How do I set ProgramFilesFolder subfolder permissions in Wix? - wix

Question

I am installing an application to the Program Files folder using WiX. I am using util:XmlFile to update the connectionStrings element but I am getting an error "Failed to open XML file C:\Program Files (x86)\developMENTALmadness\MainApp.exe.config system error -2147024786". I am trying to elevate permissions and set the permissions on the target file and parent folder, but the permissions aren't getting set.
Product.wxs:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<Wix xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/wix/2006/wi"
xmlns:util="http://schemas.microsoft.com/wix/UtilExtension">
<Product Id="{7A04DDDD-F423-4E81-A42F-6831479ECF15}" Name="Installer"
Language="1033" Version="1.0.0.0"
Manufacturer="developMENTALmadness"
UpgradeCode="a65f51b5-8bf8-4490-8fab-899cc23a8e1b">
<Package InstallerVersion="200" Compressed="yes" InstallScope="perMachine"
InstallPrivileges="elevated" />
<MajorUpgrade DowngradeErrorMessage="A newer version is already installed." />
<MediaTemplate EmbedCab="yes" />
<Property Id="SQLSERVER" Value="(local)" />
<Property Id="SQLDATABASE" Value="OMDatabase" />
<Property Id="SQLINSTALLUSER" Value="sa" />
<Property Id="SQLINSTALLPWD" />
<Property Id="SQLUSER" />
<Property Id="SQLPWD" />
<Feature Id="ProductFeature" Title="Installer" Level="1">
<ComponentGroupRef Id="main_output"/>
</Feature>
<!--<UIRef Id="WixUI_Minimal"/>-->
<UIRef Id="CustomWizard"/>
<Binary Id="WixUI_Bmp_Banner"
SourceFile="$(var.MainApp.ProjectDir)info.png" />
<Binary Id="WixUI_Ico_Info"
SourceFile="$(var.MainApp.ProjectDir)favicon.ico"/>
</Product>
<Fragment>
<Directory Id="TARGETDIR" Name="SourceDir">
<Directory Id="ProgramFilesFolder">
<Directory Id="INSTALLFOLDER" Name="developMENTALmadness">
<Directory Id="target_root" Name="HelloWiX" >
</Directory>
</Directory>
</Directory>
</Directory>
</Fragment>
I've generated the component list by using heat.exe and modified it (MainOutput.wxs):
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Wix xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/wix/2006/wi" xmlns:util="http://schemas.microsoft.com/wix/UtilExtension">
<Fragment>
<DirectoryRef Id="target_root">
<Component Id="root_permissions" Guid="{87E634CC-8F0E-4610-961A-9B6C1BBDAEFE}">
<CreateFolder Directory="target_root">
<util:PermissionEx User="Users" GenericAll="yes" ChangePermission="yes" />
</CreateFolder>
</Component>
</DirectoryRef>
</Fragment>
<Fragment>
<ComponentGroup Id="main_output">
<Component Id="cmp2D913B775A49E24FBD0E4DB1A96F05A7" Directory="target_root" Guid="{6284BD47-6181-4220-8DF8-D76F43A608F4}">
<File Id="fil115E0DBDE48A315B4A1DABD091FE0184" KeyPath="yes" Source="$(var.MainApp.TargetPath)" />
</Component>
<Component Id="cmp1A2EDC339002636FAD729B028E1D726A" Directory="target_root" Guid="{45D6B30C-4C74-4260-B53F-855E5F4681FA}">
<File Id="filB9D96E3BAC71662F051EA888708285DA" KeyPath="yes" Source="$(var.MainApp.TargetPath).config" Vital="yes">
<util:PermissionEx User="Users" GenericAll="yes" ChangePermission="yes" />
</File>
<util:XmlFile Id="SetSqlConnection" Action="setValue"
ElementPath="/configuration/connectionStrings/add[\[]#name='database'[\]]"
File="[INSTALLFOLDER]$(var.MainApp.TargetFileName).config"
Value="Server=[SQLSERVER];Database=[SQLDATABASE];uid=[SQLUSER];pwd=[SQLPWD];"
Sequence="1"
SelectionLanguage="XPath" Name="connectionString" />
</Component>
</ComponentGroup>
</Fragment>

Answer 1

You can try the PermissionEx element.
Some similar questions:
WIX: Giving Permissions to a folder
Wix: How to set permissions for folder and all sub folders

Answer 2

Okay, so it would seem that it is better (recommended?) to store my config file in the CommonAppDataFolder (C:\ProgramData). This means I'll need to use the ConfigurationManager.OpenMappedExeConfiguration method to load my config now, like this:
ExeConfigurationFileMap map = new ExeConfigurationFileMap();
map.ExeConfigFilename = Path.Combine(#"C:\ProgramData\developMENTALmadness",
Path.GetFileName(Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().Location) + ".config");
var config = ConfigurationManager.OpenMappedExeConfiguration(map, ConfigurationUserLevel.None);
var name = config.AppSettings.Settings["FullName"].Value;
And a much more simplified version of what I'm trying to do is this:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<Wix xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/wix/2006/wi" xmlns:util="http://schemas.microsoft.com/wix/UtilExtension">
<Product Id="{F15C9D98-5296-417C-847F-1DC1E67C3498}" Name="HelloWiXInstaller" Manufacturer="developMENTALmadness" Language="1033" Version="1.0.0.0" UpgradeCode="a3be08fb-680d-425a-a471-4ab16e4aa805">
<Package InstallerVersion="200" Compressed="yes" InstallScope="perMachine" />
<MediaTemplate EmbedCab="yes" />
<Property Id="FULL_NAME" Value="Mark J. Miller (installed)" />
<Directory Id="TARGETDIR" Name="SourceDir">
<Directory Id="ProgramFilesFolder">
<Directory Id="INSTALLFOLDER" Name="developMENTALmadness">
<Component Id="CMP_HelloWiX.exe" Guid="{38FC6E96-37D6-4A2D-A584-F7D84705AC34}">
<File Id="EXE_HelloWiX.exe" Source="$(var.HelloWiX.TargetPath)" />
</Component>
</Directory>
</Directory>
<Directory Id="CommonAppDataFolder">
<Directory Id="CONFIGFOLDER" Name="developMENTALmadness">
<Component Id="CMP_HelloWiX.exe.config" Guid="{6D470FDB-BF36-4648-BDBD-63D168F8D085}">
<File Id="CONFIG_HelloWiX.exe.config" Source="$(var.HelloWiX.TargetPath).config" />
<util:XmlFile Id="SetConfigValue" Action="setValue"
File="[CONFIGFOLDER]$(var.HelloWiX.TargetFileName).config"
ElementPath="/configuration/appSettings/add[\[]#key='FullName'[\]]"
Value="[FULL_NAME]"
SelectionLanguage="XPath"
Name="value"/>
</Component>
</Directory>
</Directory>
</Directory>
<Feature Id="HelloWiXProduct" Title="Hello, WiX" Level="1">
<ComponentRef Id="CMP_HelloWiX.exe" />
<ComponentRef Id="CMP_HelloWiX.exe.config" />
</Feature>
</Product>
And that works without any issues, so unless someone knows how to fix the other problem I'll go with this solution.
Here's a link to the full source for this sample on github: https://github.com/developmentalmadness/HelloWiX