Testing a setup

[mpgalvin]

Hi all

Just wondering what other people do when testing setup CDs? My other recent post here asked about registering DLLs and suchlike for use with the app, but I still have the problem making sure that these DLLs get on to the host computer, are registered, can be used, etc.

As far as I can see, a computer can only be used once for testing - if I had 2 VFP apps, I can install one on the machine, but if there's a problem with, say, a DLL in the second app, but the DLL is already there from the 1st app, I won't notice [did that make any sense? ;-)]

So, ideally, I'd have a machine with standard Win98 or whatever DLLs and nothing else. I test the CD, then wipe the machine back to where it was before the test. Any ideas on something nice and easy that will do this. It would need to remove and unregister DLLs, OCXs, etc, restore the registry, and I don't know what else.

This also seems like a lot of trouble, so anybody any Get Tested Quick schemes I can try out?

 

[fluteplr]

We created computer with basic Win98 then used Ghost from Symantec to create a setup CD. Then after we test a product setup. We use that CD to return the machine to its original state.

 

[DEDMOD]

I might add that you can copy and rename your registry, add your program, test it, erase it and then delete the registry and rename the old one to get back to more or less where you were. I suspect you'd also need to have a little program to actually erase the .dlls etc. you'd added somewhere in this process.

DED

 

[mpgalvin]

Ded: yeah, I was considering doing that, but the fact that I'd have to remember to remove all traces of everything (including VFP runtimes, etc) to such a point as to obliterate them put me off - I could accidentally leave something there that would cause a screw up in later setup tests.

Nah, I just bought Norton Ghost. Obviously haven't a clue how to use it, but that's what £400 laptops are for! ;-)