Install files to windows directory in WiX

Question

I am trying to install some files to WindowsFolder. Here is the markup:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<Wix xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/wix/2006/wi">
    <Product Id="*" Name="MyAppSetup" Language="1033" Version="1.0.0.0" Manufacturer="abc" UpgradeCode="C313D73A-0FE5-496C-BD86-C21565BD65ED">
        <Package InstallerVersion="200" Compressed="yes" InstallScope="perMachine" />

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

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

    <Fragment>
        <Directory Id="TARGETDIR" Name="SourceDir">
            <Directory Id="WindowsFolder">
                <Directory Id="INSTALLFOLDER" />
            </Directory>
        </Directory>
    </Fragment>

    <Fragment>
     <ComponentGroup Id="ProductComponents" Directory="INSTALLFOLDER">
      <Component Id="myApp1" Guid="13B43FD7-8D69-4D2E-BF03-B3EC5679D78A">
        <File Id="myApp.pdb" Source="myApp64.pdb" KeyPath="yes" />
      </Component>
      <Component Id="myApp2" Guid="23B43FD7-8D69-4D2E-BF03-B3EC5679D78A">
        <File Id="myApp.sys" Source="myApp64.sys" KeyPath="yes" />
      </Component>
      <Component Id="myApp3" Guid="33B43FD7-8D69-4D2E-BF03-B3EC5679D78A">
        <File Id="myAppsvc.exe" Source="myAppsvc64.exe" KeyPath="yes" />
      </Component>
      <Component Id="myApp4" Guid="43B43FD7-8D69-4D2E-BF03-B3EC5679D78A">
        <File Id="myAppsvc.pdb" Source="myAppsvc64.pdb" KeyPath="yes" />
      </Component>
     </ComponentGroup>
    </Fragment>
</Wix>

Based on my reading, this directory element specifies the files to be installed/copied under WindowsFolder (on my machine C:\windows), but instead, it installs files to D:\ which has the most space. So the question is : what did I do wrong on the directory?

It looks legit. Try to enable logging and post the warnings\errors related to the installdir. msiexec /i "your.msi" /l*v "msi.log" — KMoraz
– KMoraz, Commented Mar 18, 2014 at 23:18
Windows Installer Pro Tip: Whenever directory table entries fail to resolve the properties will get set to the root of the largest available drive. — Christopher Painter
– Christopher Painter, Commented Mar 18, 2014 at 23:45
Log did show installer was changing property value: PROPERTY CHANGE: Adding TARGETDIR property. Its value is 'D:\'. PROPERTY CHANGE: Modifying WindowsFolder property. Its current value is 'C:\windows\'. Its new value: 'D:\'. But why? — Icerman
– Icerman, Commented Mar 19, 2014 at 1:52
Here is the Directory table in OACR, it seems wrong: APPLICATIONROOTDIRECTORY WindowsFolder 0aoqdfe1|TestApplicationName — Icerman
– Icerman, Commented Mar 19, 2014 at 1:58
OK, after I manually removed the "0aoqdfe1" from the ORCA tool and saved the msi, the installer finally made the files to the directory I want. Thanks for pointing to directory table resolving. But the mystery is still why the gibberish in there? — Icerman
– Icerman, Commented Mar 19, 2014 at 2:05

Icerman · Accepted Answer · 2014-03-20 00:11:58Z

1

It turns out that the Directory reset happens when the msi is launched through msiexec using /a (admin) option. Here is a few log entries show this:

PROPERTY CHANGE: Adding TARGETDIR property. Its value is 'D:\'.
PROPERTY CHANGE: Modifying WindowsFolder property. Its current value is 'C:\windows\'. Its new value: 'D:\'.
PROPERTY CHANGE: Adding APPLICATIONROOTDIRECTORY property. Its value is 'D:\'.

If msi is launched using /i option, then the Directory reset is not happening. Since package needs to be installed with elevated privilege, the correct way to do this is using /i option in a elevated CMD console. The markup was never the issue.

answered Mar 20, 2014 at 0:11

Icerman

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