CODEWITHSUNDEEP
wixwindows-installer
sjdowling
sjdowling

Reputation: 3022

Per user install always requires Administrator rights if dual purpose package is per machine by default

I am trying to create a dual purpose MSI file using WiX. I have followed the instructions for WixUI_Advanced as well as the instructions for Single Package Authoring. This seems to work fine when I default to having a per user install by default (MSIINSTALLPERUSER = 1) and allow the user to select a per machine install. However setting it to install per machine by default (MSIINSTALLPERUSER empty) always results in a UAC prompt even when the user selects a per user install. The per user install is only writing a single file to a non admin directory and definitely does not require elevated privileges.

I have also tried following this guide which everyone seems to be using to do Single Package Authoring with WiX but the results are exactly the same. A UAC prompt appears if per machine is the default and per user is selected but not if per user is the default and per user is selected.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<Wix xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/wix/2006/wi">
    <Product Id="DE75C3B3-6398-4F25-9048-FB7EEE5F6EBF" Name="MyApp" Language="1033" Version="1.0.0" Manufacturer="Company" UpgradeCode="ED573078-CC3E-4299-9E04-043B1EDC08DB">
        <Package InstallerVersion="500" Compressed="yes" />
        <!--Single Package Authoring-->
        <Property Id="MSIINSTALLPERUSER" Secure="yes" Value="{}"/>
        <Property Id="ALLUSERS" Secure="yes" Value="2"/>

        <MajorUpgrade DowngradeErrorMessage="A newer version of [ProductName] is already installed." />
        <MediaTemplate EmbedCab="yes" CabinetTemplate="arc{0}" CompressionLevel="high"/>
        <Feature Id="ProductFeature" Title="MyApp" Level="1">
            <ComponentGroupRef Id="ProductComponents" />
        </Feature>
        <UI>
            <UIRef Id="WixUI_Advanced" />
        </UI>
        <Property Id="ApplicationFolderName" Value="MyApp" />
        <Property Id="WixAppFolder" Value="WixPerMachineFolder" />

    </Product>

    <Fragment>
      <Directory Id="TARGETDIR" Name="SourceDir">
          <Directory Id="ProgramFiles64Folder" Name="PFiles">
              <Directory Id="APPLICATIONFOLDER" Name="MyApp">
              </Directory>
          </Directory>
      </Directory>
    </Fragment>

    <Fragment>
        <ComponentGroup Id="ProductComponents" Directory="APPLICATIONFOLDER">
            <Component Id="MyApp.exe" Guid="903EDAFD-F513-407D-85A0-D737013B9B57">
                <File Id="MyApp.exe" Source="MyApp.exe" KeyPath="yes" Checksum="yes"/>
            </Component>
        </ComponentGroup>
    </Fragment>
</Wix>

Looking through the install log I see the following entries:

Product not registered: beginning first-time install
PROPERTY CHANGE: Modifying ALLUSERS property. Its current value is '2'. Its new value: '1'.
PROPERTY CHANGE: Deleting MSIINSTALLPERUSER property. Its current value is '{}'.
...
Action: InstallScopeDlg. Dialog created
PROPERTY CHANGE: Modifying WixAppFolder property. Its current value is 'WixPerMachineFolder'. Its new value: 'WixPerUserFolder'.
PROPERTY CHANGE: Deleting ALLUSERS property. Its current value is '1'.
...
Product not registered: beginning first-time install
PROPERTY CHANGE: Deleting ALLUSERS property. Its current value is '2'.
PROPERTY CHANGE: Deleting MSIINSTALLPERUSER property. Its current value is '{}'.

Upvotes: 3

Views: 1844

Answers (2)

Michael Xin
Michael Xin

Reputation: 71

There are three properties to control the default install scope when using WixUI_Advanced UI: 'ALLUSERS', 'Privileged' and 'MSIINSTALLPERUSER'.

The property 'WixAppFolder' will control which radio button is selected by default when 'advanced' button is clicked.

