Many of our customers have access to InstallShield, WISE or AdminStudio. These aren't a problem. I'm hoping there is some way I can provide our smaller customers without access to commercial repackaging tools a freely available set of tools and steps to do the file replacement themselves.
Only need to replace a single configuration file inside a compressed MSI, the target user can be assumed to already have Orca installed, know how to use this to customize the Property table (to embed license details for GPO deployment) and have generated an MST file.
Disclaimer: this is very similar to another question but both questions and answers in that thread are not clear.
Okay, revisiting this question with my own answer providing nice little VB script that will do all heavy lifting. As mentioned in the original question, the aim was provide a simple solution for sysadmin users to make the updates/changes themselves.
Below is a simplified version of the code I'm currently providing to customers
Option Explicit
Const MY_CONFIG = "MyConfigApp.xml"
Const CAB_FILE = "config.cab"
Const MSI = "MyApp.msi"
Dim filesys : Set filesys=CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
If filesys.FileExists("temp.tmp") Then filesys.DeleteFile("temp.tmp")
filesys.CopyFile MSI, "temp.tmp"
Dim installer, database, database2, view
Set installer = CreateObject("WindowsInstaller.Installer")
Set database = installer.OpenDatabase ("temp.tmp", 1)
Set database2 = installer.OpenDatabase (MSI, 1)
If Not filesys.FileExists(MY_CONFIG) Then WScript.Quit 2 ' No config file, abort!
Dim objFile, size, result, seq, objCab
' MakeCab object has been depreciated so we fallback to makecab.exe for with Windows 7
On Error Resume Next ' Disable error handling, for a moment
Set objCab = CreateObject("MakeCab.MakeCab.1")
On Error Goto 0 ' Turn error handling back on
If IsObject(objCab) Then ' Object creation successful - use XP method
objCab.CreateCab CAB_FILE, False, False, False
objCab.AddFile MY_CONFIG, filesys.GetFileName(MY_CONFIG)
objCab.CloseCab
Set objCab = Nothing
Else ' object creation failed - try Windows 7 method
Dim WshShell, oExec
Set WshShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
Set oExec = WshShell.Exec("makecab " & filesys.GetFileName(MY_CONFIG) & " " & CAB_FILE)
End If
Set objFile = filesys.GetFile(MY_CONFIG)
size = objFile.Size
Set view = database.OpenView ("SELECT LastSequence FROM Media WHERE DiskId = 1")
view.Execute
Set result = view.Fetch
seq = result.StringData(1) + 1 ' Sequence for new configuration file
Set view = database.OpenView ("INSERT INTO Media (DiskId, LastSequence, Cabinet) VALUES ('2', '" & seq & "', '" & CAB_FILE & "')")
view.Execute
Set view = database.OpenView ("UPDATE File SET FileSize = " & size & ", Sequence = " & seq & ", FileName = 'MYC~2.CNF|MyConfigApp.xml' WHERE File = '" & MY_CONFIG & "'")
view.Execute
database.GenerateTransform database2, "CustomConfig.mst"
database.CreateTransformSummaryInfo database2, "CustomConfig.mst", 0, 0
filesys.DeleteFile("temp.tmp")
Set view = nothing
Set installer = nothing
Set database = nothing
Set database2 = nothing
Set filesys = Nothing
WScript.Quit 0
Update: The MakeCab.MakeCab.1 object has been depreciated, code updated to now work with Windows 7.