I have a program (myProgram) developed in MetaCard that I distribute as a
standalone on a CD. I use a comercial installer (PC-Install) to load the
program and files onto the user's hard drive. However, the user has the
option to leave some files, such as photos, on the CD to save space. I have
gotten requests from users to have the program install automatically when the
CD is inserted. I discovered I can do this by including a file called
"autorun.inf" on the CD with a single statement to run my installer such as
"open = myinstaller.exe"
However, since the user may insert the CD simply to access the photos after
the initial installation, I do not want the installer to automatically run
each time. Instead I would like the autorun file to check to see if the
program has aready been installed, and, in that case, do nothing. It has
been suggested that I write a simple .exe file (called "setup.exe," for
example) which will check for the program and then call the installer if the
program is not found. The "autorun.inf" file would then simply call the
"setup.exe" file which would then look for "myProgram" and run "myinstaller"
if it is not found. Thus I'd like to use MetaCard to create the "setup.exe"
file with the following:
on openStack
if there is not a file "myProgram" [somewhere on the hard drive] then
[run the installer program]
else
close this stack
end if
end openStack
Question 1. Since the user has the option of installing myProgram into any
folder, what would be the best way of searching for it? Someone suggested
checking the Windows registry but I am unfamiliar with how that works.
Question 2. If the program is not already on the system, I would like to run
"myinstaller.exe." Is that done using a shell command? I have never used
shell commands so my ignorance regarding them is great.
Thanks in advance.
Philip Chumbley
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