Visual Studio Installer- Backup of previous version file C#

Question

I have two versions of an Installer to my C# application. Say V1 and V2.

I have installed V1. And in the registry setting of the setup project I have created a registry key InstallDir= [TARGETDIR] which gives the installation folder of my application. So when I want to get the installation folder I could get the Path by using the registry key I have generated.

The problem is during the installation of version 2 V2, The file say example.txt in my previous version installation folder should be copied to somewhere.

I have created custom actions in my installer class in Install state like follows.

   public override void Install(IDictionary stateSaver)
    {
        base.Install(stateSaver);
        string path = null;
        string registry_key = @"SOFTWARE\";
        using (Microsoft.Win32.RegistryKey key = Registry.LocalMachine.OpenSubKey(registry_key))
        {
            foreach (string subkey_name in key.GetSubKeyNames())
            {
                if (subkey_name == "default Company Name")
                {
                    using (RegistryKey subkey = key.OpenSubKey(subkey_name))
                    {
                        path = (string)subkey.GetValue("InstallDir");

                    }
                }
            }
        }
        string fileName = "example.txt";
        string sourcePath = path;
        string targetPath = @"C:\Users\UserName\Desktop";

        // Use Path class to manipulate file and directory paths. 
        string sourceFile = System.IO.Path.Combine(sourcePath, fileName);
        string destFile = System.IO.Path.Combine(targetPath, fileName);

        // To copy a folder's contents to a new location: 
        // Create a new target folder, if necessary. 
        if (!System.IO.Directory.Exists(targetPath))
        {
            System.IO.Directory.CreateDirectory(targetPath);
        }

        // To copy a file to another location and  
        // overwrite the destination file if it already exists.
        System.IO.File.Copy(sourceFile, destFile, true);


    }

What I thought is, if I specify the path from registry in the Install method of custom Action it will take the Previous version path and copy the file in the previous version installation path.

But even If I copy in the Install method of Custom Action the registry has been updated with the path of newer version and takes the current value and updates with the newer version file.

But I need previous version file in that installation folder.

How could I achieve that?

BinaryMee · Accepted Answer

After some research I figured out a way to extract a single file from the previous Installation when we install a newer version.

Add a Seperate Console Application to copy the file as @AccessDenied said.

Add a registry key [ProductCode] in the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software in the registry option of installer with a subkey installdir with value [TARGETDIR].

Have the product Code of older version and store it somewhere, say a configuration file.

In the Installer Class two cases should be handled. Check the registry to check whether the application already installed.

Case 1:

If not Installed already, run the Console Application to copy it to the current installation folder.

or Case 2:

search for the ProductCode of the previous version in the registry under key installed structure.

(In case if you want to update the file frequently say if it is a SQLite file, then have a separate class to update the file in the project)

On finding it, Extract the subkey value installdir and value which can be assigned to a path. Then Use that path to copy the required file and store it.

Adv:

Previous version can be uninstalled.

Single Installation.

Copying the required file from the previous installation

Edit: A simple solution

In custom action Install method copy the file required for future use in the current installation folder and put it in some folder of the same installation folder.

    public override void Install(IDictionary stateSaver)
    {
        base.Install(stateSaver);




        string path = null;
        string registry_key = @"SOFTWARE\";
// In my case I am getting the user selected current installation folder from the registry       
  using (Microsoft.Win32.RegistryKey key = Registry.LocalMachine.OpenSubKey(registry_key))
        {
            foreach (string subkey_name in key.GetSubKeyNames())
            {
                if (subkey_name == "Default Company Name")
                {
                    using (RegistryKey subkey = key.OpenSubKey(subkey_name))
                    {
                        path = (string)subkey.GetValue("InstallDir");

                    }
                }
            }
        }

        string fileName = "example.txt";
        string sourcePath = path;
        //Have created a folder named "tmp" in current innstallation folder.       
        string targetPath =System.IO.Path.Combine(path,"tmp");

        // Use Path class to manipulate file and directory paths. 
        string sourceFile = System.IO.Path.Combine(sourcePath, fileName);
        string destFile = System.IO.Path.Combine(targetPath, fileName);

        // To copy a folder's contents to a new location: 
        // Create a new target folder, if necessary. 
        if (!System.IO.Directory.Exists(targetPath))
        {
            System.IO.Directory.CreateDirectory(targetPath);
        }
        //Copy the required file.
        System.IO.File.Copy(sourceFile, destFile, true); 
  }

Now even If we uninstall the tmp folder wont be deleted. While installing the another version we can access the previous version file from the tmp folder.

Thanks.

Visual Studio Installer- Backup of previous version file C#

Answers (2)

Related Questions