We normally install Wix patches (xxx.msp) by double-clicking them. But I see at various places over the internet that we should use the MsiExec utility. For e.g. msiexec /update patch.msp REINSTALL=ALL
Is there any downside in not using the MsiExec utility?
No, there's no downside. Effectively, double-clicking runs msiexec /p patch.msp.
If your patch updates only the versioned files, EXE and DLL, and work correctly without adding REINSTALL=ALL, then it's great!
The point of using msiexec explicitly is to add REINSTALL=ALL property. It make the installer to re-install all the files. This is usually added to fix the problems where some files do not get updated when the patch is installed directly by double-clicking.
Related
I'm trying to uninstall an older version of our product which was installed using a WiX-built installer and after uninstalling it silently:
msiexec /x{GUID}
the program still appears in Control Panel. I've opened a separate item to
explore that mystery, but another curious issue has popped up. I noticed that after running the install for this program, two entries (GUIDs) are added to HKLM\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall. One with the product GUID and one that I have no idea where it comes from. I've searched through the .msi and it's not in there. Both are created each time I install, both are removed if I uninstall from the Control Panel and both are left in the registry if I uninstall from the command line. So have a look
Anyone have any ideas what's going on here?
Embedded Setup.exe: In essence it looks like you are installing an MSI that also installs an embedded non-MSI setup.exe via a custom action as part of its own installation sequence. Or, there is a setup.exe launcher that kicks off the MSI and the legacy setup in sequence. Result: two entries in Add / Remove Programs.
Uninstall: It is obvious, but to get rid of the second entry you must run its uninstall sequence - in addition to the uninstall of the MSI. Non-MSI setups are less reliable when it comes to uninstall than MSI packages. The implicitly available uninstall for all MSI packages with reliable silent running is one of the core benefits of MSI: MSI Core Benefits (among other topics).
Uninstall Commands: Try running the silent uninstall string, I guess that is what you have done?
Run commands elevated! With admin rights!
REM Uninstall MSI
msiexec.exe /x {PRODUCT-GUID} /L*v C:\MySetup.log /QN
REM Uninstall legacy setup.exe
"%SystemDrive%\ProgramData\Package Cache\{c5f0cb3e-1de3-4971-843a-abb981ed670c}\MDRSetup.exe" /uninstall /quiet
Silent Running: To run legacy setups silently you sometimes have to record a "response file" to record all settings in the GUI and pass to the uninstall process. I have some previous answers on this. You also need to run with admin rights:
Create MSI from extracted setup files
Regarding silent installation using Setup.exe generated using Installshield 2013 (.issuite) project file
How to run an installation in /silent mode with adjusted settings
Application Repackaging: What is the name of the software you are installing? MDRSetup.exe, is that Max Data Recovery 1.9? Probably not. Getting rid of legacy software can be challenging. You can always try to re-package it as an MSI if you have the tools to do so, or maybe you have a team in your company to do so (all large companies tend to). Not all legacy setups can be repackaged. There could be constructs that are impossible to capture, such as certain drivers, generated and unique keys per machine etc...
Links:
Create MSI from extracted setup files
How can I use powershell to run through an installer?
Wix - How to run/install application without UI
Capturing all changes during an application install on Windows
in our bootstrapper WIX project, we have a lot of prerequisites, .MSI and .EXE files. Most of these will install just fine using the InstallCommand parameter in an ExePackage and the DisplayInternalUI parameter in the MsiPackage.
However, there is one program, namely Adobe iFilter, which is a .msi file, which has an installer that for some reason will NOT install with the parameter /quiet, but only /passive. The problem is, that trying to install the file using DisplayInternalUI="no" in WIX does not work, and there is no InstallCommand parameter for .msi files, so I can't silently install the program.
Is there any solution to this, as in, any way to give the .msi installer a "/passive" parameter through WIX? I didn't find anything like this in the documentation.
Thanks in advance.
On the topic of Adobe iFilter itself, interestingly enough, using /quiet DOES install the iFilter application, but DOES NOT set a link to Programs and Features, so you will not see it there or as an installed application in general. However, you can still find the installation files in its default install directory.
On installing something as quiet or passive in general, I have not found anything that allows this specifically, BUT normal Windows Installer Properties can be set using the
<MsiProperty Name="PropertyName" Value"PropertyValue"/>
tag within an MsiPackage.
See documentation here: http://wixtoolset.org/documentation/manual/v3/xsd/wix/msiproperty.html
This includes the "UILevel" property, which is found in every Windows Installer.
See documentation here:
https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/aa372096(v=vs.85).aspx
With this, you can set the installer to a reduced UI level, which I assume is the same as calling it with /passive.
My Wix installer worked installing my program, but it's broken for uninstallation. A file is removed too early, and it's needed further down the line. The uninstaller fails and reverts its changes.
This means I can't remove the package from my machine, and hence can't install any further builds of my installer (a considerable inconvenience). How can I force removal of the package?
