How To Create and Install A MST (To Transform A MSI)

The process to create a MST is pretty simple and straight forward. You do not need an expensive software to create a MST.
Also if you use your own processes you will not be in complete darkness if a problem arises with the MST.

A transform is a collection of changes applied to an installation.
A transform can modify information that is in any persistent table in the installer database.
A transform can also add or remove persistent tables in the installer database.
Transforms cannot modify any part of an installation package that is not in a database table, such as information in the summary information stream, information in substorages, or files in embedded cabinets.

For example a MST can be used to remove multiple existing products. To do so move the RemoveExistingProducts action at about 1450, use the Upgrade Table to list the products' upgrade codes to be removed or upgraded, and add the property SecureCustomProperties in the Property table. A MST can also be applied to set the language used by a merge module (can be changed by applying a transform to the merge module before merging).

For more information concerning MsiCreateTransformSummaryInfo function go to http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa367447(VS.85).aspx
For a sample Microsoft example go to http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa367812(VS.85).aspx

List of Free Microsoft VB Scripts delivered in the MSI SDK:

WiSubStg.vbs - adds a transform or nested MSI as a substorage
WiGenXfm.vbs - generates a transform from two databases, or compares them
WiUseXfm.vbs - applies a transform to an MSI database
WiLstXfm.vbs - lists an MSI transform file (CSCRIPT only)

Work sequence to create a MST

• Copy the MSI to a different meaningful name (MyProductMSI_t_.msi)
  Edit that MSI with Orca (or an automated tool of your choice) and do the following steps.
• Add files in the Files table if new files are desired, add components in the component table if new component are desired, modify the Feature table if disabling or Enabling Feature(s) is desired, add a new shortcuts if desired.
  If a new component was added, add a record to the FeatureComponents table for that component.
  Note:
  If the added files are delivered locally on a CD/Sub-folder, use 0 or 8192 in the Attribute column of the File Table for the added files.
  It the added files are delivered in a CAB file, use 16384 in the Attribute column of the File Table for the added files.
  Update the Media Table and ad one row fro the new CAB name and the last Sequence number.
  MAKECAB.EXE can be used with simple DDF file to automatically create CAB files.
  Here is an example of the content of a DDF file
• Generate the Customization Transform
  You may generate a transform file by using MsiDatabaseGenerateTransform or the GenerateTransform
  method of the Database object. An example of this is provided in the Windows Installer SDK as the utility WiGenXfm.vbs.
  Run the command line:
  Cscript.exe WiGenXfm.vbs MyFirstVersion.msi MyTransformed.msi TheTransForm.mst

  ' WiGenXfm.vbs: Windows Installer utility to generate a transform from two databases ' For use with Windows Scripting Host, CScript.exe or WScript.exe ' Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. ' Demonstrates use of Database.GenerateTransform and MsiDatabaseGenerateTransform ' Option Explicit Const msiOpenDatabaseModeReadOnly = 0 Const msiOpenDatabaseModeTransact = 1 Const msiOpenDatabaseModeCreate = 3 If Wscript.Arguments.Count < 2 Then Wscript.Echo "Windows Installer database tranform generation utility" &_ vbNewLine & " 1st argument is the path to the original installer database" &_ vbNewLine & " 2nd argument is the path to the updated installer database" &_ vbNewLine & " 3rd argument is the path to the transform file to generate" &_ vbNewLine & " If the 3rd argument is omitted, the databases are only compared" &_ vbNewLine &_ vbNewLine & "Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved." Wscript.Quit 1 End If ' Connect to Windows Installer object On Error Resume Next Dim installer : Set installer = Nothing Set installer = Wscript.CreateObject("WindowsInstaller.Installer") : CheckError ' Open databases and generate transform Dim database1 : Set database1 = installer.OpenDatabase(Wscript.Arguments(0), msiOpenDatabaseModeReadOnly) : CheckError Dim database2 : Set database2 = installer.OpenDatabase(Wscript.Arguments(1), msiOpenDatabaseModeReadOnly) : CheckError Dim transform:transform = "" 'Simply compare if no output transform file supplied If Wscript.Arguments.Count >= 3 Then transform = Wscript.Arguments(2) Dim different:different = Database2.GenerateTransform(Database1, transform) : CheckError If Not different Then Wscript.Echo "Databases are identical" Else If transform = Empty Then Wscript.Echo "Databases are different" Sub CheckError Dim message, errRec If Err = 0 Then Exit Sub message = Err.Source & " " & Hex(Err) & ": " & Err.Description If Not installer Is Nothing Then Set errRec = installer.LastErrorRecord If Not errRec Is Nothing Then message = message & vbNewLine & errRec.FormatText End If Wscript.Echo message Wscript.Quit 2 End Sub

