CODEWITHSUNDEEP
wixwindows-installerinstallationbootstrapperwixsharp
Alexander
Alexander

Reputation: 33

Why installer runs after click on shortcut?

I created a simple bootstrapper for my application using WixSharp.

namespace TestBootstrapper
{
    class Program
    {
        static void Main()
        {
            var package = new MsiPackage("../testmsi.msi")
            {
                DisplayInternalUI = true,
                Id = "MyId",
                Compressed = true,
                Visible = true
            };

            var bootstrapper = new Bundle("MyTestInstaller", package)
            {
                Version = new Version("1.0.0.0"),
                UpgradeCode = new Guid("1FCC927B-7BB0-4FB0-B81E-2D87012E470B"),
                PreserveTempFiles = true,
                DisableModify = "yes",
                DisableRemove = true
            };

            bootstrapper.Build("Installer.exe");
        }
    }
}

I logged as admin and installed the application (using Installer.exe) and there were no errors in Event Viewer during installation. When I clicked shortcut the application runs as expected.

If I run testmsi.msi as standard user or admin it installed without any errors and if I clicked shortcut the application runs as expected.

I logged as standard user and installed the application (using Installer.exe). There were no errors in Event Viewer during installation. But when I clicked shortcut installer runs again.

So, why installer runs and how to prevent this behavior?

Upvotes: 2

Views: 406

Answers (2)

ByteCarp
ByteCarp

Reputation: 51

I just discovered something that might help -

If you are not installing any programs to the Application directory (for example only installing to Local App data), Windows Installer generates an error message because the Application directory doesn't exist.

If you add ANY file to the Application directory, or create it manually, the shortcut will work properly.

Upvotes: 0

PhilDW
PhilDW

Reputation: 20780

It's a repair, which may be good or bad depending on what is being re-installed. The application event log should have MsiInstaller entries that say something about what is being repaired. It's not necessarily a bad thing that needs to be prevented.

Assuming you did a per-machine install, if you installed (for example) a file into the User's Application Data folder from your MSI, and then you log on as another user and run the app, then the file is obviously missing for that user. So Windows Installer will do an install for that missing part of the app. The file is probably required for all users of the system, yes? Windows assumes that if you install a file (or registry entry) into a user profile location then everyone that logs on needs this file, so it gets installed by "repair" when another user logs on and uses the shortcut.

There are other scenarios where a repair is not so good. If you do something to remove a file that you installed then Windows will attempt to restore it. If you do a per-user install but then log on as another user and try to use the app that's not an intended use of the product - installer per machine to do that.

Upvotes: 2

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