Wix generate single component id for entire tree

by

Use one file per component – this avoids all sorts of problems (except .NET assemblies spanning multiple files). See the following thread: One file per component or several files per component?

Wix is a great framework for creating installers, but it has a steep learning curve. I strongly recommend you read a few sections of this great, online tutorial: https://www.firegiant.com/wix/tutorial/

If you are a “sample based tinkerer”, you can find an even quicker, sample based tour in this article: http://www.codeproject.com/Tips/105638/A-quick-introduction-Create-an-MSI-installer-with

Wix is hands-on. Just focus on the samples, and focus on getting the components created and a major upgrade set up:

Once you got that running the rest of the details fall into place by reading the documentation for whatever feature you need. Using Visual Studio / Votive with intellisense ensures that you can learn as you go with features such as shortcuts, ini files, xml files, dialogs, etc…

Another top tip is to use dark.exe (part of the Wix toolkit) to decompile existing MSI files. This yields Wix XML with code you can copy and paste into your own Wix files. I use other MSI tools to compile such MSI files, and then copy the sections I need into my Wix file – just to speed up the process of creating the Wix XML. Studying the decompiled XML is very educational – a real time saver.

UPDATE, May 2021: Some more links:

  1. WiX Quick Start - Very long version
  2. WiX Quick Start - Short version

More Related Contents:

  1. Change my component GUID in wix?
  2. How to make better use of MSI files
  3. WiX tricks and tips
  4. Changing text color to Wix dialogs
  5. WIX does not uninstall older version
  6. Adding entries to MSI UpgradeTable to remove related products
  7. Removing files when uninstalling WiX
  8. How to pass CustomActionData to a CustomAction using WiX?
  9. How to add a WiX custom action that happens only on uninstall (via MSI)?
  10. Wix Installer : Setting component condition property when doing a MSIEXEC admin install at command line
  11. What do I do when launching an application triggers repeating, endless Windows Installer self-repair?
  12. Uninstall from Control Panel is different from Remove from .msi
  13. wix – custom action dialogbox on silent uninstall of application
  14. Interrupt installation when custom action returns error
  15. How to Explicitly Remove dll During Majorupgrade Using Wix Toolset
  16. Wix toolset license agreement multi-languages issue
  17. I screwed up, how can I uninstall my program?
  18. WIX merge c++ runtime
  19. In WiX files, what does Name=”SourceDir” refer to?
  20. Unselected Feature Being Installed
  21. How do I avoid distributing sensitive information in my MSI by accident?
  22. How to build a minimal WiX installer UI without a license page?
  23. Run ExeCommand in customAction as Administrator mode in Wix Installer
  24. VersionNT MSI property on Windows 10
  25. how to find out which products are installed – newer product are already installed MSI windows
  26. Failed to get MSI property in UPGRADINGPRODUCTCODE, WIX_UPGRADE_DETECTED
  27. WiX: Digitally Sign BootStrapper project
  28. WIX Autogenerate GUID *?
  29. Wix C# Custom Action Logging Not Working
  30. Wix per user installer to detect the Visual C++ 2015 Redistributable

Leave a Comment