• Adding Summary Information to Customization Transform
  To apply the customization transform during an installation of the product, you must add a Summary Information Stream to the transform file TheTransForm.mst generated in Generating a Customization Transform. You may generate summary information for a transform using MsiCreateTransformSummaryInfo or the CreateTransformSummaryInfo Method. The following Microsoft script WiSumInf.vbs, illustrates the use with Windows Script Host.
  Run the command line:
  Cscript.exe ADDSUMINFO4MST.vbs "MyFirstVersion.MSI" "MyTransformed.MSI" TheTransForm.mst
  
  ' WiSumInf.vbs: Windows Installer utility to manage the summary information stream ' For use with Windows Scripting Host, CScript.exe or WScript.exe ' Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. ' Demonstrates the use of the database summary information methods Option Explicit Const msiOpenDatabaseModeReadOnly = 0 Const msiOpenDatabaseModeTransact = 1 Const msiOpenDatabaseModeCreate = 3 Dim propList(19, 1) propList( 1,0) = "Codepage" : propList( 1,1) = "ANSI codepage of text strings in summary information only" propList( 2,0) = "Title" : propList( 2,1) = "Package type, e.g. Installation Database" propList( 3,0) = "Subject" : propList( 3,1) = "Product full name or description" propList( 4,0) = "Author" : propList( 4,1) = "Creator, typically vendor name" propList( 5,0) = "Keywords" : propList( 5,1) = "List of keywords for use by file browsers" propList( 6,0) = "Comments" : propList( 6,1) = "Description of purpose or use of package" propList( 7,0) = "Template" : propList( 7,1) = "Target system: Platform(s);Language(s)" propList( 8,0) = "LastAuthor" : propList( 8,1) = "Used for transforms only: New target: Platform(s);Language(s)" propList( 9,0) = "Revision" : propList( 9,1) = "Package code GUID, for transforms contains old and new info" propList(11,0) = "Printed" : propList(11,1) = "Date and time of installation image, same as Created if CD" propList(12,0) = "Created" : propList(12,1) = "Date and time of package creation" propList(13,0) = "Saved" : propList(13,1) = "Date and time of last package modification" propList(14,0) = "Pages" : propList(14,1) = "Minimum Windows Installer version required: Major * 100 + Minor" propList(15,0) = "Words" : propList(15,1) = "Source and Elevation flags: 1=short names, 2=compressed, 4=network image, 8=LUA package" propList(16,0) = "Characters" : propList(16,1) = "Used for transforms only: validation and error flags" propList(18,0) = "Application" : propList(18,1) = "Application associated with file, ""Windows Installer"" for MSI" propList(19,0) = "Security" : propList(19,1) = "0=Read/write 2=Readonly recommended 4=Readonly enforced" Dim iArg, iProp, property, value, message Dim argCount:argCount = Wscript.Arguments.Count If argCount > 0 Then If InStr(1, Wscript.Arguments(0), "?", vbTextCompare) > 0 Then argCount = 0 If (argCount = 0) Then message = "Windows Installer utility to manage summary information stream" &_ vbNewLine & " 1st argument is the path to the storage file (installer package)" &_ vbNewLine & " If no other arguments are supplied, summary properties will be listed" &_ vbNewLine & " Subsequent arguments are property=value pairs to be updated" &_ vbNewLine & " Either the numeric or the names below may be used for the property" &_ vbNewLine & " Date and time fields use current locale format, or ""Now"" or ""Date""" &_ vbNewLine & " Some properties have specific meaning for installer packages" For iProp = 1 To UBound(propList) property = propList(iProp, 