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How to install and uninstall a Windows service using Visual Installer

The Visual Installer installation tool can be used to install and uninstall a Windows service. By combining the XRUN script command with the new script command UNINSTALL_XRUN this is very easy done. UNINSTALL_XRUN is a new script command that vi added to Visual Installer’s scripting language in the version 10.0.27 update of Visual Installer. UNINSTALL_XRUN runs a program during Visual Installer’s uninstallation process.

XRUN can be used to install (register) the Windows service and UNINSTALL_XRUN can be used to uninstall (unregister) the Windows service. In this new tip on our website we will explain in detail how to install and uninstall a Windows service using the scripting language in Visual Installer 2014 / Professional:

> Tip: How to install a Windows service using script

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New script command in Visual Installer: UNINSTALL_MSIEXEC

Earlier this year we added the MSIEXEC script command to Visual Installer’s script language. MSIEXEC is used to run an MSI installation from a Visual Installer setup package. Windows Installer is used for the setup process. We have now added a new script command that functions like MSIEXEC but it is run during the uninstallation process instead. The name of the new script command is UNINSTALL_MSIEXEC.

Just like MSIEXEC, the UNINSTALL_MSIEXEC command takes three parameters:

%Filename : Full path to the MSI setup package
%Param : Command line parameters to send to Windows Installer
%Wait : Pause Visual Installer until Windows Installer is ready

By combining MSIEXEC with UNINSTALL_MSIEXEC you will have a nice and easy way to support both installation and uninstallation of a MSI setup package in a single Visual Installer project. The picture below shows how to use these two commands in a Visual Installer project:

As you can see, only two lines with script code is needed to handle both an installation and uninstallation of a MSI setup package. MSI_EXEC is run during the installation process and UNINSTALL_MSIEXEC is run during the uninstallation process.

Tips
We have published tips on our website that explains in detail how to use the MSIEXEC and UNINSTALL_MSIEXEC command. Click on the links below to read the tips:

> Tip: How to run an MSI installation from script
> Tip: How to run an MSI uninstallation from script

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Visual Installer: How to password protect an installation

In Visual Installer you can protect an installation from unauthorized use in two ways: you can protect it with an license key or you can protect it with a password. License key protection and password protection works in a similar way, but there are differences. Below we explain some of the differences:

– When a user enters a license key, all characters that are entered are also shown on the screen. But if the user enters a password, only stars (*) are shown on the screen. Nobody can look on the screen and see which characters are entered.

– Passwords are case sensitive. License keys are not. So if you specify a password like “Orange“, only “Orange” will be accepted. Not “orange” or “ORANGE“. However, if you specify a license key as “Orange“, the user can enter “Orange“, “orange” or “ORANGE“. All three will be accepted by the setup program.

– Only one unique password can be specified for a specific installation. But if you use license keys, you can specify more than one key. In fact, you can specify thousands of unique license keys, if needed.

How to password protect an installation
Below we will show how to password protect an installation:

1. Start Visual Installer, and open an existing project or create a new one.

2. Open the Dialog boxes tab.

The Dialog boxes tab

3. Select the Password option in the Dialog boxes tab.

The Password option

4. Click on the “…” button to the right of the Password option.

5. Enter a password in the Password text box in the Password dialog box.

The Password dialog box

6. Click OK to close the Password dialog box.

You can now create an installation and run it. The Password setup dialog box (see the picture below) will be shown in the setup wizard when you run the installation, and you can not continue the installation until you enter the correct password.

The Password setup dialog box

More tips
More tips for Visual Installer are available on this web page.

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Visual Installer: How to change registration order during setup

When you install files using Visual Installer, files are normally registered in the order that they appear in the file list. But sometimes this may create a problem, if one file is dependent of another file, and they are registered in the wrong order. To handle a situation like this there is an option in Visual Installer that allows you to register files in a particular order.

If you want to specify in which order files should be registered, you can choose the List – Register files menu item.

