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Creating an updateable setup using Install Shield LE

Use the following steps to create an installation using InstallShield LE that will update an existing application to a new version.

To create an update setup.exe file:

  1. Open the "General Information" page.
  2. In the General section (Top section):
    1. Change the product version to your new version number.
    2. Change the "Product Code" (NOT THE UPGRADE CODE!).
      1. You can do this by clicking the {...} icon at the end of the Product Code field.
  3. Finally, create a new upgrade path.
    1. Open the "Upgrade Path" page under the 'Organize Your Setup' section.
    2. Right click on "Upgrade Paths" in the tree view on the far left, and select "New Upgrade Path...". This will create a new entry in the tree view. Name it whatever you like.
    3. Click on the entry you just created, to bring up the properties in the window on the right. The first field is "Upgrade Code". This code needs be the same as the code used in the prior installation. If it is different, your installation will install another instance of your program (if the product code is also the same, you would get the "Uninstall other program first" message).
    4. Fortunately, the "Upgrade Code" of your original setup.exe is easy to get. In the Upgrade Code field, there is an ... icon. Clicking this will open up a file browser. Set it to show "All files" as its default is msi files only.
    5. Navigate to the setup.exe file used in the original installation and select it. It will populate some fields for you, including the original Upgrade Code. You will notice it also sets max and min version numbers to the version number of the original setup.exe. Set the max version number to the version number of your new setup.exe that you defined in the General section of the General Information page.

You're set! Build the solution, and the new setup.exe will upgrade a previous installation (with the same Upgrade Code).

Same information with pictures: Doing Upgrades with InstallShield LE

Reference: Creating an updateable setup using Install Shield that ships with VS2012