How to show a custom ExitDialog for Maintenance

The following article uses options that are available starting with the Enterprise edition and project type.

Windows Installer uses a single ExitDialog for all install processes: first time installation, uninstall, repair, modification, patch etc. However, you can use properties in the installation to condition the elements showed on this dialog.

First time install

For the first time installation, you can use the default text on ExitDialog. Please note that you can modify this text by using the Text field in the Properties pane of the Dialogs page.

Modify option

During Maintenance, after the "Modify" option is used, you may want to show a customized ExitDialog. For this, you can try following these steps:

1. select "ExitDialog" in the Dialogs page under the "Maintenance" tree
2. create a new Static Text control on it
3. in the Properties pane, set the Text field to something like: [ProductName] was successfully modified.
4. select the original text and go to the Control Conditions tab
5. create these control conditions:

InstallMode = "Change"         Hide
InstallMode <> "Change"        Show

6. select the custom text and go to the Control Conditions tab
7. create these control conditions:

InstallMode = "Change"         Show
InstallMode <> "Change"        Hide

8. move the custom text over the original one

At any time, you can select each text control by using the combo box at the top of the "Properties" pane.

Repair option

During Maintenance, after the "Repair" option is used, you may want to show a customized ExitDialog. For this, you can try following these steps:

1. select "ExitDialog" in the Dialogs page under the "Maintenance" tree
2. create a new Static Text control on it
3. in the Properties pane, set the Text field to something like: [ProductName] was successfully repaired.
4. select the original text and go to the Control Conditions tab
5. create these control conditions:

InstallMode = "Repair"         Hide
InstallMode <> "Repair"        Show

6. select the custom text and go to the Control Conditions tab
7. create these control conditions:

InstallMode = "Repair"         Show
InstallMode <> "Repair"        Hide

8. move the custom text over the original one

At any time, you can select each text control by using the combo box at the top of the "Properties" pane.

Remove option

During Maintenance, after the "Remove" option is used, you may want to show a customized ExitDialog. For this, you can try following these steps:

1. select "ExitDialog" in the Dialogs page under the "Maintenance" tree
2. create a new Static Text control on it
3. in the Properties pane, set the Text field to something like: [ProductName] was successfully removed.
4. select the original text and go to the Control Conditions tab
5. create these control conditions:

InstallMode = "Remove"         Hide
InstallMode <> "Remove"        Show

6. select the custom text and go to the Control Conditions tab
7. create these control conditions:

InstallMode = "Remove"         Show
InstallMode <> "Remove"        Hide

8. move the custom text over the original one

At any time, you can select each text control by using the combo box at the top of the "Properties" pane.

Patch installation

After the installation of a patch, you may want to show a customized ExitDialog. For this, you can try following these steps:

1. select "ExitDialog" in the Dialogs page
2. create a new Static Text control on it
3. in the Properties pane set the Text field to something like: [ProductName] was successfully patched.
4. select the original text and go to the Control Conditions tab
5. create these control conditions:

PATCH            Hide
NOT PATCH        Show

6. select the custom text and go to the Control Conditions tab
7. create these control conditions:

PATCH            Show
NOT PATCH        Hide

8. move the custom text over the original one

At any time, you can select each text control by using the combo box at the top of the "Properties" pane.

If all the above control conditions are used in your project, the "Control Conditions" tab of the original text should look like this:

(InstallMode = "Change") OR (InstallMode = "Repair") OR (InstallMode = "Remove") OR PATCH                             Hide
(InstallMode <> "Change") AND (InstallMode <> "Repair") AND (InstallMode <> "Remove") AND NOT PATCH                   Show

This approach can be applied to any type of dialog control which supports control conditions.