3 replies to this topic

[Doug_G]

How to add and / or delete files to modify a program's installation?

Hello all,
this is my first post and to be honest, it doesn't really seem like this is the ideal forum to ask such a question, however I can't find a more relevent forum. Therefore if this is deemed inappropriate for this forum please accept my apologies in advance.

Can anyone help me on how to:
1) Take a commerical program which has been developed and published by a third party, and modify the .CAB files so as to add and /or delete some database files.

I have been commissioned to make these changes to the database on behalf of the end user/s, however I am trying to re-burn a new CD with my updated databases (Access Databases) rather than the originals.

I also want to delete a couple of surpurflous databases which are packed with the original installation CAB file as my end user does not need them.

At the end of the the day I am trying to create a CD which will give my end users the ability to simply install the software from 1 CD and be up to date with all of the updated (and none of the surpurfluous) database files.

My end users are generally at the low end of the PC user food chain so to ask them to install the program, delete the surpurflous files, insert my updated files etc is a little out of their capacity.

Can anyone help me please.

[WingedPanther]

A cab file is just a compressed folder. Open it with 7-zip, Winzip, etc. and make the changes.

[Doug_G]

Winged Panther

Thank you for taking the time to respond to my question.

My concern is, does a typical installation program look for a specific set of files, or version numbers whilst installing?

If I change the date / time or delete some files is this likely to affect the installation process?

[WingedPanther]

It depends entirely on the program. I doubt there is a hard and fast rule on this. If it was me, I'd just be looking for specific files to unzip. I probably wouldn't be doing CRC/MD5 checks, since it is presumed the .cab is an upgrade to something the installer doesn't know.