Create MSI setup with WIX .CA.DLL file not found

Question

I'm trying to build a WIX setup but it keep failing.

Error The system cannot find the file 'C:\Work\Test\CustomActionForm\bin\Debug\CustomActionForm.CA.dll'.

My product.wxs file

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<Wix xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/wix/2006/wi">
    <Product Id="*" Name="SetupProject4" Language="1033" Version="1.0.0.0" Manufacturer="MSPmate" UpgradeCode="b9c48ec5-2f0a-4c74-abc6-0c98119861d4">
        <Package InstallerVersion="200" Compressed="yes" InstallScope="perMachine" />

        <MajorUpgrade DowngradeErrorMessage="A newer version of [ProductName] is already installed." />
        <MediaTemplate EmbedCab="yes" />

        <Feature Id="ProductFeature" Title="SetupProject4" Level="1">
            <ComponentGroupRef Id="ProductComponents" />
        </Feature>

    <InstallExecuteSequence>
      <Custom Action='CustomActionFormId' Before='InstallFinalize'>NOT Installed</Custom>
    </InstallExecuteSequence>
    
    </Product>

    <Fragment>

    <Binary Id="CustomActionBinary" SourceFile="$(var.CustomActionForm.TargetDir)$(var.CustomActionForm.TargetName).CA.dll" />
    <CustomAction Id="CustomActionFormId" Impersonate="no" BinaryKey="CustomActionBinary" DllEntry="ShowLicenseInfo" Return="check" />
    
        <Directory Id="TARGETDIR" Name="SourceDir">
            <Directory Id="ProgramFilesFolder">
                <Directory Id="INSTALLFOLDER" Name="SetupProject4" />
            </Directory>
        </Directory>
    </Fragment>

    <Fragment>
        <ComponentGroup Id="ProductComponents" Directory="INSTALLFOLDER">
      <Component Id="ProductComponent">
        <File Source="$(var.WindowsFormsApp1.TargetPath)" />
        
      </Component>
        </ComponentGroup>
    </Fragment> 
  
  
</Wix>

This is my custom action.

namespace CustomActionForm
{
    public class CustomAction
    {
        [CustomAction]
        public static ActionResult ShowLicenseInfo(Session session)
        {
            try
            {
                session.Log("Custom Action beginning");

                MessageBox.Show("Yo hoooooooooo");
                // Do Stuff...
                //if (cancel)
                //{
                //    session.Log("Custom Action cancelled");
                //    return ActionResult.Failure;
                //}

                session.Log("Custom Action completed successfully");
                return ActionResult.Success;
            }
            catch (SecurityException ex)
            {
                session.Log("Custom Action failed with following exception: " + ex.Message);
                return ActionResult.Failure;
            }
        }
    }
}

However, when I build the custom project, it build successfully but cannot even see a *.CA.dll file is generated.

What am I missing here?

Answer 1

Download Sample Project: Most likely there is something wrong with the compilation of that zip / win32 dll (as opposed to the managed code dll) - please see if you can compile this project outright - "right out of the box": https://github.com/glytzhkof/WiXCustomActionsTesting

---

Causes?: There could be a simple build failure for the CA dll. There could be something wrong with your Visual Studio - maybe. Might be something completely different. Please just start testing with that sample project.

Build Output: The Visual Studio build output should look something like this:

------ Build started: Project: CustomAction1, Configuration: Debug x86 ------
  Searching for custom action entry points in CustomAction1.dll
      Loaded dependent assembly: C:\Program Files (x86)\WiX Toolset v3.11\SDK\Microsoft.Deployment.WindowsInstaller.dll
      CustomAction1=CustomAction1!CustomAction1.CustomActions.CustomAction1
  Searching for an embedded UI class in CustomAction1.dll
  Modifying SfxCA.dll stub
  Copying file version info from E:\Testing\CA\obj\x86\Debug\CustomAction1.dll to E:\Testing\CA\obj\x86\Debug\CustomAction1.CA.dll
  Packaging files
      CustomAction1.dll
      Microsoft.Deployment.WindowsInstaller.dll
      CustomAction1.pdb
      CustomAction.config
  MakeSfxCA finished: E:\Testing\CA\obj\x86\Debug\CustomAction1.CA.dll
  CustomAction1 -> E:\Testing\CA\obj\x86\Debug\CustomAction1.dll

---

MakeSfxCA.exe: For the record, the building of the CustomAction1.CA.dll file involves zipping up the managed code dll version CustomAction1.dll and also its dependencies in a Win32 binary. The file MakeSfxCA.exe (Firegiant's documentation page) is a DTF file (Deployment Tools Foundation). More details here.

DTF.chm: There is more documentation in the DTF.chm help file located in the WiX installation directory's "doc" sub-folder (normally: "%ProgramFiles(x86)%\WiX Toolset v3.11\doc\DTF.chm") - search for MakeSfxCA.exe.