Update

Users installing Visio under Windows 2000 or Windows Me already have the required versions of key system files, so Setup skips the System Files Update detection phase and does not call Windows Installer to install the package. (You cannot use /spforce to install the System Files Update on these operating systems.)

Under Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 98, users who are upgrading from Microsoft Office 2000 Service Release 1 and who have Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.01 or later also have up-to-date system files. Before proceeding with the Visio installation, however, Setup.exe checks whether the System Files Update has been installed, and if not, determines whether it is required.

The [SystemPack_DetectionFileList] section of Setup.ini lists approximately 100 files that Setup checks during the detection process, as well as the minimum versions required. If the computer passes this test, Setup.exe moves on to the Visio installation. All files checked, even those that meet the minimum version requirement, are recorded in the Setup log file.

If the computer fails the test, Setup.exe calls Windows Installer (Msiexec.exe) to install the System Files Update package (Osp.msi) with the following command line:

msiexec [display settings] [logging settings] [options] /i <Osp.msi>

Tip   The Setup settings file (Setup.ini) includes a list of the system and shared files that Setup checks before installing Visio, along with minimum required version numbers. Setup.ini is located in the Files/Setup folder on the administrative installation point; you can find the file list in the [SystemPack_DetectionFileList] section of Setup.ini.

By default, Setup.exe passes the Visio display settings to Msiexec.exe. However, you can set the display level for the System Files Update to a different value by using the Setup INI Customization Wizard or by setting the DISPLAY property in the [SystemPack] section of Setup.ini. You can also add other property-value pairs specific to the System Files Update package in the [SystemPackOptions] section—including setting the NOIE property or specifying a transform (MST file) to apply.

When the System Files Update installation is complete, Setup.exe restarts the computer and proceeds to the core Visio installation. You cannot advertise the System Files Update by using the /jm command-line option; the package must be installed locally. To advertise Visio features, however, you must have the required level of system and shared files.

Note   During installation of the Visio package, Setup copies some files to the Systems folder on the user's computer. They include dynamic-link library (DLL) files required by legacy applications and other shared files that the operating system looks for in the Systems folder.

Installing Internet Explorer

During the System Files Update detection (which occurs only on computers running under Windows 98 or Windows NT 4.0), Setup.exe determines which version of Internet Explorer is present on the computer. Internet Explorer 4.01 Service Pack 1 is the minimum version supported by Visio. By default, however, any version earlier than Internet Explorer 5.01 triggers an installation of the System Files Update.

If you do not install Internet Explorer 5.01 (that is, if the administrator sets the NOIE property to True or if the user chooses not to upgrade), Setup does not update the default Web browser or install Internet Explorer shortcuts. However, Setup still calls Internet Explorer Setup to install the subset of Internet Explorer- and Microsoft Windows–related components required by Visio applications. If the System Files Update calls Internet Explorer Setup to install any component, you must restart the computer at the end of the System Files Update installation.

At the end of the installation, regardless of whether Internet Explorer is upgraded to version 5.01, the users system files are at least equivalent to the level in Office 2000 Service Release 1. All Visio features function normally.

The logic that Setup uses to determine when and how to upgrade or install Internet Explorer is described in more detail in the following tables.

If the administrator takes no action, Setup installs or upgrades Internet Explorer as follows:

Existing version of Internet Explorer

Installation behavior

No Internet Explorer or earlier than Internet Explorer 4.01 Service Pack 1

Setup installs or presents users with the choice of typical Internet Explorer 5.01 (default), minimum Internet Explorer 5.01, or Windows Web Browsing Components only.

Internet Explorer 4.01 Service Pack 1 or later, but not Internet Explorer 5.0

Setup installs or presents users with the choice of typical Internet Explorer 5.01 (default), minimum Internet Explorer 5.01, or no upgrade.

Internet Explorer 5.0 or later, but not Internet Explorer 5.01

Setup upgrades to Internet Explorer 5.01 behind the scenes; users are not presented with a choice.

If you set the NOIE property to True (or if the user chooses not to upgrade), Setup installs or upgrades Internet Explorer as follows.

Existing version of Internet Explorer

Installation behavior

No Internet Explorer or earlier than Internet Explorer 4.01 Service Pack 1

Windows Web Browsing Components are installed automatically.

Internet Explorer 4.01 Service Pack 1 or later, but not Internet Explorer 5.0

Internet Explorer is not upgraded to version 5.01, but Setup installs a subset of required components, including HTML Help.

