Repackaging Google Earth 4.1.7087 : The Wise Setup Capturing & MST stories
21 Jun, 2007
Packages
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This app was terrible!! No, I’m loving it!
The frequent version changes and beta releases made the repackaging process very difficult as I need to get the latest downloadable version ready for release. So I decided to pack the latest beta in the Google Earth 4.1.7087 series as my target.
I downloaded the setup from Google Earth website and installed it. To my surprise the installer of the beta version was totally different from the Stable ( Google Earth 4.0.2746) installer. There is no options to select the install path or cache path. Hmm.. I am going forward with it.
Repackaging Process
I use Wise installer studio 5.4 as my repackaging tool. Created a new project in wise with correct project title and details, choose the repackage option, give the installer as vendor package.
In the create package section took the Setup Capture with smart monitor as the packaging style. After the first capture I installed the setup and renamed the installation folder from C:\Program Files\Google\GoogleEarth to C:\Program Files\Google\Google Earth 4.1.7087. The second capture then followed which gave me a new Google Earth captured project.
Cleaning up the captured project
As you know the resulting wsi of a wise capture is a mess of files and registry entries. The smart monitor added all the installers directories ( C:\Program Files\Google\GoogleEarth ) and my renamed directories to the directory table. I removed all those and cleaned the registry. Now comes the real problem, all the HKCR keys are excluded from the project somehow and only HKCU keys is there. I dumped all the HKCU\Classes keys, opened it it notepad and replaced all references of HKCU\Classes with HKCR. This when imported to the project gives a clean HKCR section.
File associations
This is where all my work fell down. The Google Earth got two file associations, .kml & .kmz. Both are not working when I install the compiled msi in my clean test machine. The Event log gives me some strange “component not found in the project code{xx…xx}” error message. All my efforts to fix the file associations didn’t get any solutions.
Time for an MST
As a last resort i checked the %temp% folder of my user profile keeping the Google Earth’s vendor installer open and grabbed the Google Earth.msi from there. On a quick Orca validation it appears that the msi is a bit clean with only a few ICE errors. I opened it it wise package studio, saved it as an mst & started working on it. After customizing the the INSTALLDIR name from the directory table to Google Earth 4.1.7087, I removed all unnecessary custom actions ( eg: Google Toolbar install) and registry entries. Some duplicate folders in the tables also removed.
I decided to set the cache path for the app to be in a centralized server to save some bandwidth. This can easily be done by adding the the path to the CachePath string in the key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Google\Google Earth Plus .
Orca validation gives some errors like ICE 03, ICE 17, ICE 57 & ICE 99. All these can easily be fixed and finally i got an ICE error free MST ( with exception of ICE 33 ). I put this in a clean work station and installed it.
msiexec.exe /i “\\server\packages\Google Earth\Google Earth.msi” TRANSFORMS=”\\server\packages\Google Earth\Google Earth 4.1.7087.mst”
Wow my app, Google Earth 4.1.7087, is ready for immediate deployment. Cool!!!
ARNOULT CHRISTIAN said
am July 9 2007 @ 1:38 pm
i have a problem with Google earth.msi
ARNOULT CHRISTIAN said
am July 9 2007 @ 1:39 pm
tell me how i can resolve this problem
Strider said
am July 9 2007 @ 2:15 pm
What exactly is the problem with Google Earth.msi? If you give more details i’m glad to help.
Rob T said
am July 20 2007 @ 11:58 pm
Have a question, I am missing the google earth.msi file and cannot even locate it on another machine that had it up and running ( was going to copy it and use it for location when install asks where it is ) any help with this would be apreciated !
Strider said
am July 23 2007 @ 9:55 am
Hi Rob,
You can grab the msi from the temp directory of your user profile while the Google Earth setup is running.
This is what you have to do:
1. Invoke the downloaded Google Earth setup exe & wait till the first screen appears.
2. Go to Start>Run & type in %temp%
3. Look for a randomly named folder with the Google Earth.msi in it. eg: {D3F1AC24-0789-4924-83E2-64C6C6ED9041}
4. Copy the msi and keep it in a safe location.
You’re done.