And there is a konwn bug of wix needs a workaround: https://github.com/wixtoolset/issues/issues/2376

In summary, the wix config can be:

  • Per user

    <Property Id='WixAppFolder' Value='WixPerUserFolder' />
    <Property Id='ALLUSERS' Value='2' />
    <Property Id='Privileged' Value='0' />
    <Property Id='MSIINSTALLPERUSER' Value='1' />
    <UI>
        <UIRef Id='WixUI_Advanced' />
        <UIRef Id='WixUI_ErrorProgressText' />
        <Publish Dialog='InstallScopeDlg' Control='Next' Property='MSIINSTALLPERUSER' Value='1' Order='3'>WixAppFolder = "WixPerUserFolder"
        <Publish Dialog='InstallScopeDlg' Control='Next' Property='MSIINSTALLPERUSER' Value='{}' Order='2'>WixAppFolder = "WixPerMachineFolder"
        <Publish Dialog='InstallScopeDlg' Control='Next' Event='DoAction' Value='WixSetDefaultPerMachineFolder' Order='3'>WixAppFolder = "WixPerMachineFolder"
        <Publish Dialog='InstallScopeDlg' Control='Next' Event='DoAction' Value='WixSetDefaultPerUserFolder' Order='3'>WixAppFolder = "WixPerUserFolder"
    </UI>

  • Per machine

    <Property Id='WixAppFolder' Value='WixPerMachineFolder' />
    <Property Id='ALLUSERS' Value='1' />
    <Property Id='Privileged' Value='1' />
    <Property Id='MSIINSTALLPERUSER' Value='0' />
    <UI>
        <UIRef Id='WixUI_Advanced' />
        <UIRef Id='WixUI_ErrorProgressText' />
        <Publish Dialog='InstallScopeDlg' Control='Next' Property='MSIINSTALLPERUSER' Value='1' Order='3'>WixAppFolder = "WixPerUserFolder"
        <Publish Dialog='InstallScopeDlg' Control='Next' Property='MSIINSTALLPERUSER' Value='{}' Order='2'>WixAppFolder = "WixPerMachineFolder"
        <Publish Dialog='InstallScopeDlg' Control='Next' Event='DoAction' Value='WixSetDefaultPerMachineFolder' Order='3'>WixAppFolder = "WixPerMachineFolder"
        <Publish Dialog='InstallScopeDlg' Control='Next' Event='DoAction' Value='WixSetDefaultPerUserFolder' Order='3'>WixAppFolder = "WixPerUserFolder"
    </UI>

BTW, I created a project to simplify the configuration of wix. Hope it can help: https://github.com/xinnj/WiXCover

Upvotes: 1

sjdowling
sjdowling

Reputation: 3022

Based on the install log I tried reintroducing the lines replaced in the modified WixUI file from this guide which update the ALLUSERS property as it seems as though this was being set to a value of 1 for the per user install which would explain the UAC prompt. Having both the following lines from the Russian blog and the original WixUI_Advanced does seem to work.

<Publish Dialog="InstallScopeDlg" Control="Next" Property="ALLUSERS" Value="{}" Order="2">
    WixAppFolder = "WixPerUserFolder"
</Publish>
<Publish Dialog="InstallScopeDlg" Control="Next" Property="ALLUSERS" Value="1" Order="3">
    WixAppFolder = "WixPerMachineFolder"
</Publish>
<Publish Dialog="InstallScopeDlg" Control="Next" Property="MSIINSTALLPERUSER" Value="1" Order="3">
    WixAppFolder = "WixPerUserFolder"
</Publish>
<Publish Dialog="InstallScopeDlg" Control="Next" Property="MSIINSTALLPERUSER" Value="{}" Order="2">
    WixAppFolder = "WixPerMachineFolder"
</Publish>

It seems as though both ALLUSERS and MSIINSTALLPERUSER needs to be set based on the user's choice to allow installation with no Administrator privileges when a per machine install is the default. I can't find anywhere else online to confirm my findings however.

Upvotes: 3

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