The Register files dialog box is then shown (see the picture below). In this dialog box you can specify the registration order by entering one file path per line. Each line must contain an installation path to every file that you want to have registered in another order than the default order. You can use variables in the file path (for example: %SYSDIR\MyDLL1.dll).

Line 1 is registered first. Then line 2. Then Line 3. Then line 4. Etc.

All files that you specify in the Register files dialog box are registered before any file in the file list is registered. So the list in Register files dialog box is handled first.

More information
Additional information is available in Visual Installer’s Help documentation. Click on the Help button in the Register files dialog box to obtain more information.

More tips
More tips for Visual Installer are available on this web page.

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How do I create a system with multiple menus in CD-Menu Creator?

It is very easy to create a single menu window with CD-Menu Creator. Normally you can create such a menu interface in just minutes. But sometimes a single menu window is not enough. Sometimes you also need some sub menu windows with additional buttons, because all of the buttons that you want to add will not fit in a single menu window. The buttons are too many.

This situation can also be handled with CD-Menu Creator. With CD-Menu Creator you can create a menu system with many menu windows. For example, a main menu and some sub menus. You can create so many levels with menu windows that you want, but usually only 2 or 3 levels with menu windows are necessary.

We have published two detailed tips on our web site that show how to create a menu system that contains a main menu and some sub menus. The first tip shows how to create a menu system with two levels of menus. The second tip shows how to create a menu system with 3 levels of menus (a system like in the picture below).

3 levels with menus

Read more on this page:
> Tip: How to create multiple menus on a CD or DVD

See also:
> Tips and Tricks for CD-Menu Creator

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A first look at Windows 10

Windows 10 - LogoEarlier this week Microsoft presented their next operating system: Windows 10. Their last client operating system, Windows 8, has not sold as expected, so Microsoft has worked hard to develop a replacement, and with Windows 10 Microsoft expect to have an OS that will attract their customers. Windows 10 was designed with especially business users in mind, because they were very reluctant to upgrade to Windows 8.

The Start menu is back!
One of the biggest news in Windows 10 is the return of the Start menu. In Windows 8 the Start menu was removed, but people never get used with that, so in Windows 10 the Start menu is back. Microsoft has also improved the Start menu so it is more feature rich than before. You can now customize the contents of the Start menu after your needs. And there is also a powerful Search function included in the menu. From the Start menu you can launch both traditional desktop apps and modern Windows Store apps (former “Metro” apps).

Windows 10 - Image 1

Some other new features in Windows 10 are:

Virtual desktops
In Windows 10 you can have more than one desktop at the same time. And you can switch between the desktops in an easy way. These desktops are called virtual desktops and when you use them you can for example place applications that are connected in a logical way on the same desktop. For example all Office applications on one desktop and Visual Studio and other development tools in another desktop.

Windows Store apps can be run on the traditional desktop
Windows Store apps (the modern style apps) can now be run on the traditional desktop. The apps can also be resized and moved on the desktop, in the same way as traditional desktop applications. And the apps can also be launched from the new Start menu.

Continuum
In Windows 8 the touch-optimized Start screen was always shown, also on a desktop computer where a mouse and keyboard were connected and no touch-screen was available. This was not optimal for users that always run desktop apps. Windows 10 is much smarter. It detects the state of the computer and presents the right user interface depending on whether a keyboard and mouse is connected or not, and if the display is touch-sensitive or not. So if you run Windows 10 on a traditional desktop computer, the traditional desktop is automatically shown from start. Microsoft calls this new feature for Continuum.

Quad snap
A new useful feature is the “quad snap” function that allows four windows to be snapped onto the same screen. All windows will obtain the same size. This is a very useful feature, especially on large screens, if you have four applications running simultaneously, and you want to view the contents of the four application windows at the same time.

Improved search function
In Windows 10 the search function has been improved. You can search directly from the new Start menu, and you can choose to search for files on your local computer or for files (or web pages) on the Internet.

Windows 10 - Image 2

This was a first look at the next operating system from Microsoft – Windows 10 – and we will publish more details on our blog in the following months, when Microsoft releases more details about the new Windows.

