How can I get this to run properly?

I am am trying to run a executable from my installer script. It is a command-line program (ConvertApp.exe) that takes two directories as parameters. It is meant to read a specific file named "AutoComplete.stm" (first param) and convert it's various contents into files in a directory (second param) in the $INSTDIR . The problem is that I cannot use any variables like $INSTDIR, $PROGRAMFILES, or $DESKTOP in the directory paths. When I try to using something like:

nsexec:Exec '"C:\ConvertApp.exe" "C:\Program Files\LiveEditor\AutoComplete.stm" "$INSTDIR\AutoComplete"'

it doesn't work. Now, I am able to copy the ConvertApp.exe into C:\ and run it from there, and the AutoComplete.stm file will always be found at "C:\Program Files\LiveEditor\AutoComplete.stm" (I am running the converter only if it is detected). However, the user needs to be able to change the install directory, and therefore I need to indicate that when calling the converter program.

Doing it like this works:

nsexec:Exec '"C:\ConvertApp.exe" "C:\Program Files\LiveEditor\AutoComplete.stm" "C:\AutoComplete"'

and I figured I could just copy over the contents of C:\AutoComplete to $INSTDIR\AutoComplete afterward. That didn't work though. Here is how I tried to do it:

IfFileExists $PROGRAMFILES\LiveEditor\AutoComplete2.stm 0 +8

  SetOutPath "C:\"

  File "C:\Documents and Settings\ewiener\Desktop\console application\ConvertApp.exe"

  nsexec:Exec '"C:\ConvertApp.exe" "C:\Program Files\LiveEditor\AutoComplete.stm" "C:\AutoComplete"'

  SetOutPath "$INSTDIR\AutoComplete"

  File /nonFatal /r "C:\AutoComplete\*"

  RmDir /r "C:\AutoComplete"

  Delete "C:\ConvertApp.exe"

Thanks.

just taking a few guesses here..

1) Might be that your EXE needs it's working directory set. Try placing a SetOutPath command just before the nsExec call. (Set the path to same directory that ConvertApp.exe is located)

2) The other guess is that maybe the $INSTDIR is not set to what you think it is.

[edit] I see in your 2nd example that you do have a SetOutPath statement there. Have you tried that same code, but using $INSTDIR instead?)

Just needed a SetOutPath "C:\" before the nsexec call. Thank you.