How to record a setup log

This really is not Live Writer specific but is here is how to record a setup log that any setup author can use to debug a problem with setup.  This could be used with Windows Live suite setup or even for a Live Writer plug-in.

To enable Windows Installer logging yourself, open the registry with Regedit.exe and create the following path and keys:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Installer
Reg_SZ: Logging
Value: voicewarmupx

If you do not see the Installer key then with the Windows key selected then select the Edit menu, New, Key and name the key Installer.
Next with the Installer selected, select the Edit menu, New, String Value
Rename the key added to Logging and then  right click on the key and select Modify.  Enter voicewarmupx for the data value.

After you have done this run setup .msi file for the program you are trying to get the log for.

When setup finishes you should have a MSI*.LOG file in your TEMP folder.

After you have captured the log file please delete the key you have added to your registry. If you keep it there it will create a new log every time you install or uninstall software and slow down your machine in the process.

New plug-ins

Maybe the needed plug-ins for Windows Live Writer have all been written as there has been a big slow down in what has been submitted to be posted to http://plugins.live.com over the last few months.  Since the beginning of 2011 there have three plug-ins added plus an update to an existing plug-in.  Since there is not RSS on the site you have to go looking for them but if you do you can find some great plug-ins.  Here are the ones added/updated in 2011:

• Twitter Update – this plug-in is a little more extensible than the plug-in published from Microsoft and allows for tweeting to three accounts on post of the blog entry.
• Amazon Book Linker – Do you blog about books? Add your Amazon associate id and if people click through from your blog to buy you will get your commission.
• Source Code Formatter – this is an update to a plug-in that has been available for awhile that allows you to added formatted source code to your blog entry.
• GeSHi Server Blocks – This is another source code highlighter that works with many server side plug-ins for GeSHi.

 

I hope to see many more plug-ins submitted for Windows Live Writer to the plug-in site.  There are many things you can do when you are blogging.

Great post on how to develop a plug-in for Windows Live Writer

I do not write enough about how to develop a plug-in for Windows Live Writer and I should try and work on that in 2011.  Microsoftie Dan Waters took time out from blogging about the Cloud to write up a post about writing a Twitter plug-in that supports bit.ly including how to set things up on Visual Studio.

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/dawate/archive/2010/12/30/how-to-create-a-windows-live-writer-twitter-plugin-that-supports-bit-ly.aspx

Twitter Notify which can be found on http://plugin.live.com supports many URL shorteners but not out of the box.  You can read about how to modify it and the app to do so in a post I did earlier in the year.

Dan’s plug-in can also be found on http://plugin.live.com.