[PROBLEM] Software Installation Logs

[ykhackhack]

Dear members
During installation, the softwares create, change alot of files/folders, modifies registry etc.
Is there any sure way of capturing this process, in other words the log file.
Thanks for your time

[Batman07]

You can use sofware that can make portable applications (vmware, spoon studio, etc.). It can show you what are the changes made on your computer after installing a specific program. The idea is to capture your computer before and after the installation.

[ykhackhack]

I was going to try to make some portable application with "Enigma", which works little different than others. You can use this soft, on a software which is already installed. And you have to point the soft to the files/folders you want to virtualise. And if you succeed it make one EXE file which, upon execution it does not write anything on the hard disk if you want. (big difference than other virtualising softs. This way it can work on a machine without upgrading or downgrading the environment.

Regards

[albani]

There are some programs like Advanced Uninstaller Pro, which you can find through in this forum in the link below.

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It has a monitoring plugin that monitor all the changes during the installations of programs and gives you a log file about all changes. You can find it in the installation folder named monitor.exe.

I have used it sometimes but it seem to heavy load the computer during the monitoring process.

[ykhackhack]

@albani
I have that. I think if there is no alternate or a better one I will try to utilize that.
Thanks

[RazvanMelek]

Actually you could use Process Monitor and Process Explorer from the Sysinternals Suite available from Microsoft Technet.The download and use of the tools is free of charge and they can give full info about all the things that a service,executable or any other thing does to the system registry or the files that are being accesed.They are also pretty easy to use.To get them google Sysinternals and select Process Utilities on the right side of the page.Cheers.

[andersen3]

maybe this helps you

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from there InstallWatch Pro seems to be right for you. maybe the others can help you eiher.

tell me if this is the thing you wanted.

[LiviuM]

Use a virtual machine software.
Create a virtual machine, install OS, install a tracking software.
Make a copy of the virtual machine.

Something like this:
Run tracking software.
Install software
Run tracking software in comparison mode.

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Some software like SeismoSoft programs has protection and it doesn't work when it detects Sysinternals capturing driver.

You could try Sandboxie, install it, create an empty sand box and install in that sandbox your software.
You could see all modified files and you could read the registry changes with a registry hive viewer (can't remember the name).

It would be the best choice to try all this stuff each time in a clean virtual machine.