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Editorial Team
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Asked: 2026-06-01T05:27:47+00:00

I have a WiX install project that includes IIS setings for virtual directory and

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I have a WiX install project that includes IIS setings for virtual directory and application settings with an application pool. After initial install, the customer will change the application pool identity from default network service set in wxs.

How can I build an update installer that can update web files, but not change the IIS settings, application pool identity back to network service?

ComponentGroupRef Id=”WebPublishCmp” is the initial heat output of the web files to publish.

I have tried to build a minor upgrade using Torch and Pyro, but I am having issues with Torch diff not detecting changes (this is another issue for another Stack Overflow question).

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<Wix xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/wix/2006/wi"
     xmlns:iis="http://schemas.microsoft.com/wix/IIsExtension">

  <?include Config.wxi ?>

  <Product
    Id="E3105F82-0460-4C3C-8F6C-778405E81F61"
    Name="Website"
    Language="1033"
    Version="1.0.0.1"
    Manufacturer="Website"
    UpgradeCode="E3105F82-0460-4C3C-8F6C-778405E81F61">

    <Package
      InstallerVersion="200" Compressed="yes" />

    <Media
      Id="1"
      Cabinet="media1.cab"
      EmbedCab="yes" />

    <Property Id="WIXUI_INSTALLDIR" Value="INSTALLLOCATION" />
    <UIRef Id="CustomWixUI_InstallDir"/>

    <FeatureRef Id="InitialFeature"/>

  </Product>

  <Fragment>
    <Feature Id="InitialFeature" Title="Initial (Full)" Level="1">
      <ComponentGroupRef Id="WebPublishCmp"/>
      <ComponentRef Id="IIS.Component"/>
    </Feature>

    <Feature Id="WebFilesFeature" Title="Website (Files)" Level="1">
      <ComponentGroupRef Id="WebPublishCmp"/>
    </Feature>


  </Fragment>

  <Fragment>
    <Component Id="IIS.Component" Guid="6FAD9EC7-D2B0-4471-A657-C8AF5F6F707F" KeyPath="yes" Directory="INSTALLLOCATION">
      <iis:WebSite Id="DefaultWebSite" Description="$(var.WebSiteName)" Directory="INSTALLLOCATION" >
        <iis:WebAddress Id="AllUnassigned" Port="80"/>
      </iis:WebSite>
      <iis:WebAppPool Id="WebsiteAppPool" Name="App" Identity="networkService" />
      <iis:WebVirtualDir Id="My.VirtualDir" Alias="App" Directory="INSTALLLOCATION" WebSite="DefaultWebSite">
        <iis:WebApplication Id="Application" Name="App" WebAppPool="WebsiteAppPool"/>
      </iis:WebVirtualDir>
    </Component>
  </Fragment>

  <Fragment>
    <Directory Id="TARGETDIR" Name="SourceDir">
      <Directory Id="ProgramFilesFolder">
        <Directory Id="INSTALLLOCATION" Name="Website">
        </Directory>
      </Directory>
    </Directory>
  </Fragment>
</Wix>

I am using:

  • WiX 3.5, 3.6
  • Visual Studio 2010
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1 Answer

  1. Editorial Team

    I apologize ahead of time for the long answer:

    I recommend keeping your Website and Content in two separate features and then giving them the option of supplying any variables needed for installation via UI or command line parameters. If you use the "Remember Property" pattern, then you can recall the variables used when changing or upgrading an installation (read all the way through the last comments, there is a slightly simpler way of doing it).

    This allows the person installing the product to set up everything with the given variables or set up the IIS website on their own and install only website content.

    This also jives well with MajorUpgrades. I don’t currently see upgrade information in code you provided, so you should look into MajorUpgrades vs patches (major upgrades are much easier)

    <MajorUpgrade AllowDowngrades="no" AllowSameVersionUpgrades="yes" Schedule="afterInstallInitialize" DowngradeErrorMessage="A later version of of this product is already installed. Setup will now exit."/>

    Remember, variables accessed by $(var.name) are used at MSI compile time, whereas public variables accessed via brackets [MY_VARIABLE] are used at install time. Public variables can be exposed through the MSI UI, or provided to msiexec via command line (I use this for silent installs and/or specifying a log file)

    Here is a summary of the examples included below:

