Standard Actions Reference

The Windows Installer has the following standard actions.

Action name Brief description of action
ADMIN A top-level action used for an administrative installation.
ADVERTISE A top-level action called to install or remove advertised components.
AllocateRegistrySpace Validates that the free space specified by AVAILABLEFREEREG exists in the registry.
AppSearch Searches for previous versions of products and determines that upgrades are installed.
BindImage Binds executables to imported DLLs.
CCPSearch Uses file signatures to validate that qualifying products are installed on a system before an upgrade installation is performed.
CostFinalize Ends the internal installation costing process begun by the CostInitialize action.
CostInitialize Starts the installation costing process.
CreateFolders Creates empty folders for components.
CreateShortcuts Creates shortcuts.
DeleteServices Removes system services.
DisableRollback Disables rollback for the remainder of the installation.
DuplicateFiles Duplicates files installed by the InstallFiles action.
ExecuteAction Checks the EXECUTEACTION property to determine which top-level action begins the execution sequence, then runs that action.
FileCost Initializes disk cost calculation with the installer. Disk costing is not finalized until the CostFinalize action is executed.
FindRelatedProducts Detects correspondence between the Upgrade table and installed products.
ForceReboot Used in the action sequence to prompt the user for a restart of the system during the installation.
INSTALL A top-level action called to install or remove components.
InstallAdminPackage Copies the installer database to the administrative installation point.
InstallExecute Runs a script containing all operations in the action sequence since either the start of the installation or the last InstallFinalize action. Does not end the transaction.
InstallFiles Copies files from the source to the destination directory.
InstallFinalize Runs a script containing all operations in the action sequence since either the start of the installation or the last InstallFinalize action. Marks the end of a transaction.
InstallInitialize Marks the beginning of a transaction.
InstallSFPCatalogFile The InstallSFPCatalogFile action installs the catalogs used by Windows Me for Windows File Protection.
InstallValidate Verifies that all volumes with attributed costs have sufficient space for the installation.
IsolateComponents Processes the IsolatedComponent table
LaunchConditions Evaluates a set of conditional statements contained in the LaunchCondition table that must all evaluate to True before the installation can proceed.
MigrateFeatureStates Migrates current feature states to the pending installation.
MoveFiles Locates existing files and moves or copies those files to a new location.
MsiConfigureServices Configures a service for the system. Windows Installer 4.5 and earlier: Not supported.
MsiPublishAssemblies action Manages the advertisement of common language runtime assemblies and Win32 assemblies that are being installed.
MsiUnpublishAssemblies Manages the advertisement of common language runtime assemblies and Win32 assemblies that are being removed.
InstallODBC Installs the ODBC drivers, translators, and data sources.
InstallServices Registers a service with the system.
PatchFiles Queries the Patch table to determine which patches are applied to specific files and then performs the byte-wise patching of the files.
ProcessComponents Registers components, their key paths, and component clients.
PublishComponents Advertises the components specified in the PublishComponent table.
PublishFeatures Writes the feature state of each feature into the system registry
PublishProduct Publishes product information with the system.
RegisterClassInfo Manages the registration of COM class information with the system.
RegisterComPlus The RegisterComPlus action registers COM+ applications.
RegisterExtensionInfo Registers extension related information with the system.
RegisterFonts Registers installed fonts with the system.
RegisterMIMEInfo Registers MIME information with the system.
RegisterProduct Registers product information with the installer and stores the installer database on the local computer.
RegisterProgIdInfo Registers OLE ProgId information with the system.
RegisterTypeLibraries Registers type libraries with the system.
RegisterUser Registers user information to identify the user of a product.
RemoveDuplicateFiles Deletes files installed by the DuplicateFiles action.
RemoveEnvironmentStrings Modifies the values of environment variables.
RemoveExistingProducts Removes installed versions of a product.
RemoveFiles Removes files previously installed by the InstallFiles action.
RemoveFolders Removes empty folders linked to components set to be removed.
RemoveIniValues Deletes .ini file information associated with a component specified in the IniFile table.
RemoveODBC Removes ODBC data sources, translators, and drivers.
RemoveRegistryValues Removes an application's registry keys that were created from the Registry table..
RemoveShortcuts Manages the removal of an advertised shortcut whose feature is selected for uninstallation.
ResolveSource Determines the source location and sets the SourceDir property.
RMCCPSearch Uses file signatures to validate that qualifying products are installed on a system before an upgrade installation is performed.
ScheduleReboot Prompts the user for a system restart at the end of the installation.
SelfRegModules Processes modules in the SelfReg table and registers them if they are installed.
SelfUnregModules Unregisters the modules in the SelfReg table that are set to be uninstalled.
SEQUENCE Runs the actions in a table specified by the SEQUENCE property.
SetODBCFolders Action Checks the system for existing ODBC drivers and sets target directory for new ODBC drivers.
StartServices Starts system services.
StopServices Stops system services.
UnpublishComponents Manages the unadvertisement of components from the PublishComponent table and removes information about published components.
UnpublishFeatures Removes the selection-state and feature-component mapping information from the system registry.
UnregisterClassInfo Manages the removal of COM classes from the system registry.
UnregisterComPlus The UnregisterComPlus action removes COM+ applications from the registry.
UnregisterExtensionInfo Manages the removal of extension-related information from the system.
UnregisterFonts Removes registration information about installed fonts from the system.
UnregisterMIMEInfo Unregisters MIME-related information from the system registry.
UnregisterProgIdInfo Manages the unregistration of OLE ProgId information with the system.
UnregisterTypeLibraries Unregisters type libraries with the system.
ValidateProductID Sets ProductID property to the full product identifier.
WriteEnvironmentStrings Modifies the values of environment variables.
WriteIniValues Writes .ini file information.
WriteRegistryValues Sets up registry information.