[wix-users] MSI File with Multiple Embedded Cabs totaling greater than 2 GB can't be installed

[Grant Arnold]

Right, I did come across that, but that seems to indicate that a single cab
can't be more than 2 GB. In my case I have 25 cab files, none of which are
over 200 MB by themselves, but together total just over 2 GB.

I am now investigating bootstrappers so that I can have the cabs live
outside the installer but still package things up in a single deliverable
file. Interestingly, while testing out Burn I made a very simple burn
project that just packages my installer that is now built without embedding
the cab files. When I try to build this project, I get the error:

light.exe : error LGHT0306 : An error (E_FAIL) was returned while
finalizing a CAB file. This most commonly happens when creating a CAB file
with more than 65535 files in it. Either reduce the number of files in your
installation package or split your installation package's files into more
than one CAB file using the Media element.

However, if I reduce the size of my installer by removing a few of the
larger files and get it to just below 2 GB, then the Burn project doesn't
complain. So it would seem that even Burn executables have this limitation
on how big they can be...

Grant

On Sun, Jan 7, 2018 at 12:06 PM Walter Dexter via wix-users <
wix-users at lists.wixtoolset.org> wrote:

> It's not what I'd like as authoritative, but there's this MSDN blog
>
>
> https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/windows_installer_team/2005/09/18/what-are-the-upper-limits-of-the-cab-file-format/
>
> On Fri, Jan 5, 2018 at 3:34 PM Hoover, Jacob via wix-users <
> wix-users at lists.wixtoolset.org> wrote:
>
> > I would heavily suggest to not embed the CABS in the MSI.  The issue is
> > that windows installer will keep a copy of the MSI in the "installer
> cache"
> > but it does not consider this a valid installation source.  (It keeps the
> > copy of the MSI for uninstall capability, and it can't strip the CABS
> > because that would invalidate the digital signature.)
> >
> >
> >
> https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/windows_installer_team/2005/09/18/what-are-the-upper-limits-of-the-cab-file-format/
> >
> > I do see vague references to the 2GB limit, but I am not able to find any
> > clearly stated info from an official site.
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: wix-users [mailto:wix-users-bounces at lists.wixtoolset.org] On
> Behalf
> > Of Grant Arnold via wix-users
> > Sent: Friday, January 5, 2018 11:42 AM
> > To: wix-users at lists.wixtoolset.org
> > Cc: Grant Arnold <grant.arnold at safe.com>
> > Subject: [wix-users] MSI File with Multiple Embedded Cabs totaling
> greater
> > than 2 GB can't be installed
> >
> > We have been using WiX for many years to create our installer. Over time,
> > the size of our installer has grown and just yesterday the size creeped
> up
> > past 2 GB.
> >
> > The installer was generated with no errors, but when it is run, it shows
> > the UI as normal but when the "Install" button is pressed it throws the
> > error message "The system cannot open the device or file specified". The
> > only options are to retry or cancel the installation.
> >
> > After doing some poking around, it sounded like there are some
> limitations
> > of cab files where a single cab can't be greater than 2 GB. I checked and
> > we are already splitting the install over several cab files using the
> > <MediaTemplate> element, and none of the cabs are over 200 MB.
> >
> > I then tried building the installer with the "EmbedCab" attribute set to
> > "no", and this fixed the installer. It was built successfully and was
> able
> > to be installed. The problem though is this fundamentally changes how we
> > deliver our installer to our customers as previously we just sent a
> single
> > .msi installer with the cabs embedded. Now we will have to package up the
> > .msi and .cab files into a bootstrapper or something.
> >
> > My question is: Is this a fundamental limitation of Windows Installer? Or
> > of WiX? Is it not possible to have an installer with embedded cabs
> totaling
> > more than 2 GB compressed? Why? Is there any other way to workaround or
> fix
> > this without having to pull the cabs out of the .msi file?
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Grant
> > --
> >
> > ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
> >
> > Grant Arnold | Software Developer
> >
> > Safe Software Inc.
> >
> > Suite 2017, 7445 - 132nd Street, Surrey, BC Canada V3W 1J8
> > <
> https://maps.google.com/?q=Suite+2017,+7445+-+132nd+Street,+Surrey,+BC+Canada+V3W+1J8&entry=gmail&source=g
> >
> >
> > T 604.501.9985 x 233 <(604)%20501-9985> | F 604.501.9965
> <(604)%20501-9965>
> >
> > grant.arnold at safe.com  |  www.safe.com <http://www.safe.com/>
> >
> > ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
> > <http://www.safe.com/emailsignature>
> >
> > ____________________________________________________________________
> > WiX Toolset Users Mailing List provided by FireGiant
> > http://www.firegiant.com/
> >
> > ____________________________________________________________________
> > WiX Toolset Users Mailing List provided by FireGiant
> > http://www.firegiant.com/
>
> ____________________________________________________________________
> WiX Toolset Users Mailing List provided by FireGiant
> http://www.firegiant.com/



-- 

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Grant Arnold | Software Developer

Safe Software Inc.

Suite 2017, 7445 - 132nd Street, Surrey, BC Canada V3W 1J8

T 604.501.9985 x 233 | F 604.501.9965

grant.arnold at safe.com  |  www.safe.com <http://www.safe.com/>

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
<http://www.safe.com/emailsignature>