Been looking around the web and can only find an old video on how to create a clean packaging environment for XP.
Here is what I have been doing, Please comment on what else should be done to create a clean environment.
1. You should be using a VM and a good tool is VMware Workstation for PC or VMware Fusion for Mac.
2. Choose an OS (The place I work for uses Windows 7 32-Bit 95% of the time)
3. Create 1 20GB or more HDD and 1 6GB HDD (SWAP) and attached to your VM
4. Install Windows to the 20+ GB HDD.
5. Turn Off Automatic Updates then Run Windows Updates but only Security Updates, Service Packs, and other Critical Updates. Avoid Language Packs, Windows Defender, Internet Explorer Updates, Driver Updates,d and other Junk Updates. I went ahead and installed all the .NET Framework updates but its your choice. If your software complains then you'll know what .NET Framework your PKG needs.
6. Turn Off System Restore
7. Disable Extra Features from Programs / Add or Remove Windows Features you will not need. Such as Games and Print Spooler, ETC
8. Create your Swap file. You may need to format your 6GB Hard Drive. Right Click Computer > Properties > Advanced System Settings > Advanced Tab > Performance Settings > Adjust for Best Perfomance > Advanced Tab > Change... > Uncheck Automatically manage paging File size for all drives > Check Custom size > Click your Second 6GB Drive> Take the amount of Physical Memory in your PC and double it for both Initial size and Maximum Size EX 2048 Physical is 4096 > Click Set > OK > OK > OK > Restart
9. Turn off Services you don't need. Services.msc Double click a service, Choose Disabled, Click Stop, Click Apply.
Services I disabled were:
Print Spooler
Windows Defender
Windows Firewall
Windows Update - After you ran your updates and don't have anymore to update, you can disable this service.
10. Install VMware Tools, Parallels Tools, VirtualBox tools, ETC. Whichever one you are using. Reboot
11. Install your MSI Packaging Tool, (EX Admin Studio, InstallShield, AppDeploy, EMCO) I'm using EMCO
12. Add anything else you think you may need. Now you can configure your Machine how you want it.
EDIT: I also went back and turned off Share Printers with Windows in VMware. Otherwise a process keeps making changes in the registry that gets recorded when you do your MSI Captures.
13. Shutdown the machine and capture its State. You will then be able to start using the MSI tool to create a MSI and then revert back to the original state. Please comment on any other changes that would be helpful.
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Been looking around the web and can only find an old video on how to create a clean packaging environment for XP.
Here is what I have been doing, Please comment on what else should be done to create a clean environment.
1. You should be using a VM and a good tool is VMware Workstation for PC or VMware Fusion for Mac.
2. Choose an OS (The place I work for uses Windows 7 32-Bit 95% of the time)
3. Create 1 20GB or more HDD and 1 6GB HDD (SWAP) and attached to your VM
4. Install Windows to the 20+ GB HDD.
5. Turn Off Automatic Updates then Run Windows Updates but only Security Updates, Service Packs, and other Critical Updates. Avoid Language Packs, Windows Defender, Internet Explorer Updates, Driver Updates,d and other Junk Updates. I went ahead and installed all the .NET Framework updates but its your choice. If your software complains then you'll know what .NET Framework your PKG needs.
6. Turn Off System Restore
7. Disable Extra Features from Programs / Add or Remove Windows Features you will not need. Such as Games and Print Spooler, ETC
8. Create your Swap file. You may need to format your 6GB Hard Drive. Right Click Computer > Properties > Advanced System Settings > Advanced Tab > Performance Settings > Adjust for Best Perfomance > Advanced Tab > Change... > Uncheck Automatically manage paging File size for all drives > Check Custom size > Click your Second 6GB Drive> Take the amount of Physical Memory in your PC and double it for both Initial size and Maximum Size EX 2048 Physical is 4096 > Click Set > OK > OK > OK > Restart
9. Turn off Services you don't need. Services.msc Double click a service, Choose Disabled, Click Stop, Click Apply.
Services I disabled were:
Print Spooler
Windows Defender
Windows Firewall
Windows Update - After you ran your updates and don't have anymore to update, you can disable this service.
10. Install VMware Tools, Parallels Tools, VirtualBox tools, ETC. Whichever one you are using. Reboot
11. Install your MSI Packaging Tool, (EX Admin Studio, InstallShield, AppDeploy, EMCO) I'm using EMCO
12. Add anything else you think you may need. Now you can configure your Machine how you want it.
EDIT: I also went back and turned off Share Printers with Windows in VMware. Otherwise a process keeps making changes in the registry that gets recorded when you do your MSI Captures.
13. Shutdown the machine and capture its State. You will then be able to start using the MSI tool to create a MSI and then revert back to the original state. Please comment on any other changes that would be helpful.
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