For beginners using the wizard:
: Change the Product Code and Product Version , but keep the Upgrade Code the same.
: Keep the Product Code the same but increase the Product Version . How to Create a Feature
One of the most common mistakes is confusing the Product Code with the Upgrade Code. Upgrade Code: installshield product code
A represents a significant change to your product, for example, from version 2.0.0 to 3.0.0. In this scenario, you must generate a new Product Code . The Windows Installer treats two products with different Product Codes as entirely separate, unrelated products. For a major upgrade, you change the Product Code because you want the new version to install "alongside" the old one, and then a special upgrade table uninstalls the old version. You will also need to set up the Upgrade Paths in your project to tell the new installer which old Product Codes (or Upgrade Code version ranges) it should remove.
In the right-hand panel, look down the column for ProductCode . The corresponding value is your GUID. 3. Via the Windows Registry (For Installed Software)
stayed late, the office humming with the sound of server fans. He cracked open the .ism project file. To the uninitiated, an InstallShield project is a labyrinth. To , it was a map. For beginners using the wizard: : Change the
Managing the Product Code correctly prevents broken installations and deployment conflicts. 1. Enables Clean Uninstallations
. While the "Product Name" might be "MyGreatApp," the Windows Installer engine doesn't care about the name; it looks specifically for this GUID to track whether the software is already installed. Why It Matters
What are you using (Basic MSI, InstallScript, or Suite/Advanced UI)? Are you setting up a Major Upgrade or a Minor Upgrade ? Do you need help automating your build process ? Upgrade Code: A represents a significant change to
For advanced automation, you can interact with the Product Code outside of the InstallShield IDE. The Product Code is stored as a property in your project file, and you can edit the .ism file programmatically (e.g., by editing the .islproj MSBuild file) to assign a new GUID value before a build. Additionally, for InstallScript projects, you can use the PRODUCT_GUID system variable in your custom actions or scripts. For Basic MSI projects, you can use standard Windows Installer API functions like MsiGetProductInfo() from C++ or C# to query the Product Code from an installed product or from an .msi database. For example, you can perform an administrative install ( setup.exe /a ) to extract the .msi file and then use the Windows Installer APIs to read the Product Code from it.
Navigate to the section in the left-hand View List. Click on General Information . In the middle pane, locate the Product Properties category. Find the Product Code property.