    • Configuration.wxi – This file implements the "remembered" properties
    • Product.wxs – Mostly like yours, but also includes MajorUpgrades, separate features for the website and content, and an inclusion of the UiFlow
    • IISConfiguration.wxs – A fragment containing the IIS Website, AppPool, and AppPool User using variables supplied at install time
    • UIFlow.wxs – Defining the flow of the UI to use, it’s using the WixUI FeatureTree plugin, you may require something else for your UI
    • UIDialogs.wxs – This is where the variables used in installation are exposed to the UI

    Configuration.wxi:

    <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<Include xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/wix/2006/wi" xmlns:iis="http://schemas.microsoft.com/wix/IIsExtension"
     xmlns:util="http://schemas.microsoft.com/wix/UtilExtension" xmlns:netfx="http://schemas.microsoft.com/wix/NetFxExtension">
    
    <!-- The RegistrySearch elements will populate these properties with values from the registry IF they exist there, otherwise the default values will be used -->
    <Property Id="REG_WEBSITE_NAME" Value="WebsiteName" >
        <RegistrySearch Id="WEB_WEBSITE_NAME_Remembered" Root="HKLM" Key="SOFTWARE\PRODUCT_NAME" Name="Website_Name" Type="raw" />
    </Property>
    <Property Id="REG_WEB_APP_POOL_NAME" Value="PoolName" >
        <RegistrySearch Id="WEB_APP_POOL_NAME_Remembered" Root="HKLM" Key="SOFTWARE\PRODUCT_NAME" Name="WebApp_PoolName" Type="raw" />
    </Property>
    <Property Id="REG_WEB_APP_POOL_IDENTITY_DOMAIN">
        <RegistrySearch Id="WEB_APP_POOL_IDENTITY_DOMAIN_Remembered" Root="HKLM" Key="SOFTWARE\PRODUCT_NAME" Name="WebApp_PoolIdentityDomain" Type="raw" />
    </Property>
    <Property Id="REG_WEB_APP_POOL_IDENTITY_USERNAME" Value="NetworkService" >
        <RegistrySearch Id="WEB_APP_POOL_IDENTITY_USERNAME_Remembered" Root="HKLM" Key="SOFTWARE\PRODUCT_NAME" Name="WebApp_PoolIdentityUsername" Type="raw" />
    </Property>
    <!-- Notice that the password is NOT stored in the registry and is hidden so it's not shown in logs -->
    <Property Id="WEB_APP_POOL_IDENTITY_PWD" Hidden="yes" />

    <!-- This is the compnent that actually writes the values to the registry on install -->
    <Component Id="C_RegistryEntries" Directory="INSTALLLOCATION">
        <RegistryValue Root="HKLM" Key="SOFTWARE\ProviderWebsites" Name="Website_Name"                  Type="string" Value="[WEBSITE_NAME]"/>
        <RegistryValue Root="HKLM" Key="SOFTWARE\ProviderWebsites" Name="WebApp_PoolName"               Type="string" Value="[WEB_APP_POOL_NAME]"/>
        <RegistryValue Root="HKLM" Key="SOFTWARE\ProviderWebsites" Name="WebApp_PoolIdentityDomain"     Type="string" Value="[WEB_APP_POOL_IDENTITY_DOMAIN]"/>
        <RegistryValue Root="HKLM" Key="SOFTWARE\ProviderWebsites" Name="WebApp_PoolIdentityUsername"   Type="string" Value="[WEB_APP_POOL_IDENTITY_USERNAME]"/>
    </Component>

    <!-- These CustomActions set the property that are used for the install from the registry values (These actions are only run under the conditions in the sequences below) -->
    <CustomAction Id='SetWebAppName'                    Property='WEBSITE_NAME'                     Value='[REG_WEBSITE_NAME]'/>
    <CustomAction Id='SetWebAppPoolName'                Property='WEB_APP_POOL_NAME'                Value='[REG_WEB_APP_POOL_NAME]'/>
    <CustomAction Id='SetWebAppPoolIdentityDomain'      Property='WEB_APP_POOL_IDENTITY_DOMAIN'     Value='[REG_WEB_APP_POOL_IDENTITY_DOMAIN]'/>
    <CustomAction Id='SetWebAppPoolIdentityUsername'    Property='WEB_APP_POOL_IDENTITY_USERNAME'   Value='[REG_WEB_APP_POOL_IDENTITY_USERNAME]'/>
    
    <!-- The CustomActions above that set the variables used in the installation are only run if they were not supplied by the command line -->
    <InstallUISequence>
        <Custom Action='SetWebAppName'                  After='AppSearch'>REG_WEBSITE_NAME                      AND (NOT WEBSITE_NAME)</Custom>
        <Custom Action='SetWebAppPoolName'              After='AppSearch'>REG_WEB_APP_POOL_NAME                 AND (NOT WEB_APP_POOL_NAME)</Custom>
        <Custom Action='SetWebAppPoolIdentityDomain'    After='AppSearch'>REG_WEB_APP_POOL_IDENTITY_DOMAIN      AND (NOT WEB_APP_POOL_IDENTITY_DOMAIN)</Custom>
        <Custom Action='SetWebAppPoolIdentityUsername'  After='AppSearch'>REG_WEB_APP_POOL_IDENTITY_USERNAME    AND (NOT WEB_APP_POOL_IDENTITY_USERNAME)</Custom>
    </InstallUISequence>
    <InstallExecuteSequence>
        <!-- After='RemoveExistingProducts' is used under this sequence because of the use of MajorUpgrades -->
        <Custom Action='SetWebAppName'                  After='RemoveExistingProducts'>REG_WEBSITE_NAME                     AND (NOT WEBSITE_NAME)</Custom>
        <Custom Action='SetWebAppPoolName'              After='RemoveExistingProducts'>REG_WEB_APP_POOL_NAME                    AND (NOT WEB_APP_POOL_NAME)</Custom>
        <Custom Action='SetWebAppPoolIdentityDomain'    After='RemoveExistingProducts'>REG_WEB_APP_POOL_IDENTITY_DOMAIN     AND (NOT WEB_APP_POOL_IDENTITY_DOMAIN)</Custom>
        <Custom Action='SetWebAppPoolIdentityUsername'  After='RemoveExistingProducts'>REG_WEB_APP_POOL_IDENTITY_USERNAME   AND (NOT WEB_APP_POOL_IDENTITY_USERNAME)</Custom>
    </InstallExecuteSequence>

</Include>

    Product.wxs:

    <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<Wix xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/wix/2006/wi" xmlns:iis="http://schemas.microsoft.com/wix/IIsExtension"
     xmlns:util="http://schemas.microsoft.com/wix/UtilExtension" xmlns:netfx="http://schemas.microsoft.com/wix/NetFxExtension">

    <!--NEVER EVER EVER EVER CHANGE THE UPGRADE CODE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! -->
    <?define UpgradeCode="PUT-GUID-HERE" ?>

    <Product Id="*" Name="ProductName" Language="1033" Version="X.X.X.X" Manufacturer="XYZ" UpgradeCode="$(var.UpgradeCode)">
        <Package InstallerVersion="200" Compressed="yes" />

        <!-- This includes our properties that implement the "Remember Property" pattern -->
        <?include Configuration.wxi ?>

        <Media Id="1" Cabinet="media.cab" EmbedCab="yes" />

        <MajorUpgrade AllowDowngrades="no" AllowSameVersionUpgrades="yes" Schedule="afterInstallInitialize"
                      DowngradeErrorMessage="A later version of this product is already installed. Setup will now exit."/>

        <!-- Creating default directory structure (INSTALLLOCATION be override by user, but it starts in Program Files) -->
        <Directory Id="TARGETDIR" Name="SourceDir">
            <Directory Id='ProgramFilesFolder' Name='PFiles'>
                <Directory Id="INSTALLLOCATION" Name="TheDefaultInstallFolderName">

                </Directory>
            </Directory>
        </Directory>

        <Feature Id="F_Content" Title="Content" Level="1" Description="The website content" ConfigurableDirectory="INSTALLLOCATION">
            <ComponentRef Id="C_RegistryEntries"/>
            <!-- The C_WebAppContent can either be generated by the WiX tool "heat", or a hand-crafted set of content, this component is not included in this example -->
            <ComponentGroupRef Id="C_WebAppContent" />
        </Feature>

        <Feature Id="F_IISWebsite" Title="IIS Website" Description="The IIS website and application pool" Level="1">
            <ComponentRef Id="C_IISWebsite" />
        </Feature>

        <InstallExecuteSequence>
        </InstallExecuteSequence>

        <!-- Specify UI -->
        <UIRef Id="UIFlow" />
    </Product>
</Wix>

    IISConfiguration.wxs:

    <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<Wix xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/wix/2006/wi" xmlns:iis="http://schemas.microsoft.com/wix/IIsExtension"
     xmlns:util="http://schemas.microsoft.com/wix/UtilExtension">

    <Fragment>      
        <DirectoryRef Id="INSTALLLOCATION">
            <Component Id="C_IISWebsite" Guid="{PUT-GUID-HERE}" KeyPath="yes">
                <!-- This does not create a user, it's just an object that's referenced by the WebAppPool component -->
                <util:User Id="WebAppPoolUser" CreateUser="no" Name="[WEB_APP_POOL_IDENTITY_USERNAME]" 
                           Password="[WEB_APP_POOL_IDENTITY_PWD]" Domain="[WEB_APP_POOL_IDENTITY_DOMAIN]"/>

                <!-- The "Identity" attritbute below needs to be set to "other" to use the util:User defined above -->
                <iis:WebAppPool Id="WebAppPool" Name="[WEB_APP_POOL_NAME]" Identity="other" User="WebAppPoolUser"/>
                
                <iis:WebSite Id="DefaultWebSite" Description="[WEBSITE_NAME]" Directory="INSTALLLOCATION" >
                    <iis:WebAddress Id="AllUnassigned" Port="80"/>
                </iis:WebSite>
                
                <iis:WebVirtualDir Id="My.VirtualDir" Alias="App" Directory="INSTALLLOCATION" WebSite="DefaultWebSite">
                    <iis:WebApplication Id="Application" Name="App" WebAppPool="WebAppPool"/>
                </iis:WebVirtualDir>
            </Component>
        </DirectoryRef>
    </Fragment>
</Wix>

    UIFlow.wxs:

    <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<Wix xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/wix/2006/wi">
    <Fragment>
        <UI Id="UIFlow">
            <!-- This uses the WixUI plugin -->
            <UIRef Id="WixUI_FeatureTree" />
            <UIRef Id="WixUI_ErrorProgressText" />

            <!-- Injection of custom UI. -->
            <DialogRef Id="IisSetupDlg" />
            
            <Publish Dialog="LicenseAgreementDlg" Control="Next" Event="NewDialog" Value="IisSetupDlg" Order="3">LicenseAccepted = "1"</Publish>
            <Publish Dialog="CustomizeDlg" Control="Back" Event="NewDialog" Value="PoolSettingsDlg">1</Publish>
        </UI>
    </Fragment>
</Wix>

    UIDialogs.wxs:

    <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<Wix xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/wix/2006/wi">
    <Fragment>
        <UI>
            <Dialog Id="IisSetupDlg" Width="370" Height="270" Title="IIS Settings - [ProductName]" NoMinimize="yes">                
                <!-- Web App details prompt -->
                <Control Id="WebsiteNameLabel" Type="Text" X="45" Y="53" Width="100" Height="15" TabSkip="no" Text="&amp;Website Name:" />
                <Control Id="WebsiteNameEdit" Type="Edit" X="45" Y="65" Width="220" Height="18" Property="WEBSITE_NAME" Text="{80}" />
                
                <!-- Back button -->
                <Control Id="Back" Type="PushButton" X="180" Y="243" Width="56" Height="17" Text="&amp;Back">
                    <Publish Event="NewDialog" Value="LicenseAgreementDlg">1</Publish>
                </Control>
                
                <Control Id="Next" Type="PushButton" X="236" Y="243" Width="56" Height="17" Default="yes" Text="&amp;Next">
                    <Publish Event="NewDialog" Value="PoolSettingsDlg">
                        <!--if settings are correct, allow next dialog-->
                        <![CDATA[WEBSITE_NAME <> ""]]>
                    </Publish>
                </Control>
                
                <Control Id="Cancel" Type="PushButton" X="304" Y="243" Width="56" Height="17" Cancel="yes" Text="Cancel">
                    <Publish Event="SpawnDialog" Value="CancelDlg">1</Publish>
                </Control>
                
                <Control Id="BannerBitmap" Type="Bitmap" X="0" Y="0" Width="370" Height="44" TabSkip="no" Text="WixUI_Bmp_Banner" />
                <Control Id="Description" Type="Text" X="25" Y="23" Width="280" Height="15" Transparent="yes" NoPrefix="yes">
                    <Text>Please enter IIS Configuration</Text>
                </Control>
                
