Hi List, Here is a contrived example of something that approximates what I'm trying to do in the real world:
I have 2 bundles, both of which use a shared component. I only want one copy of the shared component on the machine. Newer versions of the shared component are guaranteed to be backwards compatible with older versions. I have 2 products, each of which require the shared component. I want a user to be able to install one, the other, or both products, and only have one copy of the shared component on their computer. I also want them to be able to uninstall the products, without it breaking the other, but have their computer clean when both are uninstalled. This is where package reference counting is supposed to come in. The idea being my shared component gets reference counted, and only uninstalled when no references to it remain on the computer. This works perfectly, provided all the versions are the same, but starts going wrong when version upgrades are involved. As an aside: I cannot find any good documentation on how package reference counting is supposed to work. My googling has lead me to believe that it is tied in with WixDependencyExtension, although it's not clear. Also, there's not really any good documentation on WixDependencyExtension either -- the documentation page on it at http://wix.sourceforge.net/manual-wix3/author_product_dependencies.htm is helpfully blank. If anyone can point me towards some docs on how it's supposed to work, that would be much appreciated. I've bought the Wix 3.6 book which probably has the best explanation I can find, but it doesn't cover this particular case. So here's what I'm seeing: Let's say I have 2 products. "A" and "B". Each use my shared component. When "A" was released, it used shared component version 1.1. When "B" was released, it used shared component version 1.2. 1.2 is a major upgrade to 1.1, however it is backwards-compatible. Let's say I install "A", then "B". First version 1.1 is installed, then 1.2 is installed. Both work, everything is fine. If I then uninstall "A" then "B", everything works as it should. "A" does not remove the shared package, but "B" does. However, if I uninstall "B" first and then "A", I have a problem: "B" refuses to uninstall the shared package, as it should. ("Will not uninstall package: sharedpackage, found dependents: 1") - However, when "A" is uninstalled, the package is left on the machine - presumably because it is not the package that "A" installed in the first place - it has been upgraded. It unregisters its dependency, but leaves the package there. As such, after the 2 packages are uninstalled, my shared package remains on the machine. Worse, there is no listing for it in 'Programs and Features' because both bundles have been successfully uninstalled. I have to go digging around in c:\windows\installer to find and uninstall it. I've looked in the documentation as much as I can, but can't find a way of telling Wix about this scenario, but lack of docs is hampering me somewhat. I'm not sure if there are some parameters I can add somewhere to say "it's OK for you to remove related packages instead of the one you installed", or something similar... Or, if this is a bug. Or, if this is by design. (I hope not!) In my contrived example, I have two shared MSIs which are fairly standard installs. One notable thing is that I've added a Provides element as such: <Component Id='providescomponent' Guid='MY-GUID-HERE'> <dep:Provides Id='aaardvark.sharedbundle' Key='aaardvark.sharedbundle'/> </Component> My bundle installers then reference this in their chain, with