Internet Explorer 5.0 or later, but not Internet Explorer 5.01

Internet Explorer is not upgraded to version 5.01, but Setup installs a subset of required components, including HTML Help.

Under Windows 98 and Windows NT 4.0, you can upgrade to Internet Explorer 5.5 by replacing the Osp/<LCID>/IE5 folder on your administration installation point with the Internet Explorer 5.5 folder. Then add /spforce to the command line or to Setup.ini to ensure that the System Files Update installation is triggered. If you customize the Internet Explorer 5.5 package before installing it, you must use the updated Internet Explorer Administration Kit for Internet Explorer 5.5.

Because the System Files Update installation does not run under Windows 2000 or Windows Me, you cannot use the /spforce command-line option to install or upgrade Internet Explorer during Visio Setup. On these operating systems, you must deploy Internet Explorer 5.5 separately, before you install Visio.

Note   The Internet Explorer 5.x user interface identifies all versions as Internet Explorer 5. The specific version number of Internet Explorer 5.01 is listed in the [SystemPack_DetectionFileList] section of Setup.ini.

For more information about customizing and installing Internet Explorer, see the Internet Explorer Administration Kit Web site.

Installing Microsoft Visio

Setup.exe calls Windows Installer to install the core Visio package by using the following command line:

msiexec [display settings] [logging settings] [options] /i <Visio.msi> 

The name and location of the package is specified in the [MSI] section of Setup.ini; the path defaults to the location of Setup.exe. You can specify a transform to apply and other property-value pairs on the command line or in the Setup settings file.

Note   By using the Custom Installation Wizard, you can create a transform that specifies additional programs to run at the end of the Visio installation. The core Visio installation starts these programs before Setup calls Msiexec.exe to install any chained packages.

Installing chained packages

Visio Setup handles installation of multiple chained packages, which are listed in the [ChainedInstall_1] to [ChainedInstall_n] sections of the Setup settings file. The following example shows the syntax used in Setup.ini:

[ChainedInstall_1]
PATH=\\server\share\ChainedPackageExample.msi
CMDLINE=SOURCELIST=\\server2\share\
DISPLAY=Basic
MST=Custom.mst

When the core Visio installation is complete, Setup makes a series of calls to Windows Installer to install each chained package. For more information about chaining additional packages and setting properties for chained installations, see Including Additional Packages in the Visio Installation in Chapter 4 of the Microsoft Visio 2002 Resource Kit.

Passing options and properties to Windows Installer

Setup uses command-line options and properties to control the installation process. Most global command-line options, such as /qb, are passed to Windows Installer for all the tasks that Setup handles. Others, such as /nosp, affect the behavior of Setup itself. Some command-line options, such as PIDKEY or INSTALLLOCATION, are passed only during the call to install Visio.

The default values for Setup properties are defined in the package (MSI file), but you can customize your Visio installation by specifying new values. For example, you can use the COMPANYNAME property to define the default organization name that Setup uses during installation.

In general, Setup properties are passed only during the call to install Visio. (NOIE is an exception: that property is also passed during the call to install the System Files Update.) To override this behavior and pass a property to a package other than Visio, you must specify the property in the relevant section of the Setup settings file and not on the command line. For example, you can install Visio with a full user interface, but install the System Files Update unattended by setting the DISPLAY property to None in the [SystemPack] section of Setup.ini.

Public and private properties

There are two types of Setup properties:

  • Public property names are all uppercase and can be specified on the command line, in the Setup settings file, or on the Modify Setup Properties page of the Custom Installation Wizard.

  • Private property names are a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters and can be specified only on the Modify Setup Properties page of the Custom Installation Wizard.

If you enter a property name on the command line or in Setup.ini, Setup assumes that it is a public property and converts the name to all uppercase letters. When you enter a property name in the Custom Installation Wizard, you must enter the name exactly as it is defined, in all uppercase or in mixed-case letters. With few exceptions, all properties that you can use for managing the installation process are public properties.

Restarting the computer

Setup.exe restarts the computer under two circumstances:

  • To complete the installation of a package (forced reboot)

    Setup resumes automatically after the computer restarts. Note that you cannot begin installing a new Windows Installer package until the previous installation is complete, including any forced reboots.

  • To replace files in use (requested reboot)

    You can use the /noreboot command-line option to suppress requested reboots.

