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Asked: 2026-05-11T15:32:07+00:00

I’m installing a large app, and part of it is a custom written tool

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I’m installing a large app, and part of it is a custom written tool called ‘DbUpdateManager’ to mass execute SQL scripts against our target database.

Right now, the WiX 2.x install works – but it has one flaw: during install, I also install a couple of Windows services, which can be optionally started right away. Those however will fail, if the DbUpdateManager hasn’t been run yet.

So what I’m trying to accomplish is this:

  1. Install DbUpdateManager and my services from my MSI
  2. Run DbUpdateManager BEFORE any of the services start up

My current WiX source looks something like this:

<Directory Id='INSTALLDIR' Name='DbUpdMgr' LongName='DbUpdateManager' >   <!-- DbUpdateManager component with the necessary files -->   <Component Id='DbUpdateManagerComponent' Guid='...' DiskId='1'>      <File Id='DbUpdateManagerFile' LongName='DbUpdateManager.Wizard.exe'             Name='DbUmWz.exe' src='DbUpdateManager.Wizard.exe'  KeyPath='no' />   </Component>    <!-- Component to install one of my Windows services -->   <Component Id='InstallServiceComponent' Guid='...' DiskId='1'>      <File Id='InstallServiceFile' LongName='MyService.exe'             Name='MyServic.exe' src='MyService.exe' KeyPath='yes'/>      <ServiceInstall Id='InstallMyService' Name='MyService'                       Description='My Service' ErrorControl='normal'                       Start='auto' Type='ownProcess' Vital='yes' />      <ServiceControl Id='UninstallMyService' Name='MyService'                       Remove='uninstall' Wait='yes' />   </Component>    <!-- Feature for the DbUpdateManager referencing the above component -->       <Feature Id='DbUpdateManager' ConfigurableDirectory='INSTALLDIR'             AllowAdvertise='no' Description='DbUpdateManager' Level='1'             Title='Database Update Manager'>      <ComponentRef Id='DbUpdateManagerComponent'/>   </Feature>    <!-- Custom action for running DbUpdateManager -->       <CustomAction Id='RunDbUpdateManagerAction' FileKey='DbUpdateManagerFile'                  ExeCommand='' Return='asyncWait' />    <!-- Calling the custom action in the install sequence -->       <InstallExecuteSequence>       <RemoveExistingProducts After='InstallInitialize' />       <Custom Action='RunDbUpdateManagerAction'                After='InstallFinalize'>&amp;DbUpdateManager=3</Custom>

I inherited this WIX, and it works – but as I said – the DbUpdateManager gets called too late in the process (only ‘After=InstallFinalize’) and thus the services will fail to start up properly at first (the run fine the second time around when you restart them manually after DbUpdateManager has run).

I poked around the MSI documentation a bit and found a nice step called ‘StartServices’, so my hunch was to just change my calling the custom action to this:

   <InstallExecuteSequence>           <Custom Action='RunDbUpdateManagerAction'                    Before='StartServices'>&amp;DbUpdateManager=3</Custom>

Unfortunately, in this case, nothing at all happens – DbUpdateManager NEVER gets called….

Any ideas why? Debugging the MSI/WiX stuff is really really tricky, and I can’t seem to see the forest for the trees anymore….

Thanks! Marc

EDIT: The ‘RunDbUpdateManagerAction’ is placed in the right position in the InstallExecuteSequence table in my MSI – right AFTER InstallServices and just BEFORE StartServices – and yet it doesn’t work…. DbUpdateManager (a Winforms utility) does not show up during installation 🙁

EDIT 2: now my action appears to be executed and at the right time – unfortunately, I’m just not seeing my wizard 🙁 What I’m seeing is an error code ‘return value 1631’ which means something like ‘MSI Service could not be started’ – wtf ???

MSI (s) (2C:D8) [20:53:36:383]: Doing action: RunDbUpdateManagerAction Action 20:53:36: RunDbUpdateManagerAction. Action started at 20:53:36: RunDbUpdateManagerAction. MSI (s) (2C:D8) [20:53:36:383]: Doing action: StartServices Action 20:53:36: StartServices. Services are being started Action started at 20:53:36: StartServices. Action finished at 20:53:36: RunDbUpdateManagerAction. Return value 1631.

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1 Answer

  1. Try getting a log file of the Installation, and look for the sequence order in there and the value of the condition to perform the Custom Action

    Use this in the command line: msiexec /i [msiname] /l*v [filename]

    EDIT: After reading your comment have a look at this page here you could try to add NOT INSTALLED in the condition

    EDIT2: I found this page Search for your error Number 1631

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