Abstract: A system and method for providing the ability to repair an installed application program if a resource needed by the application program becomes inadvertently deleted or otherwise unavailable to the application program. Briefly described, the present invention makes possible a system for verifying the existence of a resource needed to support a feature of the application program. The system may respond to a request from the application program to make use of the resource by first verifying the existence of the resource at an expected location. If the resource does not exist at the expected location, rather than returning an error to the application program, the system initiates an installation procedure for restoring the missing resource without interrupting the normal operation of the application program.

Abstract: A method and mechanism for automatically installing software implementations such as applications and COM classes as they are needed from an external source. When a software implementation is needed, the mechanism first looks to the local system (e.g., registry) for that software implementation, and if found, returns the information such as a local path needed to use the software implementation. If the implementation is not found, the mechanism looks to another source, such as a CD-ROM or a centralized class store of a network, to locate the needed implementation. When located, the implementation is downloaded and locally installed from the source, and a local path is returned in a manner that is essentially transparent to the user. Software implementations such as application products may be divided into features and components to improve on-demand installation thereof.

Abstract: A system and method for providing the ability to repair an installed application program if a resource needed by the application program becomes inadvertently deleted or otherwise unavailable to the application program. Briefly described, the present invention makes possible a system for verifying the existence of a resource needed to support a feature of the application program. The system may respond to a request from the application program to make use of the resource by first verifying the existence of the resource at an expected location. If the resource does not exist at the expected location, rather than returning an error to the application program, the system initiates an installation procedure for restoring the missing resource without interrupting the normal operation of the application program.

Abstract: A generic way of publishing globally available functionality that can be shared across applications. Utilizing an Installer Registry, an Installer, Descriptors and a Publish Component Table, related components can be retrieved using an qualifier. A request for a listing of related components, which includes a qualifier, is received from an application. The installer retrieves all the related components, matching the qualifier, from the Publish Component Table. The installer then retrieves the features associated with the components and presents the list of components to the application. The application then selects a specific component and the installer then determines the product associated with the selected component by using the feature and component information retrieved from the Publish Component Table. Once the product information is retrieved, the present invention searches the Installer Registry, using the product, feature and component information as a token, and returns a keypath for that token.

Abstract: A method and system for advertising software applications by placing application shortcuts on a start menu or desktop and writing entries to the system registry enabling file extension-based activation and Class ID-based activation of those applications, thereby advertising the applications as available even if not installed. In network settings, advertised applications may be assigned to a user via a policy. To this end, an advertising script is stored with a policy associated with computer or user policy recipients, and the advertising script includes assigned application identifier information. One or more scripts are applied, such as to a user at logon or a machine at re-boot. The scripts are processed by an installer mechanism to advertise the application. Applications advertised as available to the user prior to any installation thereof are installed by an installer as needed upon user activation.

Abstract: A system and method for managing locations of patch program files via a patch source list. The needed patch program files are identified. A list of alternative patch program file locations is referenced repeatedly until a valid alternative patch program file location is found or until each alternative patch program file location on the patch source list has been referenced. If a valid alternative patch program file location is found, the patch program file is retrieved from that location. New alternative patch program file locations may be added to the patch source list when a user identifies those new locations. The patch source list is continually maintained.

Abstract: A system and method for managing locations of software components via a source list. The needed software components are identified. A list of source locations is referenced repeatedly until a valid source location is found or until each source location on the list has been referenced. If a valid source location is found, the software components are retrieved from that source location. New source locations may be added to this list of source locations when the user identifies these new source locations. A list of source locations is continually maintained.