Specifying the Update Launcher Type (Unicode or ANSI) for a Patch Package

Note that although the Update.exe bootstrapper for an InstallScript MSI project supports Unicode, the InstallScript engine, which manages the user interface for an InstallScript MSI patch package (.msp), does not support Unicode. Therefore, if you create a Unicode version of Update.exe for an InstallScript MSI patch, Unicode strings are displayed at run time in the user interface for the Update.exe bootstrapper; however, ANSI strings are displayed in the user interface for the .msp package.

If your patch includes an update launcher, InstallShield lets you specify the type of update launcher that you want to build:

Unicode—A Unicode update launcher can correctly display double-byte characters in the update launcher dialogs, such as the PreparingToInstall dialog, regardless of whether the target system is running the appropriate code page for the double-byte-character language.

Windows 9x does not support Unicode update launchers.

ANSI—An ANSI update launcher displays double-byte characters in the update launcher dialogs if the target system is running the appropriate code page. However, it displays garbled characters instead of double-byte characters in those dialogs if the target system is not running the appropriate code page.

This option is recommended for InstallScript MSI projects.

In the Patch Design view, create a patch configuration if you have not already done so.

In the Patch Design explorer, click the patch configuration.

Click the Advanced tab.

For the Update Launcher Type setting, select the appropriate option.