0) If Not IsEmpty(property) Then message = message & vbNewLine & Right(" " & iProp, 2) & " " & property & " - " & propLIst(iProp, 1) End If Next message = message & vbNewLine & vbNewLine & "Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved." Wscript.Echo message Wscript.Quit 1 End If ' Connect to Windows Installer object On Error Resume Next Dim installer : Set installer = Nothing Set installer = Wscript.CreateObject("WindowsInstaller.Installer") : If CheckError("MSI.DLL not registered") Then Wscript.Quit 2 ' Evaluate command-line arguments and open summary information Dim cUpdate:cUpdate = 0 : If argCount > 1 Then cUpdate = 20 Dim sumInfo : Set sumInfo = installer.SummaryInformation(Wscript.Arguments(0), cUpdate) : If CheckError(Empty) Then Wscript.Quit 2 ' If only package name supplied, then list all properties in summary information stream If argCount = 1 Then For iProp = 1 to UBound(propList) value = sumInfo.Property(iProp) : CheckError(Empty) If Not IsEmpty(value) Then message = message & vbNewLine & Right(" " & iProp, 2) & " " & propList(iProp, 0) & " = " & value Next Wscript.Echo message Wscript.Quit 0 End If ' Process property settings, combining arguments if equal sign has spaces before or after it For iArg = 1 To argCount - 1 property = property & Wscript.Arguments(iArg) Dim iEquals:iEquals = InStr(1, property, "=", vbTextCompare) 'Must contain an equals sign followed by a value If iEquals > 0 And iEquals <> Len(property) Then value = Right(property, Len(property) - iEquals) property = Left(property, iEquals - 1) If IsNumeric(property) Then iProp = CLng(property) Else ' Lookup property name if numeric property ID not supplied For iProp = 1 To UBound(propList) If propList(iProp, 0) = property Then Exit For Next End If If iProp > UBound(propList) Then Wscript.Echo "Unknown summary property name: " & property sumInfo.Persist ' Note! must write even if error, else entire stream will be deleted Wscript.Quit 2 End If If iProp = 11 Or iProp = 12 Or iProp = 13 Then If UCase(value) = "NOW" Then value = Now If UCase(value) = "DATE" Then value = Date value = CDate(value) End If If iProp = 1 Or iProp = 14 Or iProp = 15 Or iProp = 16 Or iProp = 19 Then value = CLng(value) sumInfo.Property(iProp) = value : CheckError("Bad format for property value " & iProp) property = Empty End If Next If Not IsEmpty(property) Then Wscript.Echo "Arguments must be in the form: property=value " & property sumInfo.Persist ' Note! must write even if error, else entire stream will be deleted Wscript.Quit 2 End If ' Write new property set. Note! must write even if error, else entire stream will be deleted sumInfo.Persist : If CheckError("Error persisting summary property stream") Then Wscript.Quit 2 Wscript.Quit 0 Function CheckError(message) If Err = 0 Then Exit Function If IsEmpty(message) Then message = Err.Source & " " & Hex(Err) & ": " & Err.Description If Not installer Is Nothing Then Dim errRec : Set errRec = installer.LastErrorRecord If Not errRec Is Nothing Then message = message & vbNewLine & errRec.FormatText End If Wscript.Echo message CheckError = True Err.Clear End Function
• 5) Installing the Product:
  You can install the product with or without the Transform.
  a) without customization the command line is: msiexec /i MyFirstVersion.MSI
  
  b) With customization the command line is: msiexec /i MyFirstVersion.MSI TRANSFORMS=TheTransForm.mst

You can view the content of a MST using the Microsoft utility MSTVIEW.EXE delivered with orktools.
Search Microsoft website to download the Office Resource Kit Tools.