Rob T said
am July 24 2007 @ 6:24 am
Thank you so much !!!
SLear said
am August 22 2007 @ 2:40 am
Thanks Strider – I was really scratching my head on this one – found your solution from a google search.
renan said
am August 28 2007 @ 1:34 am
i have a problem with Google earth.msi
Adrian said
am August 30 2007 @ 9:16 pm
I’ve got the MSI and I’m making a silent install MST, but I’m falling down on move the Cache. I have found the registry entry which has the following properties
KEY: Software\Google\GoogleEarthPlus
VALUE NAME: CachePath
DATAVALUE: [CACHEDIR]
DATA TYPE: String
COMPONENT: ISRegistryComponent
Which bit do I change to move where the Cache is placed? I presume it is the DATAVALUE, but what do I do? Replace [CACHEDIR] with a drive location such as G:\GoogleCache or do I have to do something different?
Th0mas said
am December 1 2007 @ 3:28 pm
it didn’t work for me, the msi file wasn’t there, I can’t find it anywhere! I really don’t understand.
Doug said
am December 3 2007 @ 3:31 am
I have done and Explorer searh for Google Earth.msi which cannot be found in any folder after downloading. I continue to get a message that “{1E04F83B-2AB9-4301-9EF79E86307F79C72} and {6527D1DD-85E2-47F9-B252-5315A7BDD579}is not accessible. The file or directory is corrupted and unreadible.” Without the Google Earth.msi, it cannot run or be uninstalled. When I start it up, it goes through several initializing sequences and just when you think it will open up, it shuts down my computer. Any help would be appreciated.
Michael said
am January 2 2008 @ 4:40 pm
I encounter the same issue with the googleearth.msi issue. I am trying to update GE, however, to do so I must uninstall the older version. When uninstalling I am prompted to produce the installation disk (msi file). However, I do not have this, and when searching all folders and directories within my temp file (as referenced) I cannot locate any such google earth msi file. I have done a complete search of my system (and hidden files) to locate this (searched on *.msi). No GE.msi. I’ve been working at this off and on for about 2 months now. Any tips to resolve and update my GE would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Michael
Strider said
am January 6 2008 @ 11:40 pm
Hello mates,
I really don’t understand why you guys are not able to find the Google Earth.msi . I just repackaged the lasterst version of Google Earth ( v 4.2.0207) and everything was exactly the same.
1. Double click on the downloaded setup.exe and wait fot the first dialog box of the installer to open.
2. Now type in %Temp% in Run and check for a random folder with Google Earth.msi and some other files in it. Copy this MSI and save it your desktop.
Strider said
am January 6 2008 @ 11:42 pm
@ Michael : You can download your version of Google earth from http://filehippo.com/download_google_earth. Use it to repair your installation. Then remove it.
Fred said
am February 19 2008 @ 3:05 am
I found the Google Earth.msi file but it didn’t help at all… I have copied it to several places on my computer including the desktop. I also tried to reinstall the Installer.
I keep gettingthe …network resources is unavilable… But when I point directly to the .msi file, I get a message saying that the location of the .msi file is not suitable!
What next?
Strider said
am February 19 2008 @ 8:03 am
Hi Fred,
That means the version of the installer you’re trying to point out is incorrect.
The best solution for this is the Windows Installer Cleanup Utility from Microsoft.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/290301
Download it from above article and choose Google Earth to remove it.
Fred said
am February 21 2008 @ 9:40 pm
Thanks!
The Windows Installer Cleanup Utility from Microsoft did the trick!
I really like Google Earth and was starting to Jones while it wasn’t working…
surag24malik said
am August 3 2008 @ 5:33 pm
google earth .msi file missing
no folder in temp.
no file on disc.
please help
PackageDeploy.com » Deploying Google Earth 4.3 - Finding the MSI said
am August 15 2008 @ 3:18 pm
[...] post Repackaging Google Earth 4.1.7087 was quite popular and it seems lots of readers are having difficulties in finding the Google Earth [...]
Hemanth said
am August 21 2008 @ 2:31 pm
An Updated procedure to grab the msi is posted here:
http://www.packagedeploy.com/packages/deploying-google-earth-43-finding-the-msi.html