no particularly notable parameters. (I tried adding an additional "Provides" element as a child of the MsiPackage element, but it correctly complains that the MSI already contains this information) Here is a zip file containing the wix source files for the example: http://simon.wdgt.co.uk/bundle_refcount.zip Here are what my bundle uninstall logs say about uninstalling in the latter case: (note: Contrived example, the bundles don't have their own extra packages, just the shared one) Product B uninstall: [1E0C:2AD8][2013-01-28T10:51:56]i001: Burn v3.7.1224.0, Windows v6.1 (Build 7601: Service Pack 1), path: C:\ProgramData\Package Cache\{470f1494-5284-4a23-b775-77f0e222d46f}\product_b_bundle.exe, cmdline: '/uninstall -burn.unelevated BurnPipe.{157956B9-426E-4651-B1D0-22A5326591F3} {FFC4CE71-4C14-4DDD-B5C9-92CC27E15695} 9500' [1E0C:2AD8][2013-01-28T10:51:56]i000: Setting string variable 'WixBundleLog' to value 'C:\Users\Simon\AppData\Local\Temp\My_Product_B_20130128105156.log' [1E0C:2AD8][2013-01-28T10:51:56]i100: Detect begin, 1 packages [1E0C:2AD8][2013-01-28T10:51:56]i101: Detected package: sharedpackage, state: Present, cached: Complete [1E0C:2AD8][2013-01-28T10:51:56]i199: Detect complete, result: 0x0 [1E0C:2AD8][2013-01-28T10:51:57]i200: Plan begin, 1 packages, action: Uninstall [1E0C:2AD8][2013-01-28T10:51:57]w327: Will not uninstall package: sharedpackage, found dependents: 1 [1E0C:2AD8][2013-01-28T10:51:57]w328: Found dependent: {a8b8ee64-db88-4c1a-bc57-3c7517aecf24}, name: My Product A [1E0C:2AD8][2013-01-28T10:51:57]i201: Planned package: sharedpackage, state: Present, default requested: Absent, ba requested: Absent, execute: None, rollback: None, cache: No, uncache: No, dependency: Unregister [1E0C:2AD8][2013-01-28T10:51:57]i299: Plan complete, result: 0x0 [1E0C:2AD8][2013-01-28T10:51:57]i300: Apply begin [251C:2144][2013-01-28T10:51:57]i360: Creating a system restore point. [251C:2144][2013-01-28T10:52:04]i361: Created a system restore point. [251C:2144][2013-01-28T10:52:04]i326: Removed dependency: {470f1494-5284-4a23-b775-77f0e222d46f} on package provider: aaardvark.sharedbundle, package sharedpackage [251C:2144][2013-01-28T10:52:04]i330: Removed bundle dependency provider: {470f1494-5284-4a23-b775-77f0e222d46f} [251C:2144][2013-01-28T10:52:04]i352: Removing cached bundle: {470f1494-5284-4a23-b775-77f0e222d46f}, from path: C:\ProgramData\Package Cache\{470f1494-5284-4a23-b775-77f0e222d46f}\ [1E0C:2AD8][2013-01-28T10:52:04]i399: Apply complete, result: 0x0, restart: None, ba requested restart: No [1E0C:2AD8][2013-01-28T10:52:11]i500: Shutting down, exit code: 0x0 [1E0C:2AD8][2013-01-28T10:52:11]i410: Variable: WixBundleAction = 3 [1E0C:2AD8][2013-01-28T10:52:11]i410: Variable: WixBundleElevated = 1 [1E0C:2AD8][2013-01-28T10:52:11]i410: Variable: WixBundleInstalled = 1 [1E0C:2AD8][2013-01-28T10:52:11]i410: Variable: WixBundleLog = C:\Users\Simon\AppData\Local\Temp\My_Product_B_20130128105156.log [1E0C:2AD8][2013-01-28T10:52:11]i410: Variable: WixBundleManufacturer = Aaardvark Inc. [1E0C:2AD8][2013-01-28T10:52:11]i410: Variable: WixBundleName = My Product B [1E0C:2AD8][2013-01-28T10:52:11]i410: Variable: WixBundleOriginalSource = E:\Junk\bundletest\product_b_bundle.exe [1E0C:2AD8][2013-01-28T10:52:11]i410: Variable: WixBundleProviderKey = {470f1494-5284-4a23-b775-77f0e222d46f} [1E0C:2AD8][2013-01-28T10:52:11]i410: Variable: WixBundleTag = [1E0C:2AD8][2013-01-28T10:52:11]i410: Variable: WixBundleVersion = 1.0.0.0 [1E0C:2AD8][2013-01-28T10:52:12]i007: Exit code: 0x0, restarting: No Product A uninstall: [1F28:2934][2013-01-28T10:52:33]i001: Burn v3.7.1224.0, Windows v6.1 (Build 7601: Service Pack 1), path: C:\ProgramData\Package Cache\{a8b8ee64-db88-4c1a-bc57-3c7517aecf24}\product_a_bundle.exe, cmdline: '/uninstall -burn.unelevated BurnPipe.{C00E26AB-BBAD-4479-930E-00E97DD33106} {033295C7-E728-4D3E-A0A5-41CCD9FA461A} 10916' [1F28:2934][2013-01-28T10:52:33]i000: Setting string variable 'WixBundleLog' to value 'C:\Users\Simon\AppData\Local\Temp\My_Product_A_20130128105233.log' [1F28:2934][2013-01-28T10:52:33]i100: Detect begin, 1 packages [1F28:2934][2013-01-28T10:52:33]i103: Detected related package: {BB9F6463-7D6E-42BC-BD87-0FF76E7AFD26}, scope: PerMachine, version: 1.2.0.0, language: 0 operation: Downgrade [1F28:2934][2013-01-28T10:52:33]i101: Detected package: sharedpackage, state: Obsolete, cached: Complete [1F28:2934][2013-01-28T10:52:33]i199: Detect complete, result: 0x0 [1F28:2934][2013-01-28T10:52:35]i200: Plan begin, 1 packages, action: Uninstall [1F28:2934][2013-01-28T10:52:35]i201: Planned package: sharedpackage, state: Obsolete, default requested: None, ba requested: None, execute: None, rollback: None, cache: No, uncache: Yes, dependency: Unregister [1F28:2934][2013-01-28T10:52:35]i299: Plan complete, result: 0x0 [1F28:2934][2013-01-28T10:52:35]i300: Apply begin [2AA4:2B18][2013-01-28T10:52:35]i360: Creating a system restore point. [2AA4:2B18][2013-01-28T10:52:42]i361: Created a system restore point. [2AA4:2B18][2013-01-28T10:52:42]i326: Removed dependency: {a8b8ee64-db88-4c1a-bc57-3c7517aecf24} on package provider: aaardvark.sharedbundle, package sharedpackage [2AA4:2B18][2013-01-28T10:52:42]i351: Removing cached package: sharedpackage, from path: C:\ProgramData\Package Cache\{B65434DE-6984-49FD-8E1B-7EED68D0A3C5}v1.1.0\ [2AA4:2B18][2013-01-28T10:52:42]i330: Removed bundle dependency provider: {a8b8ee64-db88-4c1a-bc57-3c7517aecf24} [2AA4:2B18][2013-01-28T10:52:42]i352: Removing cached bundle: {a8b8ee64-db88-4c1a-bc57-3c7517aecf24}, from path: C:\ProgramData\Package Cache\{a8b8ee64-db88-4c1a-bc57-3c7517aecf24}\ [1F28:2934][2013-01-28T10:52:42]i399: Apply complete, result: 0x0, restart: None, ba requested restart: No [1F28:2934][2013-01-28T10:52:44]i500: Shutting down, exit code: 0x0 [1F28:2934][2013-01-28T10:52:44]i410: Variable: WixBundleAction = 3 [1F28:2934][2013-01-28T10:52:44]i410: Variable: WixBundleElevated = 1 [1F28:2934][2013-01-28T10:52:44]i410: Variable: WixBundleInstalled = 1 [1F28:2934][2013-01-28T10:52:44]i410: Variable: WixBundleLog = C:\Users\Simon\AppData\Local\Temp\My_Product_A_20130128105233.log [1F28:2934][2013-01-28T10:52:44]i410: Variable: WixBundleManufacturer = Aaardvark Inc. [1F28:2934][2013-01-28T10:52:44]i410: Variable: WixBundleName = My Product A [1F28:2934][2013-01-28T10:52:44]i410: Variable: WixBundleOriginalSource = E:\Junk\bundletest\product_a_bundle.exe [1F28:2934][2013-01-28T10:52:44]i410: Variable: WixBundleProviderKey = {a8b8ee64-db88-4c1a-bc57-3c7517aecf24} [1F28:2934][2013-01-28T10:52:44]i410: Variable: WixBundleTag = [1F28:2934][2013-01-28T10:52:44]i410: Variable: WixBundleVersion = 1.0.0.0 [1F28:2934][2013-01-28T10:52:44]i007: Exit code: 0x0, restarting: No Any ideas? Thanks, Simon -- Simon Detheridge - CTO, Widgit Software 26 Queen Street, Cubbington, CV32 7NA - Tel: +44 (0)1926 333680 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Master Visual Studio, SharePoint, SQL, ASP.NET, C# 2012, HTML5, CSS, MVC, Windows 8 Apps, JavaScript and much more. Keep your skills current with LearnDevNow - 3,200 step-by-step video tutorials by Microsoft MVPs and experts. 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