Not necessarily true. It is OK to install the same component to different paths; it is definitely wrong to install two different components to the same path as then the references get cross-linked.
Windows Installer tracks where every installed product installed every component that it installed. When removing a component, it checks to see whether any other product is still referencing that component at the same install path - if not, it removes it. If there is another component not installed by that product which installed the same file, the other product will then be broken. When installing and removing components, the definition from the package you are installing or maintaining is used. That's why you have to be very careful with adding and removing files in components. If you produce a (shared) component with files A, B, C and D and ship product P1, then add a new file E and ship product P2, if the user installs P1 then P2 and removes P2 then P1, file E will be left behind because it wasn't in P1's definition of the component. If you change the component GUID you _must_ move the resources. This no doubt includes ensuring that a user doesn't install a later version to the same folder as an old one. Astute readers will realise that if you're performing only major upgrades and you remove the old product before installing the new (i.e. schedule RemoveExistingProducts between InstallValidate and InstallInitialize), you can break a lot of component rules for private components that aren't shared with any other products, because the old components are wiped out before the new ones are installed. I'm not saying you should, I'm saying you're unlikely to suffer the consequences. Do anything more complicated, with shared components, minor upgrades, patches, or scheduling RemoveExistingProducts anywhere else, and you quickly run into difficulty. It's best to do it right to begin with so it doesn't affect -- Mike Dimmick -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of John Vottero Sent: 15 October 2007 19:41 To: Ilya Slobodin; wix-users@lists.sourceforge.net Subject: Re: [WiX-users] How to keep guids in similar setups If two components have the same GUID, they must be the same including the directory. > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:wix-users- > [EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Ilya Slobodin > Sent: Monday, October 15, 2007 2:29 PM > To: wix-users@lists.sourceforge.net > Subject: [WiX-users] How to keep guids in similar setups > > Hello List, > > I'm trying to build multiple similar setups (Pro, Standard, Base) of > our product from a single WiX sources. And I'm trying to keep guids > whenever possible. > > Bob Arnson wrote earlier in this list that guids are product-global > and it's ok to keep the same guids, but when products are installed > into different directories. > > Currently my investigations show most components are really > product-global while some component types do not. Non-advertised > shortcuts and CU registry keys are not uninstalled when another > product that has the same components with the same guids is installed > in different directory. > > E.g. we have two products, Pro and Base, both have My.exe with > non-advertised shortcut pointing on it. Both exe files have the same > guid and both shortcuts have the same (but different) guid. > > Program Files\My Product Pro\My.exe > StartMenu\Programs\My Product Pro\My Product Shortcut.lnk > HKCU\My Product Pro\ShortcutKeyPath > > Program Files\My Product Base\My.exe > StartMenu\Programs\My Product Base\My Product Shortcut.lnk > HKCU\My Product Base\ShortcutKeyPath > > 1. Install Pro into Program Files\My Product Pro > 2. Install Base into Program Files\My Product Base > 3. Uninstall Base (StartMenu\Programs\My Product Base\My Product > Shortcut.lnk remains and it has Action: Null in the log) > 4. Uninstall Pro (Pro\Shortcut to My.exe uninstalled) > > I use MSI 3.01 > > Could someone comment on this? > > Best regards, > Ilya Slobodin > > > > ----------------------------------------------------------------------- > -- > This SF.net email is sponsored by: Splunk Inc. > Still grepping through log files to find problems? Stop. > Now Search log events and configuration files using AJAX and a browser. > Download your FREE copy of Splunk now >> http://get.splunk.com/ > _______________________________________________ > WiX-users mailing list > WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users ------------------------------------------------------------------------- This SF.net email is sponsored by: Splunk Inc. Still grepping through log files to find problems? Stop. Now Search log events and configuration files using AJAX and a browser. Download your FREE copy of Splunk now >> http://get.splunk.com/ _______________________________________________ WiX-users mailing list WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users ------------------------------------------------------------------------- This SF.net email is sponsored by: Splunk Inc. Still grepping through log files to find problems? Stop. Now Search log events and configuration files using AJAX and a browser. Download your FREE copy of Splunk now >> http://get.splunk.com/ _______________________________________________ WiX-users mailing list WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users
