Yes, the cmd.exe is from a .bat file the service executes. Making it read-only
did give the uninstaller pause as it took longer before finally deciding to
still request a restart.
One of my team members pointed something out that I should have realised: Since
this problem is mainly causing problems when our software was auto-updating
itself, we can run "net stop MyServiceX" from our own client before it runs the
downloaded installer. Although this doesn't "solve" the problem, I think it
sufficiently circumvents the problem for our purposes (especially given the
ridiculous amount of time and effort we've sunken into it, including everyone
here who has so graciously helped!).
However, we now have a new problem where, during uninstall, the services are
sometimes only disabled but not removed (although other times they are removed
without problem, and I haven't figured out why it's intermittent). This new
problem seems to have begun since we started using the ServiceInstall, and
relying on the ServiceControl element to remove our service:
<ServiceInstall
Id="svcInstMySensor1"
Name="MySensor1"
Arguments="-ini "[#fileMySensor1JslConfig]""
Description="My Sensor 1"
DisplayName=" My Sensor 1"
ErrorControl="normal"
Start="auto"
Type="ownProcess"
Vital="yes"
>
</ServiceInstall>
<ServiceControl
Id="svcMySensor1"
Name="MySensor1"
Remove="uninstall"
Start="install"
Stop="both"
Wait="yes"
/>
Before this, we used a CA to run "jsl.exe -remove MySensor1JSLConfig.ini",
which seemed to reliably remove the services every time.
Now that we've stopped using it, any running services (i.e. ones that aren't
using batch files or cmd.exe) still stop correctly, and the services are
"disabled" and do disappear if I restart the computer, but this isn't
sufficient, since when doing a silent upgrade, there is no opportunity to
restart (and "reboots are evil" anyway).
The verbose uninstall log file of when the services are not removed by the
uninstaller doesn't show much:
MSI (s) (5C:BC) [09:41:50:273]: Doing action: StopServices
Action ended 09:41:50: UnpublishFeatures. Return value 1.
Action start 09:41:50: StopServices.
MSI (s) (5C:BC) [09:41:50:273]: Doing action: DeleteServices
Action ended 09:41:50: StopServices. Return value 1.
Action start 09:41:50: DeleteServices.
MSI (s) (5C:BC) [09:41:50:273]: Doing action: RemoveRegistryValues
Action ended 09:41:50: DeleteServices. Return value 1.
Action start 09:41:50: RemoveRegistryValues.
Looking in the .msi with Orca, there doesn't seem to be a column in the
ServiceControl table for the WiX attributes of "Start", "Stop", and "Remove":
ServiceControl Name Event Argument Wait Component_
svcMyClient MyClient 163 1 compMyClient
svcMySensor1 MySensor1 163 1
compMySensor1JslExe
svcMySensor2 MySensor2 163 1
compMySensor2JslExe
svcMySensor3 MySensor3 163 1
compMySensor3JslExe
I didn't see anywhere else in the tables in Orca that tells the uninstaller to
remove the services, but maybe it's not stored/shown there.
Anyway, any idea why the services aren't being completely removed immediately
at uninstall, even though I have specified that they should be removed at
uninstall in the ServiceControl tags?
Alain
-----Original Message-----
From: Blair Murri [mailto:os...@live.com]
Sent: June 27, 2013 19:06
To: 'General discussion for Windows Installer XML toolset.'
Subject: Re: [WiX-users] Uninstall restart issue
Very plausible. My understanding is that basically Restart Manager sorts
processes into three groups: services (which it can see either have explicit
stop commands in the MSI or not), applications in the same desktop that have a
visible window with a title (to which it can send messages to shut it down),
and everything else. It never looks at the parentage of a process because there
is never any guarantee that a process will kill its children when it is stopped.
Its plausible that if the cmd.exe process using your files were to register
with Restart Manager for what MSFT has called "freeze dry" it wouldn't be
treated the way it is.
One other possible workaround for your scenario: if the files that are in use
are marked in the filesystem as "read only" they MAY be ignored by Restart
Manager. Is cmd.exe used because your service calls a batch script file? Try
making that batch script file read-only and see if cmd.exe at least is removed
from the list of "critical applications".
Regarding the question on CAs: All CAs should never expose their own UI,
instead using the message processing APIs that MSI provides. Deferred actions
may not run on the same desktop as the user and thus will never even be seen
(and can't be acted up) by the user, which is why it is critical that they be
"silent". The only actions that cannot use MSIs messaging apis are actions
called directly by MSI's UI (dialogs), but even they run in a sandbox that
makes it very difficult to properly interact with the MSI UI. There is no
reason that an action has to be deferred to be "silent" (most immediate actions
never show any UI) but non-deferred actions are never assumed to alter machine
state (which is why they cannot ever be rolled back, are never given elevated
privileges, and can potentially cause several unexpected side effects if they
ever do alter machine state, which is why they are discouraged for any
installer that intends to be reliable).
