Writing File or Registry Entry to Local HD

I'm pretty sure the answer to this question will be "No", but if so, perhaps I can get suggestions for a alternate solution.

Basically, I need to use geo-targeting within a software installer program I use. The installer does not have this capability built in. It does allows the setting of a variable based on a registry entry or the existense of a file on the user's hard drive. My idea was to have the installer first call a php page on my server that contains code like:

<?php
include("geoip.inc");
$gi = geoip_open("GeoIP.dat",GEOIP_STANDARD);
$cocode = geoip_country_code_by_addr($gi, $_SERVER['REMOTE_ADDR']);
geoip_close($gi);
// Write $cocode value to registry on user's hard drive
// OR
// Create file on user's hard drive with $cocode value
?>

Code (markup):

Then my installer could either check for the registry entry or local file on the user's hd and use that to set a variable that I could use for decision making thru out the rest of the install routine.

Any way this can be done? If not, any suggestions? Other than using a different installer package.

 

What language are you writing your program in? I've done this in VB before.. you just need to use a winsock control to call the PHP script and collect the output.

 

Hey moads,

Thanks for the reply. The apps I'm installing are actually 3rd party self-installing .exe's. I need to know the geo-location before I run them. If the user is "US" I'll execute one 3rd party file, if they are from a different country I'll execute a different one. I suppose I could create a stand alone .exe utility that did nothing but get the geo-location and record / store it somehow for use by the installer, but I'm hoping for something simpler.