Important Application Packaging Interview Questions Part – 2

What Is Registry, Tell The Structure & Types Of Registry?

The Registry is a single place for storing information about the Windows OS (Hardware & Software):

Root Keys / Subtrees
Subkeys
Hives
Entries

Types of Registry keys:

Machine-Specific (HKCR, HKLM, HKCC, HKU)
User-Specific (HKCU, HKU)

Types of Registry Root keys:

HKEY_CLASS_ROOT (HKCR)
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE (HKLM)
HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG (HKCC)
HKEY_CURRENT_USER (HKCU)
HKEY_USERS (HKU)

What Are Shortcuts & Types?

Shortcuts are the entry points to the applications installed on the system which is normally points to a file:

Advertised (File should be Installed by the Application).
Non Advertised (File that is not part of Installation. It is also called Command Line shortcuts).

What Are Ini File & Its Format?

INI files are plain-text files that contain configuration information. “INI” stands for:

initialization.
[Section]
Keyname=value.

What Are Services & Its Types?

A windows service is a background process which is loaded by the Service Control Manager of the OS.

Win32 Service (Win32 services are the services which is running by the executable file installed by the Application).
System or Kernel Services (Kernel services are the services which are used by the OS to communicate to the hardware devices).

Where Is Service Information Stored?

Most of the Service information are stored under the windows registry hive “HKLMSystemCurrentControlSetName of the Service”.

In The Msi, Which Tables Contain Information About The Service Details?

Service Install (Service Details)
Service Control (Controlling the service during Installation & Un Installation)

What Is Odbc & Dsn And Its Types?

ODBC means Open Database Connectivity. The purpose of ODBC is to allow the user to access data from any application. The layer between the application and the DBMS called DSN.

System DSN (DSN will be available for all users)
User DSN (DSN will be available for that particular user)

What Is File Association?

The Windows operating system recognizes file types and associates them with programs based on their file extension. A file that carries no extension or no associated program is called Orphaned.

What Is Environment Variable & Its Types?

Environment Variables are the variables that are set by the Operating System & Application:

System Variable (Available for all users)
User Variable (Available for that particular user)

What Is Property & Types Of Properties, Give Some Examples?

Properties are global variables that the Microsoft Windows Installer uses during an installation.

Private:

The installer can be use only internally (values can’t be changed during the run time).

Manufacture, ProductCode, ProductID, ProductName, ProductVersion ……

Public:

The installer can be uses both internally & externally (values can be changed during the run time also).

INSTALLLEVEL, ….

Restricted Public:

The user can’t change the value both internally & externally due to security purposes. ALLUSERS, REBOOT, REINSTALLMODE.

What Is Merge Module?

Merge modules are a mechanism in Windows Installer that allows companies to prepackage and share standard component definitions. Merge modules are used to deliver shared code, files, resources, registry entries and setup logic to applications as a single compound file.

Name Few Merge Module Tables?

ModuleSignature,
ModuleComponents,
ModuleDependency,
ModuleExclusion,
ModuleIgnore,
ModuleSubstitution,
ModuleAdminUISequence,
ModuleAdminExecuteSequence,
ModuleConfiguration,
ModuleAdvtUISequence,
ModuleAdvtExecuteSequence,
ModuleInstallUISequence,
ModuleInstallExecuteSequence.

Detail The Background Mechanism Of Merge Module?

If there are a number of applications that require a specifically configured component, it would be possible to create a merge module that installs and

configures that component. That merge module could then be added to the installation packages of each product that required that particular component.

This saves the effort of having to individually add the necessary files, registry entries, and other components to every installation. It also saves time if updates are needed, as instead of updating the installations for all five applications, only the merge module is updated, and the installations only need to be rebuilt.

How To Give Permission For Files, Folders & Registry Keys In Msi?

In the MSI, we can give permissions through Lock Permission table. But using subinacl.exe custom action is the best way to set permissions.

How To Give Permission For Files, Folders & Registry Keys Through Vb Script & What Is The Syntax?

We can give permission for files & folders through VB Script by using the CACLS & XCACLS commands:

CACLs should only run on NTFS partitions.
CACLS – Changes Access Control ListS
“Cacls [/T] [/E] [/C] [/G user: perm] [/R user […]] [/P user: perm […]]
[/D user […]] “
/T Changes ACLs of specified files in the current directory and subdirectories
/E Edit ACL instead of replacing it
/C Continue (ignore) access denied errors
/G user: perm where access rights granted can be: R C F (read, change, full control)
/R user Revoke specified user’s access rights (only valid with /E)
/P user: perm Replace specified user’s access rights. Permission can be: N R C F (none, read, change, full control)
/D user Deny specified user access
E.g. “cacls c:myfile.txt /E /G : F”

How To Disable Arp (add/remove Programs) Details During The Insallation Through Command Line, Tell Some Arp Properties?

msiexec /i ARPSYSTEMCOMPONENT=1

Following entries are various ARP properties:

a) ARPAUTHORIZEDCDFPREFIX
b) ARPCOMMENTS
c) ARPCONTACT
d) ARPINSTALLLOCATION
e) ARPNOMODIFY
f) ARPNOREMOVE
g) ARPNOREPAIR
h) ARPPRODUCTICON
i) ARPREADME
j) ARPSIZE
k) ARPSYSTEMCOMPONENT
l) ARPURLINFOABOUT
m) ARPURLUPDATEINFO

What Is Advertisement?

It means that, the Availability of an application to users or others with out actually the full Installation. There are two types of Advertising

Assigning :

An Application appears (shortcuts, files & registries) to a user or others, when an Application is “assigned”. When the user tries to open, it is installed upon demand.

Publishing :

No Entry points appear to a user or others, when an Application “published” to the group. It is activated only if the group Application activates the published Application i.e. Installation on Demand.

What Is Advertised Feature & Component?

If a Feature or Component is advertised, only the interfaces required for loading and launching the application are installed to the user or others. If a user activates an advertised interface the installer then proceeds to install the necessary Components & Features.

What Is Installation On Demand?

When a user or application activates an advertised feature or product, the installer proceeds with installation of the needed components.

What Is Transform?

A transform is a windows installer file with the extension (.MST). It should be used along with a MSI to customize or change the installation package without modifying the MSI. The installer can only apply transforms during an installation.

What Are The Types Of Transform?

a) Embedded transform

Embedded transforms are stored inside the .msi file of the package.

b) Secured transform

Secured transforms are stored locally on the user’s computer in a location where, on a secure file system, the user does not have write access. Such transforms are cached in this location during the installation or advertisement of the package. During subsequent installation-on-demand or maintenance installations of the package, the installer uses the cached transforms.

c) Unsecured transform

Transforms that have not been secured are called unsecured transforms. To apply an unsecured transform, pass the transform file names in the TRANSFORMS property or command line string during the installation.

How Many Transform Can Be Created For One Vendor Msi?

There is no restriction on the numbers of transforms which can be created for one Vendor MSI.

How Many Transforms Can Be Supplied In The Command Line?

There is no restriction on the numbers of transforms which can be supplied in the command line.

What Is Custom Action?

The Microsoft Windows Installer provides many built-in actions for performing the installation process. For some cases the developer writes an action to execute his own installation is called custom action.

What Are The Types Of Custom Actions?

DLL file stored in a Binary table stream
DLL file that is installed with a product
EXE file stored in a Binary table stream
EXE file that is installed with a product
Displays a specified error message and returns failure, terminating the installation
EXE file having a path specified by a property value
EXE file having a path referencing a directory
JScript file stored in a Binary table stream
JScript file that is installed with a product
JScript text specified by a property value
JScript text stored in this sequence table
VBScript file stored in a Binary table stream
VBScript file that is installed with a product
VBScript text specified by a property value
VBScript text stored in this sequence table
Property set with formatted text
Directory set with formatted text
Installation of a package nested inside of the first package. See Nested Installation Actions
Installation of a package that resides in the first application’s source tree. See Nested Installation
Actions
Installation of an application that is advertised or already installed. See Nested Installation Actions.