Access 2010 Package solution - how to automatically uninstall previous versions of a runtime app?

Question

I am deploying an Access 2010 .adp solution to multiple pc's using the packaging and deployment wizard.  This works great, but the problem is when we need to deploy an updated runtime (.accdr) file, we have to manually uninstall the previous version of the file through Add/Remove programs.

Is there a way to automatically uninstall the previous version, or just prompt to uninstall it, when installing the new version?  We don't want to have to go through add/remove programs every time we deploy an updated accdr file.

Any help appreciated, thanks.

Answer 1

I unfortunately don’t have a good answer on how to remove previous.

I “also” would have hoped modifying update code would work (but as you note this does not work).

As noted once I have the install (with shortcut icons etc.), then I in the past used WinZip (a paid copy) which when clicked on would extract the new front end to the users computer. I have (as noted) now simply adopted the free Inno installer to achieve this.

So the first install can be the package wizard, but for additional update I use Inno.

Regards,

Albert D. Kallal (Access MVP)

Edmonton, Alberta Canada

Answer 2

Yes, to corporate users on the same LAN, connected the same SQL db. 

We had been just copying the latest file, but this was proving tedious so the customer requested a simplified method of deploying the app.  This seemed the best solution.

Answer 3

Thank you Albert, this seems to have worked. 

I tried just modifying the upgrade code alone, but it still prompted me to uninstall.  So I modified both codes and it did install with no uninstall prompt.  From what I read, I would have thought a different upgrade code would be enough, that the installer would recognize this as an upgrade and not prompt to uninstall.

Also, it now shows 2 programs of the same name (of the runtime app) in add/remove programs.  But the correct (most recently installed) version is the app that runs.  So this is probably not an issue.  But do you know is there a way to automatically remove that older version?

Answer 4

You can do two things:

First ensure that your install does NOT include the runtime. Then  when you create a update, make sure you modify/change the GUID’s that are created when you make the install package. (so when using the package wizard blank out the product code and update code. (bottom of last wizard panel).

I believe if you just blank out the upgrade code and then tab out, and then tab back in, you get a NEW code. (but try both, I recall I had to change the product code to eliminate the un-install issue).

The result is that you don’t actually ever un-install the previous database, but are always overwriting and updating to a new version.

It is A VERY VERY (but very^12 times) good think that you cannot with ease un-install the previous version – since it would be FAR TOO easy to wipe out and delete the data file on the customers computer! So be VERY thankful this is not easy to do!

At the end of the day, I not really should I would use or bother with the installer to issue upgrades. However the “trick” overall here is to NOT include the runtime with your front end, and then by modifying the Product Code in the package wizard, you “can” coax the system to overwrite your existing database.

At the end of the day, updates to your data base is really ONLY a file copy. I thus have some reservations about using the package wizard to achieve what amounts to a simple file copy.

I also provide a sample inno script and explain how I update my applications in the following article:

Deploying updates to your software in a Runtime environment for Access

http://www.kallal.ca/RunTime/Index.html

So if you deploy without runtime, and ALSO change the product code, then you can "get around" the un-install requirement.

Regards,

Albert D. Kallal (Access MVP)

Edmonton, Alberta Canada

Answer 5

Why? All you need to do is replace the accdr. An accdr file is not "installed" its simply a file stored in a folder. In fact there is no reason to use package and deploy for updates, only for the initial install. 

Are you deploying ot corporate users on the same LAN or to separate users?