Question

We have an installer created using WIX. As part of this install we would like to show the currently selected installation path. I thought this would be much easier than it is, apparently. I have tried using the a public property “INSTALLDIR” (I know we’re not using Installshield, this value is a directory ID.)

<Directory Id="INSTALLDIR" Name="AcmeInc">

I can also see where INSTALLDIR gets set when running the install

MSI(EC:6C) Dir (target): Key: INSTALLDIR , Object: C:\Program Files\AcmeInc\

but when I try to show this on the UI using a Text attribute I get “...\.” which doesn’t even look to be a relative path.

I know there has got to be something simple I’m missing here.

Answer 1

Assuming you’re using WiX 3.5 and the MajorUpgrade element – the following should work (I usually use APPLICATIONFOLDER instead of INSTALLDIR – but they should be interchangeable).

First, let’s set ARPINSTALLOCATION as described on http://robmensching.com/blog/posts/2011/1/14/ARPINSTALLLOCATION-and-how-to-set-it-with-the-WiX-toolset

<SetProperty Id="ARPINSTALLLOCATION" Value="[INSTALLDIR]" After="CostFinalize" />

Now lets set the selected installation folder to the previous installation folder, if one previously existed that is.

<Property Id="INSTALLDIR" Secure="yes">
    <RegistrySearch Id="FindInstallLocation"
        Root="HKLM"
        Key="Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\[WIX_UPGRADE_DETECTED]"
        Name="InstallLocation"
        Type="raw"
        Win64="yes" />
</Property>

And during the UI sequence, we want this value to be set ‘early’

<InstallUISequence>
    <AppSearch After="FindRelatedProducts"/>
</InstallUISequence>