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Is the Software Installed?

I went to update Windows Live Writer this morning because I am a technology whore and I like to run with the cool kids. The installer yielded a WTF basket of confusion that ended with me wondering if I had actually installed the software which, in fact, I had not.

Most installers use the wizard motif with a workflow that goes something like next, accept EULA, next, next, Install, Finish. Here is my experience trying to install Windows Live Writer with accompanying internal dialog.

The Download

Google Windows Live Writer.

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Click on Writers Zone.

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Windows Live Writer: Out of Beta

Download Writer 2008 
Windows Live Writer 2008 (version 12.0.1366.1026)

Click on the lovely shiny Download button.

Wasn't that supposed to start the download?

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Banner image

Get it free
Excellent, I am using software whose target audience are smug people.

Click on Get It Free.

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The Install

windowsliveinstall_1

Click on Accept.

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windowsliveinstall_2

Ugh! I hate freaking MSN. But I don't mind helping a brother improve the installer.

Click, Click, Turn off gross marketing integration.

Click Install.

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windowsliveinstall_3

What huh? I thought I was installing Windows Live Writer?

Oh they are bundling "Writer" with other stuff.

Nah I just wanted Live Writer.

Clicking on Writer enables Add to installation.

At this point I was in the next, next, next, part of my mental installer workflow.

So I clicked on Close. The installer went away and I snapped to attention.

Huh what? Is it done?

Did it install?

Quick check. Nope. Let's re-run the installer and step back through...

What the hell is the Close button doing where the Next or Install button should be?!

Do I click on Add to installation instead?

---

windowsliveinstall_4

The download/installation of Writer began. How does a small Add to installation button sitting above the utility area communicate that an installation will begin? I sat there agape.

I really need to meticulously blog about this.

Take Away

Come on Microsoft stick to the conventions that have been established. If you want to deviate from the norm make it obvious. Test the usability of your software even the installers.

Posted: Thursday, November 08, 2007 1:04 PM by kmiller
Filed under:

Comments

Scott Bellware [MVP] said:

http://blogs.dovetailsoftware.com/blogs/kmiller/archive/2007/11/08/is-the-software-installer.aspx

# November 8, 2007 3:54 PM

Jimmy Bogard said:

I wish I got that far.  Running the installer just gives me a single dialog:

"Sorry, Windows Live programs cannot be installed on Windows Server, Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, or Windows operating systems earlier than Windows XP Service Pack 2."

This "feature" was introduced in Beta 2.  Good times.

# November 8, 2007 4:40 PM

Chad Myers said:

Kevin: What'd you use to generate those images with the highlights? Just paint, or something fancier? Pretty neat and very effective.

I just went through this last night and had the same 'WTF' but couldn't express it as elegantly as you did :)

It's sad too, because the engine actually works pretty well and provides a somewhat uncluttered download-and-install UI.  If only it weren't a usability nightmare with the 'dancing button locations game' built into it.

# November 8, 2007 5:23 PM

Windows Live Writer leaves Beta said:

PingBack from http://simeonpilgrim.com/blog/2007/11/09/windows-live-writer-leaves-beta/

# November 8, 2007 5:27 PM

Doogal said:

The last beta forced you to install Messenger, so at least they've improved slightly...

# November 8, 2007 5:58 PM

Damien Guard said:

I've extracted the raw Windows Live! Writer MSI and put it up on my blog</a>.

No confusing installer and happily installs on x64.

[)amien

# November 8, 2007 7:15 PM

Windows Live Writer on Windows x64 said:

PingBack from http://damieng.com/blog/2007/11/08/windows-live-writer-on-windows-x64

# November 8, 2007 7:18 PM

kmiller said:

@chad I used Paint.Net's rectangle with 6 pixel borders.

# November 8, 2007 7:27 PM

From the software development trenches said:

Time for another weekly round-up of developer news that focuses on .NET, agile and general development

# November 9, 2007 12:12 AM

CWuestefeld said:

I hoped you were going to say "you just run the installer app, and then silently, poof! it's installed". Because when I run the installer app, nothing seems to happen. No dialog box, no error messages; absolutely nothing.

# November 9, 2007 8:29 AM

davidacoder said:

Also, why on earth is there an option to select additional packages while the ones you selected in the first step are already installing? In fact, I believe there are THREE places where you can pick the components you want to install: the website, the first page in the installer, and the page that shows installation progress of those packages that you selected on the first page has an option to install more packages. Truely, this is the worst user experience I have seen in a long, long, long time. The whole thing is so stupid, it is hard to believe. And what is in particular strange, is that it must have been quite complicated to program it. That page that lets you add stuff while other stuff is installing? What a waste of resources, sure looks like the setup PM will go to the next meeting and explain proudly how much they have done to setup... Ha ha

# November 9, 2007 9:13 AM

Quirky Live Writer Installation « If only I were . . . said:

PingBack from http://subjunctive.wordpress.com/2007/11/09/quirky-live-writer-installation/

# November 9, 2007 11:12 AM

Martin Plante said:

I'm currently installing it, and it seems the page with the "Close" button is gone. It went directly to the "You're installing these programs" screen. Also, I only had the "MSN Home" checkbox to uncheck, the "Live Search" checkbox wasn't there.

Could it actually mean they are listening? Or is this a different behavior on Vista than on XP?

# November 9, 2007 11:18 AM

TrackBack said:

PingBack from http://larkware.com/dg9/thedailygrind1270.aspx

# November 9, 2007 12:45 PM

Jason Darling said:

I previoulsy posted about spelling issues with Live Writer back when it was in Beta. Now that it's out

# November 9, 2007 12:48 PM

Joe Cheng [MSFT] said:

Kevin, thanks for the feedback.

The screenshots look to me like the Beta 3 installer, not Final (though I could be wrong). Can you verify the version in "Help | About WLW" shows 12.0.1366.1026?

# November 9, 2007 1:33 PM

Lance Robinson said:

WLW installer has been a pain since day 1.  I tried it, but the install failed with no explanation.  :(

# November 9, 2007 1:37 PM

Andrew Karcher's Bits o' Data said:

Windows Live Writer has officially moved out of Beta. I have been using Live Writer from the early...

# November 9, 2007 3:27 PM

kmiller said:

@Joe.

I am heartened to see Microsoft taking interest. Thanks for checking in.

From the Windows Live Writer Log:

WindowsLiveWriter,5504,None,00001,09-Nov-2007 14:27:05.468,"Starting Windows Live Writer 12.0.1366.1026",""

WindowsLiveWriter,5504,None,00002,09-Nov-2007 14:27:05.468,".NET version: 2.0.50727.1378",""

As chronicled in my post I downloaded the installer directly from the links on the product website.

# November 9, 2007 3:29 PM

Keith Hill said:

I wish I could get my hands on the individual MSIs.  This web-based install fails on every single component and I'm pretty sure it is related to our corporate firewall.  And no, I don't have a snowball's chance in hell at getting IT to tweak the firewall so I can install WLWriter, WLMail and WLMessenger.  Grrr.

# November 10, 2007 1:22 AM

M said:

I could not have written this better if I tried. I'm speechless at the hoops you need to jump through to install it.

I mean, on the site you say you want to download and install Windows Live Writer. If I wanted the  other stuff I'D BLOODY DOWNLOAD IT DIRECTLY!

And then if you're behind a proxy server ... it does not seem to work at all. After wasting 5 minutes of your life (that you'll never get back) clicking check boxes it just says failed and you're back to square one!

Very poorly implemented indeed!

# November 12, 2007 7:30 AM