Standard Actions Reference

The Windows Installer has the following standard actions.

Action name	Brief description of action
ADMIN	A top-level action used for an administrative installation.
ADVERTISE	A top-level action called to install or remove advertised components.
AllocateRegistrySpace	Validates that the free space specified by AVAILABLEFREEREG exists in the registry.
AppSearch	Searches for previous versions of products and determines that upgrades are installed.
BindImage	Binds executables to imported DLLs.
CCPSearch	Uses file signatures to validate that qualifying products are installed on a system before an upgrade installation is performed.
CostFinalize	Ends the internal installation costing process begun by the CostInitialize action.
CostInitialize	Starts the installation costing process.
CreateFolders	Creates empty folders for components.
CreateShortcuts	Creates shortcuts.
DeleteServices	Removes system services.
DisableRollback	Disables rollback for the remainder of the installation.
DuplicateFiles	Duplicates files installed by the InstallFiles action.
ExecuteAction	Checks the EXECUTEACTION property to determine which top-level action begins the execution sequence, then runs that action.
FileCost	Initializes disk cost calculation with the installer. Disk costing is not finalized until the CostFinalize action is executed.
FindRelatedProducts	Detects correspondence between the Upgrade table and installed products.
ForceReboot	Used in the action sequence to prompt the user for a restart of the system during the installation.
INSTALL	A top-level action called to install or remove components.
InstallAdminPackage	Copies the installer database to the administrative installation point.
InstallExecute	Runs a script containing all operations in the action sequence since either the start of the installation or the last InstallFinalize action. Does not end the transaction.
InstallFiles	Copies files from the source to the destination directory.
InstallFinalize	Runs a script containing all operations in the action sequence since either the start of the installation or the last InstallFinalize action. Marks the end of a transaction.
InstallInitialize	Marks the beginning of a transaction.
InstallSFPCatalogFile	The InstallSFPCatalogFile action installs the catalogs used by Windows Me for Windows File Protection.
InstallValidate	Verifies that all volumes with attributed costs have sufficient space for the installation.
IsolateComponents	Processes the IsolatedComponent table
LaunchConditions	Evaluates a set of conditional statements contained in the LaunchCondition table that must all evaluate to True before the installation can proceed.
MigrateFeatureStates	Migrates current feature states to the pending installation.
MoveFiles	Locates existing files and moves or copies those files to a new location.
MsiConfigureServices	Configures a service for the system. Windows Installer 4.5 and earlier: Not supported.
MsiPublishAssemblies action	Manages the advertisement of common language runtime assemblies and Win32 assemblies that are being installed.
MsiUnpublishAssemblies	Manages the advertisement of common language runtime assemblies and Win32 assemblies that are being removed.
InstallODBC	Installs the ODBC drivers, translators, and data sources.
InstallServices	Registers a service with the system.
PatchFiles	Queries the Patch table to determine which patches are applied to specific files and then performs the byte-wise patching of the files.
ProcessComponents	Registers components, their key paths, and component clients.
PublishComponents	Advertises the components specified in the PublishComponent table.
PublishFeatures	Writes the feature state of each feature into the system registry
PublishProduct	Publishes product information with the system.
RegisterClassInfo	Manages the registration of COM class information with the system.
RegisterComPlus	The RegisterComPlus action registers COM+ applications.
RegisterExtensionInfo	Registers extension related information with the system.
RegisterFonts	Registers installed fonts with the system.
RegisterMIMEInfo	Registers MIME information with the system.
RegisterProduct	Registers product information with the installer and stores the installer database on the local computer.
RegisterProgIdInfo	Registers OLE ProgId information with the system.
RegisterTypeLibraries	Registers type libraries with the system.
RegisterUser	Registers user information to identify the user of a product.
RemoveDuplicateFiles	Deletes files installed by the DuplicateFiles action.
RemoveEnvironmentStrings	Modifies the values of environment variables.
RemoveExistingProducts	Removes installed versions of a product.
RemoveFiles	Removes files previously installed by the InstallFiles action.
RemoveFolders	Removes empty folders linked to components set to be removed.
RemoveIniValues	Deletes .ini file information associated with a component specified in the IniFile table.
RemoveODBC	Removes ODBC data sources, translators, and drivers.
RemoveRegistryValues	Removes an application's registry keys that were created from the Registry table..
RemoveShortcuts	Manages the removal of an advertised shortcut whose feature is selected for uninstallation.
ResolveSource	Determines the source location and sets the SourceDir property.
RMCCPSearch	Uses file signatures to validate that qualifying products are installed on a system before an upgrade installation is performed.
ScheduleReboot	Prompts the user for a system restart at the end of the installation.
SelfRegModules	Processes modules in the SelfReg table and registers them if they are installed.
SelfUnregModules	Unregisters the modules in the SelfReg table that are set to be uninstalled.
SEQUENCE	Runs the actions in a table specified by the SEQUENCE property.
SetODBCFolders Action	Checks the system for existing ODBC drivers and sets target directory for new ODBC drivers.
StartServices	Starts system services.
StopServices	Stops system services.
UnpublishComponents	Manages the unadvertisement of components from the PublishComponent table and removes information about published components.
UnpublishFeatures	Removes the selection-state and feature-component mapping information from the system registry.
UnregisterClassInfo	Manages the removal of COM classes from the system registry.
UnregisterComPlus	The UnregisterComPlus action removes COM+ applications from the registry.
UnregisterExtensionInfo	Manages the removal of extension-related information from the system.
UnregisterFonts	Removes registration information about installed fonts from the system.
UnregisterMIMEInfo	Unregisters MIME-related information from the system registry.
UnregisterProgIdInfo	Manages the unregistration of OLE ProgId information with the system.
UnregisterTypeLibraries	Unregisters type libraries with the system.
ValidateProductID	Sets ProductID property to the full product identifier.
WriteEnvironmentStrings	Modifies the values of environment variables.
WriteIniValues	Writes .ini file information.
WriteRegistryValues	Sets up registry information.