Overview of different transforms

Embedded transforms

Embedded transforms are stored inside the .msi file of the package. This guarantees to users that the transform is always available when the installation package is available. Alternatively, transforms may be provided to users as standalone .mst files.
To add an embedded transform to the transforms list, add a colon (:) prefix to the file name.
Because the installer can always obtain the transform from storage in the .msi file, embedded transforms are not cached on the user's computer.

To add a storage named MyProductTrans1 to MyFirstVersion.MSI  and containing the transform you created, change directories to the folder containing Emb.vbs then enter the following command line.

Cscript.exe Emb.vbs MyFirstVersion.MSI TheTransForm.mst MyProductTrans1

'Emb.vbs. Argument(0) is the original database. Argument(1) is the ' path to the transform file. Argument(2) is the name of the storage. ' Option Explicit ' Check arguments If WScript.Arguments.Count < 2 Then WScript.Echo "Usage is emb.vbs [original database] [transform] [storage name]" WScript.Quit(1) End If ' Connect to Windows Installer object On Error Resume Next Dim installer : Set installer = Nothing Set installer = Wscript.CreateObject("WindowsInstaller.Installer") ' Evaluate command-line arguments and set open and update modes Dim databasePath: databasePath = Wscript.Arguments(0) Dim importPath : importPath = Wscript.Arguments(1) Dim storageName : storageName = Wscript.Arguments(2) ' Open database and create a view on the _Storages table Dim sqlQuery : sqlQuery = "SELECT `Name`,`Data` FROM _Storages" Dim database : Set database = installer.OpenDatabase(databasePath, 1) Dim view : Set view = database.OpenView(sqlQuery) 'Create and Insert the row. Dim record : Set record = installer.CreateRecord(2) record.StringData(1) = storageName view.Execute record 'Insert storage - copy data into stream record.SetStream 2, importPath view.Modify 3, record database.Commit Set view = Nothing Set database = Nothing

To install with the customizations, enter the following command line.

msiexec /i MyFirstVersion.msi TRANSFORMS=:MyProductTrans1

Use a colon to indicate that the value of the TRANSFORMS Property refers to an embedded transform.

Secured Transforms

Secured transforms are sometimes necessary for security reasons.
Secured transforms are stored locally on the user's computer in a location where, on a secure file system,the user does not have write access. Such transforms are cached in this location during the installation or advertisement of the package. Only administrators and local system have write access to this location.
A non-admin user would not be able to modify the transform file. During subsequent installation-on-demand or maintenance installations of the package, the installer uses the cached transforms.
To specify secured transform storage, set the TransformsSecure policy, set the TRANSFORMSSECURE property, or pass the @ or | symbol in the transforms list. Note that you cannot include secured and unsecured transforms in the same transforms list. See Applying Transforms.
The removal of the product by any user removes all secured transforms for that product from the user's computer.

Unsecured Transforms

Transforms that have not been secured as described in Secured Transforms are unsecured transforms by default.
To apply an unsecured transform when installing a package, pass the transform file names in the TRANSFORMS property or command line string. Do not begin the string with the @ or | characters or set the TransformsSecure policy or the TRANSFORMSSECURE property. Note that you cannot combine unsecured transforms and secured transforms in the same transforms list.
If the package is installed or advertised as a per-user installation, and has unsecured transforms, the installer saves the transform source in the Application Data folder in the user's profile. This enables a user to maintain their customization of a product while moving between computers.
If the package is installed or advertised as a per-machine installation, and uses unsecured transforms, the installer saves the transform source in the %windir%\Installer folder.
During a first-time installation of the package, the installer first searches for the transform at the source supplied by the TRANSFORMS property or command line string. If this source is unavailable, the installer then searches for the transform at the source of the package next to the .msi file.
During a maintenance installation, the installer searches for the transform at the cache location. If the cached copy of the transform becomes unavailable, the installer searches for the transform at the source of the package next to the .msi file.