Merging differences with MST files - the best way?

[Alastair Cameron]

I need to make automated changes to an .MSI file which contains an
application installation.

Currently, the way I'm doing this is to:

* Build the application setup MSI (let's call it Original.MSI)

* Copy the MSI to another file (called MergeActions.MSI)

* Use MS-ORCA to add custom actions, properties, and install sequence
entries to MergeActions.MSI

* Generate a differences file (*.MST) between the two using msitrans.exe

* Use msiDB.exe to mege the MST file in to Original.MSI so that it's
identical to MergeActions.MSI

This all works, but every time the ORIGINAL.MSI has stuff changed, I'm
having to go through this each time.

Is there not a way where I can simply use ORCA to put all my actions,
properties, and installsequence stuff in a small MSI and have that merged in
to another MSI file? this way I only to have maintain an MSI of differences?
I tried this before with importing tables but when you import a table all
the existing entries are deleted...

All help much appreciated.

Alastair

[Andrew Naiden]

Transforms are applied with 'msitran -a ' and not msidb like you do.
If your original.msi has changed just apply your mst and you will automatically
get your mergeactions.msi.

"Alastair Cameron" <alastair...@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message news:eY1dgzQuAHA.1900@tkmsftngp05...

[Alastair Cameron]

Thanks Andrew.

"Andrew Naiden" <ve...@solar.unity.net> wrote in message
news:OuNqqvsvAHA.1348@tkmsftngp02...