Developing in Acumatica often requires the flexibility to work with multiple versions of the system. Previously, we explored how to set up multiple Acumatica instances on a single machine. Now, I’d like to share a way to speed up the installation process for new builds without having to uninstall previous versions.

If you try to install a different version of Acumatica without uninstalling the current one, you’ll likely encounter the following error:

This can be frustrating, especially if you need to work with multiple versions simultaneously. Luckily, there’s a solution that allows you to extract an .msi file into a designated folder without uninstalling the existing version.

The Solution: Extracting .msi to Separate Folders

To begin, download the Acumatica builds. For example:

23.117.0021

• 24.109.0016

Steps to Install:

1. Navigate to the folder where your .msi files are stored.
2. Open a terminal (right-click the folder and select “Open in Terminal”).

3. Run the following command for the first build:

@msiexec /a 23.117.0021.msi /qb TARGETDIR=D:\Downloads\23.117.0021

4. Repeat the process for the second build:

@msiexec /a 24.109.0016.msi /qb TARGETDIR=D:\Downloads\24.109.0016

msiexec command:

• /a: Administrative installation (extracts files from the MSI).
• /qb: Quiet mode with a basic user interface.
• TARGETDIR: Specifies the target directory for the extracted files.

After executing these commands, each build will be extracted into its designated folder. This allows you to work with multiple versions of Acumatica simultaneously without needing to uninstall the current version via the Control Panel.

From there, you can proceed with setting up the instance using the standard AcumaticaConfig.exe.     You can always change the path where your instances will be stored simply by changing the TARGETDIR = YOURPATH

This method saves time by eliminating the need to uninstall and reinstall versions, keeps things organized by storing each build in its own folder, and offers flexibility for testing and development across multiple Acumatica versions.

I hope this guide proves useful and helps you work more efficiently.

Good luck with your projects!