Blair Murri
> From: afor...@cmu.edu
> To: wix-users@lists.sourceforge.net
> Date: Thu, 27 Jun 2013 16:12:04 -0400
> Subject: Re: [WiX-users] Uninstall restart issue
>
> I have just confirmed that, when my service is running the cmd.exe process,
> the RestartManager requests the restart, while otherwise, it does not.
>
> My service would immediately kill the cmd.exe process the moment the service
> is asked to stop, but for whatever reason, I'm guessing the RestartManager
> seems to think that the cmd.exe process is a "critical application" and it
> doesn't realise that it's entirely under the control of my service, which
> will stop it when requested.
>
> Does this sound plausible, given what you know about the RestartManager? Do
> you know why it would just assume that cmd.exe won't be stopped by the
> uninstaller (maybe because it wasn't installed by our installer)?
>
> Alain
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Alain Forget [mailto:afor...@cmu.edu]
> Sent: June 27, 2013 14:12
> To: 'General discussion for Windows Installer XML toolset.'
> Subject: RE: [WiX-users] Uninstall restart issue
>
> Sorry for the delay. I'm not sure I want non-elevated privileges to be able
> to stop my service, but I suppose that might be a last-ditch solution. Also,
> I thought for that CAs had to be marked as deferred (rather than immediate)
> for them to be quietly/silently executed in the background...is that not so?
> See this for more information:
>
> Below is what the Event Viewer\Windows Logs\Application -> Source: Restart
> Manager says. What I find most interesting is the fourth entry, where the
> description is "Machine restart is required.", and it points out the
> following applications:
>
> <RmRestartEvent
> xmlns:auto-ns2="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events";
> xmlns="http://www.microsoft.com/2005/08/Windows/Reliability/RestartManager/";>
> <RmSessionId>0</RmSessionId>
> <nApplications>5</nApplications>
> <Applications>
> <Application>cmd.exe</Application>
> <Application>My Client </Application>
> <Application>My Sensor 1</Application>
> <Application>My Sensor 2</Application>
> <Application>My Sensor 3</Application>
> </Applications>
> <RebootReasons>3</RebootReasons>
> </RmRestartEvent>
>
> I don't know what a "RebootReasons" of 3 is, but it's clearly identified my
> programs (but not the fact that they're actually services), as well as
> cmd.exe, which is something one of my sensors has executed. I will do further
> tests to see if it's actually what the cmd.exe is doing that's triggering the
> request to reboot, but let me know if you have any other thoughts.
>
> Event Viewer Log follows:
>
> Log Name: Application
> Source: Microsoft-Windows-RestartManager
> Date: 2013-06-27 13:50:05
> Event ID: 10000
> Task Category: None
> Level: Information
> Keywords:
> User: aforget
> Computer: aforget
> Description:
> Starting session 0 - ?2013?-?06?-?27T17:50:05.048184800Z.
> Event Xml:
> <Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event";>
> <System>
> <Provider Name="Microsoft-Windows-RestartManager" Guid="{SOMEGUID}" />
> <EventID>10000</EventID>
> <Version>0</Version>
> <Level>4</Level>
> <Task>0</Task>
> <Opcode>0</Opcode>
> <Keywords>0x8000000000000000</Keywords>
> <TimeCreated SystemTime="2013-06-27T17:50:05.048184800Z" />
> <EventRecordID>9756</EventRecordID>
> <Correlation />
> <Execution ProcessID="3048" ThreadID="4828" />
> <Channel>Application</Channel>
> <Computer>aforget</Computer>
> <Security UserID="SOMEID" />
> </System>
> <UserData>
> <RmSessionEvent
> xmlns:auto-ns2="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events";
> xmlns="http://www.microsoft.com/2005/08/Windows/Reliability/RestartManager/";>
> <RmSessionId>0</RmSessionId>
> <UTCStartTime>2013-06-27T17:50:05.048184800Z</UTCStartTime>
> </RmSessionEvent>
> </UserData>
> </Event>
>
> Log Name: Application
> Source: Microsoft-Windows-RestartManager
> Date: 2013-06-27 13:50:15
> Event ID: 10001
> Task Category: None
> Level: Information
> Keywords:
> User: aforget
> Computer: aforget
> Description:
> Ending session 0 started ?2013?-?06?-?27T17:50:05.048184800Z.
