Improve application logging when the vendor does not have its own logging

My background is application packaging, primarily using PSADT in recent years. I create large amounts of logging for all applications I package, including fault tolerant logs so that I can at least diagnose what stage the package was at when it failed. Msiexec generates good logs, but many vendors installers do not, this means that currently some PMPC packages do not generate log files. We would benefit from more logging in both scenarios.

I will offer 2 specific examples, but this applies to many applications.

Notepad++ exe install. I recognize that the vendor for this does not create a log file, but there could be surrounding logging to make debugging easier.

Microsoft SQL Server management studio version 22. Microsoft recently migrated to using the Microsoft visual studio installer for this, this installer creates logs. The logs have not been collected by the package. This has some similarities to Notepad++, I would like more surrounding logging. In the case of this application, I already have pre and post scripts which create some logs. This means that it was easier to investigate because I have the logs I created. This is not ideal as for example my logs cannot capture the return code from the vendors installer.

More, verbose, logging will benefit many users of PMPC in terms of investigating issues. Logs are easily ignored when everything works, but are extremely useful for investigations. I work as a member of a third line team, service desk will routinely collect logs for me to review if they are stuck. I think everyone benefits from more detailed logging.