msi upgrade when I change the ProductVersion to a different format fails - wix

Question

I have the following problem and I'm trying to understand what is happening. I have this code:
...
<Product Name="My Service"
Id="*"
UpgradeCode="$(var.UpgradeCode)"
Language="$(var.Language)"
Codepage="$(var.CodePage)"
Version="$(var.ProductVersion)"
Manufacturer="$(var.Manufacturer)">
<Package Id="*"
Keywords="Installer"
Description="My Service Installer"
Comments="Service Installer"
Manufacturer="$(var.Manufacturer)"
InstallerVersion="300"
Languages="$(var.Language)"
Compressed="yes"
SummaryCodepage="$(var.CodePage)" />
<Upgrade Id="$(var.UpgradeCode)">
<!-- Populate NEWERVERSIONDETECTED if there is an installed
package with the same upgrade code
and version is > the version being installed -->
<UpgradeVersion Minimum="$(var.ProductVersion)"
IncludeMinimum="no"
OnlyDetect="no"
Property="NEWERVERSIONDETECTED" />
<!-- Populate UPGRADEFOUND if there is an installed
package with the same upgrade code
and the version is between the earliest version defined
and the version being installed -->
<UpgradeVersion Minimum="$(var.FirstVersion)"
IncludeMinimum="yes"
Maximum="$(var.ProductVersion)"
IncludeMaximum="no"
Property="PREVIOUSVERSIONSINSTALLED" />
</Upgrade>
<Condition Message="A newer version is already installed.">NOT NEWERVERSIONDETECTED</Condition>
<InstallExecuteSequence>
<RemoveExistingProducts Before="InstallInitialize" />
</InstallExecuteSequence>
<!-- Step 1: Define the directory structure -->
...
<!-- Step 2: Add files to your installer package -->
...
<!-- Step 3: Tell WiX to install the files -->
...
ProductVersion and FirstVersion has the x.x.x format. Because the msi contains only 3 files I prefer to uninstall everything and put the new files in place (like a major upgrade).
Here is what it's happening:
FirstVersion is defined as "0.0.1"; I build twice my project (to generate two msi with ProductVersion "0.0.2" for the first build and with "0.0.3" for the second). When I install 0.0.3 on top of 0.0.2 everything is going smoothly. In Add/Remove Programs I see the new version installed, "My Service" is up&running in Local Services, in Program Files I see my folder containing the new files.
If I build the project with the ProductVersion 2.0.2 and 2.0.3 (same steps as the previous ones), when I install 2.0.3 on top of 2.0.2, no error pops-up, the installation finishes successfully (at least Event Viewer says so) but my folder in Program Files doesn't exist, My Service is unknown in Local Services (it will not start). The only thing looking good is in Add/Remove programs which shows me the new version 2.0.3 is installed. And another strange thing is the fact that I can uninstall my application from Add/Remove Programs successfully. No error!
So why for 0.0.x format as ProductVersion upgrading is working fine, but
not for 2.0.x?
I tried to log the output of msiexec during the upgrading, but it is too
complicated for me.
PS: do not recommend another way of implementing upgrade. I need to stick
to this code because I'm using msitools which has a lot of limitations.

Answer 1

The versions is right, you haven't made any mistake there.
Without a verbose log your chances to find the problem are quite small. It is not hard at all. Follow the link above and you will find examples on multiple methods to generate a log and share it with us or try to read it be yourself.