wix3 - w3toppers.com

How to build a minimal WiX installer UI without a license page?

I would simply use one of the already created WiX UI and override the sequence (make it higher so that it will override the previous setting): <Product> … <UI> <UIRef Id=”WixUI_InstallDir” /> <!– Skip license dialog –> <Publish Dialog=”WelcomeDlg” Control=”Next” Event=”NewDialog” Value=”InstallDirDlg” Order=”2″>1</Publish> <Publish Dialog=”InstallDirDlg” Control=”Back” Event=”NewDialog” Value=”WelcomeDlg” Order=”2″>1</Publish> </UI> <Property Id=”WIXUI_INSTALLDIR” Value=”INSTALLFOLDER” /> … … Read more

MSI Reference Counting: Two products install the same MSIs

The first thing that comes to mind with this question is whether the products in question are decomposed the way they should be. As a general rule all MSI files think they own whatever they install, and they will uninstall everything attached to a component GUID inside the MSI on uninstall if the reference count … Read more

How to register file types/extensions with a WiX installer?

Unfortunately there’s no way to do a “safe” association with Windows Installer. We just write everything out to the registry and then have a separate component that takes over the system-wide default and is only installed if no other application has already registered itself as the default. With Vista there’s the new “default programs” interface, … Read more

One file per component or several files per component?

One reason for “one file per component” is resiliency. When an application is started, Windows Installer can check whether the keypath of any component is missing. If the keypath is missing, the component is reinstalled/repaired. If a component has multiple files, then only one file can be the keypath. In wix you indicate this by … Read more

In WiX files, what does Name=”SourceDir” refer to?

From: https://robmensching.com/blog/posts/2010/1/26/stackoverflow-what-does-namesourcedir-refer-to/ Honestly, it’s something that we should have hidden from the developer but didn’t. Sorry. The truth of the matter is that the Windows Installer expects the Directory tree to always be rooted in a Directory row where the primary key (Directory/@Id) is “TARGETDIR” and the DefaultDir column (Directory/@Name) is “SourceDir”. During an install, … Read more

How do you register a Win32 COM DLL file in WiX 3?

The easiest way (and Rob M will rant and rave about how this is wrong) is just to use SelfRegCost=1 on the File tag for the DLL. This is wrong, because we should be explicitly controlling the registration of the DLL, not allowing it just to run arbitrary code via DllRegisterServer. The theory being that … Read more

Reboot on install, Don’t reboot on uninstall

Restart Manager: The Restart Manager Feature of Windows (Installer) (middle page) is designed to help restart applications automatically during installation rather than requiring a reboot. This feature should always be used to try to eliminate reboot requirements. Only in very special circumstances should a reboot be really required. Technical Crash Course: This is a technical … Read more

WiX tricks and tips

Keep variables in a separate wxi include file. Enables re-use, variables are faster to find and (if needed) allows for easier manipulation by an external tool. Define Platform variables for x86 and x64 builds <!– Product name as you want it to appear in Add/Remove Programs–> <?if $(var.Platform) = x64 ?> <?define ProductName = “Product … Read more

Change my component GUID in wix?

The overall concept of MSI is that there is a 1:1 mapping between a component GUID (unique identifier) and an absolute path (install location / key path). The full path, including file name if any. See update below for a new Wix feature to deal auto-magically with this. Rob Mensching (WiX author): Windows Installer Component … Read more