                <Control Id="BottomLine" Type="Line" X="0" Y="234" Width="370" Height="0" />
                <Control Id="Title" Type="Text" X="15" Y="6" Width="200" Height="15" Transparent="yes" NoPrefix="yes">
                    <Text>{\WixUI_Font_Title}IIS Settings</Text>
                </Control>
                
                <Control Id="BannerLine" Type="Line" X="0" Y="44" Width="370" Height="0" />
            </Dialog>

            <Dialog Id="PoolSettingsDlg" Width="370" Height="300" Title="Application Pool Settings - [ProductName]" NoMinimize="yes">
                <!-- name of the application pool -->
                <Control Id="PoolNameLabel" Type="Text" X="45" Y="53" Width="100" Height="15" TabSkip="no" Text="&amp;Pool name:" />
                <Control Id="PoolNameEdit" Type="Edit" X="45" Y="65" Width="220" Height="18" Property="WEB_APP_POOL_NAME" Text="{80}" />
                
                <!-- domain -->
                <Control Id="DomainPoolLabel" Type="Text" X="45" Y="85" Width="100" Height="15" TabSkip="no" Text="&amp;Domain for AppPool:" />
                <Control Id="DomainPoolEdit" Type="Edit" X="45" Y="97" Width="220" Height="18" Property="WEB_APP_POOL_IDENTITY_DOMAIN" Text="{80}" />
                
                <!-- Login -->
                <Control Id="LoginPoolLabel" Type="Text" X="45" Y="117" Width="100" Height="15" TabSkip="no" Text="&amp;Login for AppPool:" />
                <Control Id="LoginPoolEdit" Type="Edit" X="45" Y="129" Width="220" Height="18" Property="WEB_APP_POOL_IDENTITY_USERNAME" Text="{80}" />
                
                <!-- Password -->
                <Control Id="PasswordPoolLabel" Type="Text" X="45" Y="149" Width="100" Height="15" TabSkip="no" Text="&amp;Password for AppPool:" />
                <Control Id="PasswordPoolEdit" Type="Edit" X="45" Y="161" Width="220" Height="18" Property="WEB_APP_POOL_IDENTITY_PWD" Text="{80}" Password="yes" />
                
                <!-- Back button -->
                <Control Id="Back" Type="PushButton" X="180" Y="264" Width="56" Height="17" Text="&amp;Back">
                    <Publish Event="NewDialog" Value="IisSetupDlg">1</Publish>
                </Control>
                <Control Id="Next" Type="PushButton" X="236" Y="264" Width="56" Height="17" Default="yes" Text="&amp;Next">
                    <Publish Event="NewDialog" Value="CustomizeDlg">
                        <!--if settings are correct, allow next dialog-->
                        <![CDATA[WEB_APP_POOL_NAME <> "" 
                                 or WEB_APP_POOL_IDENTITY_DOMAIN <> "" 
                                 or WEB_APP_POOL_IDENTITY_USERNAME <> "" 
                                 or WEB_APP_POOL_IDENTITY_PWD <> ""]]>
                    </Publish>
                </Control>
                
                <Control Id="Cancel" Type="PushButton" X="304" Y="264" Width="56" Height="17" Cancel="yes" Text="Cancel">
                    <Publish Event="SpawnDialog" Value="CancelDlg">1</Publish>
                </Control>
                
                <Control Id="BannerBitmap" Type="Bitmap" X="0" Y="0" Width="370" Height="44" TabSkip="no" Text="WixUI_Bmp_Banner" />
                <Control Id="Description" Type="Text" X="25" Y="23" Width="280" Height="15" Transparent="yes" NoPrefix="yes">
                    <Text>Please enter AppPool Configuration for IIS</Text>
                </Control>
                
                <Control Id="BottomLine" Type="Line" X="0" Y="255" Width="370" Height="0" />
                <Control Id="Title" Type="Text" X="15" Y="6" Width="200" Height="15" Transparent="yes" NoPrefix="yes">
                    <Text>{\WixUI_Font_Title}Application Pool Settings</Text>
                </Control>
                
                <Control Id="BannerLine" Type="Line" X="0" Y="44" Width="370" Height="0" />
            </Dialog>
        </UI>
    </Fragment>
</Wix>
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