> Event Xml:
> <Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event";>
> <System>
> <Provider Name="Microsoft-Windows-RestartManager" Guid="{SOMEGUID}" />
> <EventID>10001</EventID>
> <Version>0</Version>
> <Level>4</Level>
> <Task>0</Task>
> <Opcode>0</Opcode>
> <Keywords>0x8000000000000000</Keywords>
> <TimeCreated SystemTime="2013-06-27T17:50:15.219402700Z" />
> <EventRecordID>9758</EventRecordID>
> <Correlation />
> <Execution ProcessID="3048" ThreadID="3352" />
> <Channel>Application</Channel>
> <Computer>aforget</Computer>
> <Security UserID="SOMEID" />
> </System>
> <UserData>
> <RmSessionEvent
> xmlns:auto-ns2="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events";
> xmlns="http://www.microsoft.com/2005/08/Windows/Reliability/RestartManager/";>
> <RmSessionId>0</RmSessionId>
> <UTCStartTime>2013-06-27T17:50:05.048184800Z</UTCStartTime>
> </RmSessionEvent>
> </UserData>
> </Event>
>
> Log Name: Application
> Source: Microsoft-Windows-RestartManager
> Date: 2013-06-27 13:50:24
> Event ID: 10000
> Task Category: None
> Level: Information
> Keywords:
> User: aforget
> Computer: aforget
> Description:
> Starting session 0 - ?2013?-?06?-?27T17:50:24.860219600Z.
> Event Xml:
> <Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event";>
> <System>
> <Provider Name="Microsoft-Windows-RestartManager" Guid="{SOMEGUID}" />
> <EventID>10000</EventID>
> <Version>0</Version>
> <Level>4</Level>
> <Task>0</Task>
> <Opcode>0</Opcode>
> <Keywords>0x8000000000000000</Keywords>
> <TimeCreated SystemTime="2013-06-27T17:50:24.860219600Z" />
> <EventRecordID>9762</EventRecordID>
> <Correlation />
> <Execution ProcessID="3048" ThreadID="2524" />
> <Channel>Application</Channel>
> <Computer>aforget</Computer>
> <Security UserID="SOMEID" />
> </System>
> <UserData>
> <RmSessionEvent
> xmlns:auto-ns2="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events";
> xmlns="http://www.microsoft.com/2005/08/Windows/Reliability/RestartManager/";>
> <RmSessionId>0</RmSessionId>
> <UTCStartTime>2013-06-27T17:50:24.860219600Z</UTCStartTime>
> </RmSessionEvent>
> </UserData>
> </Event>
>
> Log Name: Application
> Source: Microsoft-Windows-RestartManager
> Date: 2013-06-27 13:50:25
> Event ID: 10005
> Task Category: None
> Level: Information
> Keywords:
> User: aforget
> Computer: aforget
> Description:
> Machine restart is required.
> Event Xml:
> <Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event";>
> <System>
> <Provider Name="Microsoft-Windows-RestartManager" Guid="{SOMEGUID}" />
> <EventID>10005</EventID>
> <Version>0</Version>
> <Level>4</Level>
> <Task>0</Task>
> <Opcode>0</Opcode>
> <Keywords>0x8000000000000000</Keywords>
> <TimeCreated SystemTime="2013-06-27T17:50:25.000619800Z" />
> <EventRecordID>9763</EventRecordID>
> <Correlation />
> <Execution ProcessID="3048" ThreadID="2524" />
> <Channel>Application</Channel>
> <Computer>aforget</Computer>
> <Security UserID="SOMEID" />
> </System>
> <UserData>
> <RmRestartEvent
> xmlns:auto-ns2="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events";
> xmlns="http://www.microsoft.com/2005/08/Windows/Reliability/RestartManager/";>
> <RmSessionId>0</RmSessionId>
> <nApplications>5</nApplications>
> <Applications>
> <Application>cmd.exe</Application>
> <Application>My Client </Application>
> <Application>My Sensor 1</Application>
> <Application>My Sensor 2</Application>
> <Application>My Sensor 3</Application>
> </Applications>
> <RebootReasons>3</RebootReasons>
> </RmRestartEvent>
> </UserData>
> </Event>
>
> Log Name: Application
> Source: Microsoft-Windows-RestartManager
> Date: 2013-06-27 13:50:34
> Event ID: 10001
> Task Category: None
> Level: Information
> Keywords:
> User: aforget
> Computer: aforget
> Description:
> Ending session 0 started ?2013?-?06?-?27T17:50:24.860219600Z.
