Microsoft Best Practices on Packaging

Here are a few tips I picked up from Microsoft about how to "color inside the lines" when using any tool (including Wise Package Studio) to create an MSI. Hope these help.

• Match components in previous versions of the MSI:
1. Keypath resource matches a resource in previous .MSI list
2. Match component layout of previous .MSI
3. Set component key to match previous version.
• Add all executable files to their own components
• Create new component for the resource
• Add all .TLB files to their own components
• Group matching .HLP and .CNT files together
• Group matching .CHM and .CHI files together
• Put registry keys associated with files or components in matching components.
• Put current user registry keys in their own component
• Put non-current user registry keys in their own component.
• Group all non-executable files to their own component
• Name new non-advertised shortcuts by destination directory.
• Group non-key path resources by resource type
• Create new components for resources not matching other criteria.
• Set component key to table name of key path or the first resource.