The Visio package may end with a requested reboot if core Visio files are in use during the installation; a forced reboot is never required. Installation of the System Files Update under Windows NT 4.0 or Windows 98 usually requires a forced reboot, except under the following conditions:

  • The user chooses not to update Internet Explorer and all required Internet Explorer–related components are up-to-date.

  • Updated versions of Oleaut32.dll, Ole32.dll, and Odbc32.dll already exist on the computer.

Creating a log file

Both Visio Setup and Windows Installer generate log files during the installation process. You cannot set options for the Setup log file; however, Windows Installer allows you to set a number of logging options that apply to each package that it installs during Visio Setup. Note that any logging options you set apply to all log files created by Windows Installer during the Visio installation.

You can also specify the name and path for log files. By default, Setup creates a log file in the %Temp% folder on each users computer. Windows Installer creates a log file for each package that it installs, appends the task number to the log file name, and stores it in the same location. For example, %Temp%\<SetupLogFile>_Task(0001).txt is the name of the log file for the first package installed by Setup.

What Setup does behind the scenes

After Setup starts, it reads the Setup.ini file and writes information to the Windows registry that defines the entire installation sequence, as shown in the following diagram. If Windows Installer 1.1 is not present on the computer, Setup calls Instmsi.exe (Windows 98) or Instmsiw.exe (Windows NT 4.0) to install it.

Cc767114.ch03_02(en-us,TechNet.10).gif 

Then Setup executes each set of tasks in order, as shown in the following diagram:

Cc767114.ch03_03(en-us,TechNet.10).gif 

Note   On Windows 98, Setup.exe updates Windows Installer immediately after the forced reboot for the System Files Update, and adds an additional call to Instmsi.exe to the RunOnce key. This step reduces the number of restarts required to install Visio under Windows 98.

Installations That Require Elevated Privileges

In Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 and Microsoft Windows 2000 environments, different groups of users have different levels of rights and permissions. In these environments, default users have limited access to system areas of the computer. Because Microsoft Visio 2002 SR-1 Setup updates system files and writes to system areas of the Windows registry, you must have administrator rights to the computer to install Microsoft Visio.

Users without administrator rights cannot install Visio. To install Visio on computers where users lack administrator rights, you must run Setup with elevated privileges. After Visio is installed, users without administrator rights can run all installed features, including installing features on demand, provided the initial installation was performed in an elevated context.

Under Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 2000, power users cannot install Visio without elevated privileges. Elevated privileges are not required under Microsoft Windows 98 or Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition because these operating systems consider each user an administrator of the computer.

There are four methods of elevating the Visio installation:

  • Log on to the computer as an administrator and install Visio.

  • Assign, publish, or advertise Visio features.

    You use Windows 2000 software installation, a feature of Microsoft IntelliMirror management technology, to assign or publish Visio. Under Windows NT 4.0 or Windows 2000, you can also log on to the computer as an administrator and run Setup with the /jm command-line option to advertise Visio.

  • Set a Windows Installer system policy that allows all Windows Installer applications to run with elevated privileges.

  • Use Microsoft Systems Management Server in an administrative context to deploy Visio.

Because all of the core Visio features are installed as Windows Installer packages, any of the preceding methods grants users elevated privileges and allows them to install Visio and any chained packages. When the initial installation is performed with elevated privileges, all subsequent installations—including install on demand and automatic repair of features—are also elevated.

Note   Under Windows NT 4.0, you cannot install the System Files Update merely by elevating the installation. Instead, you must log on to the computer with administrator rights when you begin the System Files Update installation and log on again after the computer restarts to complete the installation. Alternatively, you can create a Systems Management Server script to elevate the installation.

Logging on as an administrator

You automatically install Visio and the System Files Update with elevated privileges if you log on to a computer with an account that has administrator rights. However, this method requires that all users have administrator rights or that an administrator visits every computer.

Under Windows 2000, you can also give users an administrator name and password and have them use the Run as command to install Visio in an elevated context. If you create a shortcut to Setup.exe, you can include command-line options to customize the installation.

To create a shortcut to Setup.exe for users to run as administrators

  1. Create a shortcut to Visio Setup.exe.

  2. Right-click the shortcut and then click Properties.

  3. Click the Shortcut tab, and then enter your command line in the Target box.

    To specify a custom INI file, use the /settings option; to apply a transform, use the TRANSFORMS property.

  4. Select the Run as a different user check box, and then click OK.

You must distribute this shortcut with the domain, name, and password of an administrator account. The following procedure outlines the steps users must take.

