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No-Cost Config

So what could make this product even more enticing? How about free unlimited phone, e-mail and Web technical support?

OnDemand worked closely with Microsoft to release the first MSI (Microsoft Installer) repackager for the Windows 2000 introduction of MSI and Windows Installer 1.0 when it shipped on the Windows 2000 Advanced Server CD. Since the inception of MSI, Microsoft has made numerous improvements to the MSI technology, including support for MSI 2.0 in Windows Server 2003 installers. Although the WinInstall LE 2003 does not ship on Microsoft Server 2003 media, OnDemand provides the MSI repackager via download from its Web site.

I put WinInstall LE 2003 to work on a Windows 2000 Server in Network Computing's Real-World Labs® at Syracuse University. The installer prompted me to create a network share that gave desktop reference clients access to WinInstall LE 2003 programs. Administrators take note: Shares created by installing this application are write-enabled to everyone by default.

Creating an Installer

OnDemand recommends that you install a clean reference machine when creating installers, so I used a Windows XP Professional desktop client and mapped a drive to the servers WinInstall shares. I then ran the WinInstall LE wizard-based Discover utility from the mapped drive, which created a snapshot of the desktop client before I installed my application.

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