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Presentation of MultiMailer 2014 / Enterprise

There are three versions of MultiMailer 2014 available, as described in this blog post, and one of the versions has the name MultiMailer 2014 / Enterprise. The Enterprise version is the most feature-rich and powerful version of MultiMailer.

MultiMailerFeatures
Some unique features for the Enterprise version of MultiMailer is:

• Can handle mailing lists with up to 500,000 contacts each.
• Supports encrypted SSL communication with e-mail servers.
• Can be installed on a server and shared by many users.
• Supports virtual machines.

MultiMailer - Enterprise

500,000 contacts
If you need to send e-mail newsletters to hundreds of thousands contacts at once Enterprise is the version for you. Enterprise can handle mailing lists that contains up to 500,000 contacts each. And by using the powerful statistics and analysis functions you can follow when people open your newsletters in real-time.

SSL communication with e-mail servers
MultiMailer / Enterprise can communicate with e-mail servers that requires an encrypted SSL connection, for examples Google’s e-mail server (Gmail’s server).

ServerCan be installed on a server
MultiMailer / Enterprise can be installed on a server on a network and shared by many users. 1 license of MultiMailer / Enterprise can be shared by 10 users.

Supports virtual machines
A virtual machine is a software simulation (emulation) of a computer. By using a virtual machine, many instances of a particular operating system can be run on one physical computer. A virtual machine allows also different operating systems to be installed on the same physical computer. Virtual machines are typically run on servers, but can be run on clients also.

Use of virtual machines is very common today. These allow large companies to reduce the number of physical computers to save money. Many of our customers use virtual machines and we have therefore optimized MultiMailer Enterprise for use in virtual environments. We are also counting licenses in different way, so one license of MultiMailer / Enterprise can be run on 10 virtual machines at the same time (shared by 10 users at the same time).

What does MultiMailer 2014 / Enterprise costs?
If you want to check how much MultiMailer 2014 / Enterprise costs, or order the product, you can visit the following web page:

> Order – SamLogic MultiMailer

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MultiMailer is now available in an Enterprise version

MultiMailerSamLogic MultiMailer 2014 / Enterprise is a new version of our e-mail newsletter marketing tool. The Enterprise version of MultiMailer is adapted for use on servers and is specialized on handling of large mailing lists. One license of MultiMailer / Enterprise can be shared by up to 10 users.

Three versions of SamLogic MultiMailer
There are now three versions of MultiMailer available: Standard, Professional and Enterprise. Below we will describe what the differences are between the three versions:

• MultiMailer / Standard: Suited for those who send a few thousands newsletters per month and do not need statistics and analysis functions.

• MultiMailer / Professional: Suited for those who send up to 50 000 newsletters per month and who needs powerful functions for statistics and analysis.

• MultiMailer / Enterprise: Suited for those who send up to 500 000 newsletters per month and/or want to install MultiMailer on a server. Functions for statistics and analysis are included.

Prices and Order
If you want to check the prices of the different versions, or if you want to make an order, you can visit the following web page:
> Order – SamLogic MultiMailer

More information
> SamLogic MultiMailer 2014 – Features (Standard / Professional / Enterprise)
> Presentation of MultiMailer 2014 / Enterprise

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Updated CD-Menu Creator 2014 with many improvements

We have now released an update of SamLogic CD-Menu Creator 2014. The version number of the update is 7.5.9 and contains many improvements of the tool. Below are some examples of news in the updated CD-Menu Creator:

– CD-Menu Creator supports now the OpenType font format.
– The menu template gallery has been extended with more menu templates. Read more.
– More menu interface examples have been included. Read more.

How to download the update
If you have CD-Menu Creator 2014 and a 12 months maintenance plan you can download the update from the following download page:

> Download – CD-Menu Creator 2014 – Latest update

If you have an older version of CD-Menu Creator, for example CD-Menu Creator 2012, you can upgrade to the latest version of CD-Menu Creator from this order page:

> Upgrade to CD-Menu Creator 2014