> Event Xml:
> <Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event";>
> <System>
> <Provider Name="Microsoft-Windows-RestartManager" Guid="{SOMEGUID}" />
> <EventID>10001</EventID>
> <Version>0</Version>
> <Level>4</Level>
> <Task>0</Task>
> <Opcode>0</Opcode>
> <Keywords>0x8000000000000000</Keywords>
> <TimeCreated SystemTime="2013-06-27T17:50:34.743837800Z" />
> <EventRecordID>9767</EventRecordID>
> <Correlation />
> <Execution ProcessID="3048" ThreadID="3352" />
> <Channel>Application</Channel>
> <Computer>aforget</Computer>
> <Security UserID="SOMEID" />
> </System>
> <UserData>
> <RmSessionEvent
> xmlns:auto-ns2="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events";
> xmlns="http://www.microsoft.com/2005/08/Windows/Reliability/RestartManager/";>
> <RmSessionId>0</RmSessionId>
> <UTCStartTime>2013-06-27T17:50:24.860219600Z</UTCStartTime>
> </RmSessionEvent>
> </UserData>
> </Event>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Blair [mailto:os...@live.com]
> Sent: June 26, 2013 09:17
> To: General discussion for Windows Installer XML toolset.
> Subject: Re: [WiX-users] Uninstall restart issue
>
> It also requires that the service is setup to allow non-elevated privileges
> to stop it.
>
> Event Viewer\Windows Logs\Application
> Source: RestartManager
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Joel Budreau
> Sent: Tuesday, June 25, 2013 6:22 PM
> To: afor...@cmu.edu ; General discussion for Windows Installer XML toolset.
> Subject: Re: [WiX-users] Uninstall restart issue
>
> Hey Alain,
>
> Take a look at my answer to this problem on stackoverflow -
> http://stackoverflow.com/questions/6913332/wix-installer-problem-why-d
> oes-restartmanager-mark-service-as-rmcritical-and-no/8147540#8147540
>
> Basically, you can 'lie' about the custom action and mark it as immediate
> instead of deferred. The drawback is that if your install fails and
> rollsback, the service you've shut down will still be shut down. Up to you
> whether or not that's an appropriate risk for your product.
>
> - Joel
>
> On Sat, Jun 15, 2013 at 11:11 AM, Alain Forget <afor...@cmu.edu> wrote:
> > I'm still wrestling with this request to restart on uninstall. To
> > recap, I have an MSI that when I install it, and then try to
> > uninstall it, it usually tells the user that some of the files to be
> > uninstalled are in use and will require a reboot. However, this
> > should not be, because the services that are using the files will stop
> > immediately upon request.
> >
> > The problem seems to be that the installer is making the
> > determination that the files are in use before even trying to stop
> > services. Looking at the uninstall log, during FileCost, the
> > installer determines that multiple "folder had been blocked by the 1
> > mask argument (the folder pair's iSwapAttrib member = 0)", which I think
> > means it's in use?
> > Furthermore, at InstallValidate, "RESTART MANAGER: Did detect that a
> > critical application holds file[s] in use, so a reboot will be
> > necessary." Note that both InstallValidate and FileCost come before
> > StopServices (see http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa372038).
> >
> > It had been suggested that I should stop the services myself with
> > "net stop". So I attempted to do so with this in my .wxs:
> >
> > <!-- Silently stop my services (with elevated privileges;
> > Execute="deferred", see
> > http://wix.sourceforge.net/manual-wix3/qtexec.htm ) -->
> > <CustomAction Id="Set_cmdStopMyService"
> > Property="cmdStopClientCommModuleService" Value="net stop
> > [#myService]" /> <CustomAction Id="cmdStopMyService" Execute="deferred"
> > BinaryKey="WixCA"
> > DllEntry="CAQuietExec" Return="check" Impersonate="no" />
> >
> > <InstallExecuteSequence>
> > <Custom Action="Set_cmdStopMyService" Before="CostInitialize"
> > ></Custom>
> > <Custom Action="cmdStopMyService" Before="CostInitialize"
> > ></Custom>
> > </InstallExecuteSequence>
> >
> > However, candle / light don't allow it:
> >
> > error LGHT0204 : ICE77: cmdStopMyService is a in-script custom action.
> > It must be sequenced in between the InstallInitialize action and the
> > InstallFinalize action in the InstallExecuteSequence table
> >
> > Following Light's recommendation wouldn't solve my problem, because
> > InstallInitialze happens long after the uninstaller has decided that
> > the files are in use.
> >
> > So I'm completely stumped and would appreciate some suggestions.
> >
> > