CODEWITHSUNDEEP
wixwindows-installer
Linda Lawton - DaImTo
Linda Lawton - DaImTo

Reputation: 116878

Option to start uninstall if application is installed

I have my application set up to only allow one install. If the application is already installed wix nicely pops up with this message

enter image description here

Is there a way to give the user the option to uninstall the application at this time? I don't want my users to then have to go to menu -> app -> uninstall or control panel. I would like to make it easy for them to remove the old version and install the new one.

Upvotes: 2

Views: 249

Answers (1)

PhilDW
PhilDW

Reputation: 20780

That message is a feature of Windows Installer - it's just the way everything works, based on the fact that the product's ProductCode and PackageCode are present on the system. Since that message comes from Windows (not WiX) there is no tailoring it to install the MSI file that prompted it.

You can't have the same ProductCode installed more than once per-system install, so an option to install another MSI with the same ProductCode doesn't exist unless you make it a minor update by installing an updated version of the MSI file with an update command line.

The way you make it easy to upgrade is to use the WiX MajorUpgrade tag. You also need to increment ProductVersion in the first 3 fields, have a new ProductCode, keep the same UpgradeCode, and decide where you want the upgrade sequenced, and that depends on whether you increment file versions for updated files, and preserve component IDs for the same resources. This installs the new product while uninstalling the older one. This standard automatic major upgrade doesn't say "do you want to upgrade to this new product?". It just does it, the assumption being that people are in fact pretty smart and they are well aware that they have a new version of an installed product and that this will upgrade it. The upgrade is also a fresh install for people who don't have any old versions installed.

Upvotes: 2

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