To start Visio Setup as an administrator (Windows 2000) 

  1. Press SHIFT and right-click setup.exe and then click Run as.

  2. Click Run the program as the following user.

  3. Enter the user name, password, and domain of the administrator account.

Setting a Windows Installer system policy

You can enable elevated privileges on a users computer by setting a Windows Installer system policy. The Always install with elevated privileges policy allows a user without administrator rights to install any Windows Installer package (with the exception of the System Files Update).

Note   You must set the Always install with elevated privileges policy both per computer and per user to enable elevated privileges for installing Visio.

To enable elevated privileges by policy (Windows 2000) 

  1. On the Start menu, point to Programs, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Active Directory Users and Computers.

  2. In the console tree, right-click the domain or organizational unit for which you want to set the policy.

  3. Click Properties, and then click the Group Policy tab.

  4. In the Group Policy Objects Links box, select a Group Policy Object, and then click Edit.

  5. Open the Local Computer Policy\Administrative Templates\Windows Installer folder.

  6. In the details pane, double-click the Always install with elevated privileges policy.

  7. In the Group Policy Property dialog box, enable the policy, select the check box to turn the setting on, and then click OK.

  8. Open the User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Installer folder and repeat steps 6 and 7.

Under Windows NT 4.0, you can use the System Policy Editor and Windows Installer policy template file (Instlr11.adm) to set the Always install with elevated privileges policy. You must set the policy for the computer and for each user.

If you choose not to use either the Group Policy Editor or the System Policy Editor, you can specify the same setting on each computer by changing a value in the Windows registry.

To enable elevated privileges in the Windows registry 

  1. On the Start menu, click Run, and then to open the Registry Editor, type regedit.

  2. Find or create the following subkey in the Windows registry:

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Installer

  3. In the Installer subkey, create a new DWORD called AlwaysInstallElevated and set its value to 1.

  4. Find or create the following subkey in the Windows registry:

    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Installer

  5. In the Installer subkey, create a new DWORD called AlwaysInstallElevated and set its value to 1.

  6. Repeat step 5 for each user of the computer.

  7. When finished, click File, and then click Exit to close the Registry Editor.

When you install Visio from the Visio CD, installing features on demand requires administrator rights each time a feature is installed. This scenario is the only exception to persistent administrator rights after an initial installation with elevated privileges.

To allow users to install features on demand from the Visio CD, you must set the Windows Installer system policy Enable user to use media source while elevated.

Caution   When you set the Always install with elevated privileges or Enable user to use media source while elevated policy, any Windows Installer package installed by any user can make changes to system areas. This state can leave the computer vulnerable to viruses.

Assigning, publishing, or advertising Visio

If all the computers in your organization run under Windows 2000, you can elevate the Visio installation by using IntelliMirror technology to assign or publish Visio. Because Windows 2000 already provides the necessary level of system files, the System Files Update is not required.

Alternatively, if you are running Windows NT 4.0 or if you are not using Windows 2000 software installation, you can advertise Visio by logging on as an administrator and then running Setup with the /jm option. If you also include a Windows Installer transform (MST file) to customize the installation, use the /t command-line option to specify the MST file. For example:

setup.exe /jm Visio.msi /t Visio.mst

When you advertise Visio in this way, Windows Installer shortcuts for each application appear on the Start menu, and a minimal set of core Visio files and components is installed on the computer. When a user clicks a shortcut or opens a file associated with a Visio feature, Windows Installer runs with elevated privileges to install the application, regardless of how the user logged on. After Visio is advertised, users can also run Setup from an administrative installation point and install Visio with elevated privileges.

Note that Windows NT 4.0 does not support Windows Installer shortcuts without an updated version of the Windows shell. The updated shell is included with Internet Explorer 4.01 Service Pack 1 or later. Even without the updated shell and Windows Installer shortcuts, however, core Visio files and components are installed on the computer, and Windows Installer considers the initial installation complete. Users can subsequently run Visio Setup from the administrative installation point and install with elevated privileges.

Because the System Files Update cannot be advertised, advertising Visio on Windows NT 4.0 fully installs the System Files Update on the local computer when the update is required.

See also

For more information about assigning or publishing Visio, see Using Windows 2000 Software Installation in Chapter 5 of the Microsoft Visio 2002 Resource Kit.

By using a Systems Management Server script, you can install Visio in an elevated context. For more information, see the Microsoft Systems Management Server Web site.

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