Update, Stein Åsmul: Injecting this newer list of cleanup approaches.
Find your package in C:\Windows\Installer, where Windows keeps copies of installed MSI packages. The names are generated randomly, so you'll have to look at the creation dates of the files.
Open the MSI file with Orca. (Unfortunately there is no simple download for the orca installer. You can get it by installing the "MSI Tools" of the Windows 10 SDK, and then searching for orca.msi in C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits.)
Delete the offending custom action from the CustomAction table
Now you should be able to uninstall the package.
UPDATE: You can find the actual cache MSI file using Powershell. That was for one package, you can also get for all packages (scroll down to first screenshot).
This command usually works for me:
msiexec /fv installer.msi
It somewhat recaches the installer, so you can try again with a corrected one.
One time this command didn't work and I had to use Microsoft FixIt. It solved the problem (quite a shock for me).
Depending on the exact reason of the behavior you described, you might have at least a couple of options.
If the reason of the failure is a custom action which runs on uninstall, and this custom action is conditioned with some properties you can influence upon, you can try to pass the desired value via the command line:
msiexec /x {YOUR-PRODUCTCODE-HERE} RUNMYACTION=false
In this sample RUNMYACTION is a Windows Installer property which participates in a custom action condition, and if you pass false as its value, the action won't run.
Otherwise, you can fix the logic (or just disable the custom action explicitly) and build the new MSI package. Then upload it to that target machine, and run like this:
msiexec /i YourPackage.msi REINSTALL=ALL REINSTALLMODE=vomus
Here YourPackage.msi is a new fixed package, REINSTALL=ALL instructs the msiexec to re-install the product using this new package, and REINSTALLMODE=vomus (the v part of it) will re-cache the MSI package and you'll be able to remove it the normal way afterwards.
A side note: you should test your installation on a virtual machine in order not to risk your real one.
FYI: In Windows 8.1 the installers have been moved here: C:\ProgramData\Package Cache\
If you are really desperate and all solutions above don't work try
msizap.exe
This will erase all that your installer put on a machine
LITTLE WARNING
Don't run msizap without knowing what options you want to run it with (for a list of options run msizap /? first).
I used this little tool also from Microsoft
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/17588/fix-problems-that-block-programs-from-being-installed-or-removed
Basically this tool can be used to "repair issues including corrupted registry keys that block you from installing or removing programs"
What it fixes:
Corrupted registry keys on 64-bit operating systems
Corrupted registry keys that control the update data
Problems that prevent new programs from being installed
Problems that prevent existing programs from being completely uninstalled or updated
Problems that block you from uninstalling a program through Add or Remove Programs (or Programs and Features) in Control Panel
It can be used for:
Windows 7
Windows 8
Windows 8.1
Windows 10
I usually just look for <Your Installer's Name>.msi or <Your Installer's Company Name> in the registry and delete some of the uninstall keys from some of the Products under the Windows installer trees and everything usually works fine and dandy afterwards, although this WOULD leave some stuff lying around like cached installers and possibly tons of other registry keys for each file installed, etc. but its ALWAYS worked for me when developing installers because honestly, who cares if one MSI is left over and cached somewhere? You're using the machine for development anyways, right?
I have an existing large WiX install that has already been released. I need to create a small install for just a couple of files that have changed. I have created a patch (.MSP file) in WiX for these few files using the "PatchCreation" element. When the patch is run, it presents the user with a "Reinstall/Repair/Remove" dialog. If the user selects repair, the patch does exactly what it is supposed to. My problem here is that I don't want the patch to say "repair," or to give the user these options. I just want it to install over the few files I have, more or less like a regular install. What can I do to fix this?
MSI implements patches as repairs. In WiX v3.5, the WixUI dialog library has dialogs that are displayed when installing patches.
I have found a more flexible way to work around this, thanks to some help I found here. If you start MSIExec with command-line options (for example, "msiexec /p [patch file] REINSTALL=ALL REINSTALLMODE=omus"), you can get the install to start up without the "Repair" option coming up. You can also use the IExpress tool (which is shipped with Windows, and can be brought up in a command-prompt) to create a wrapper/bootstrapper that will start the MSP file from MSIExec.
Thanks very much to the answers I received. I would not have figured this out without your help.
I partially agree with Bob. Patches in WiX are applied through a repair, but Windows Installer does support a standalone patch installation. Other setup authoring tools can create them.
Regarding the WiX patch, I recommend using a custom bootstrapper which applies the patch automatically.
How to prepare setup.exe with setupbld.exe (I packe msi) that can install and uninstall application. Currently I can install application but when I run installer second time it does not show Change / remove options but precede directly to window with install button. When I run msiexec /i myApp.msi then I can install and later change /remove.
I use following path to pack my msi
setupbld.exe -out c:\Setup.exe -mpsu c:\outTEst\a.msi -setup setup.exe -title "setup"
The old setupbld is just a simple bootstrapper; it doesn't support chainer features like maintenance mode. If you want that, check out Burn in WiX v3.6.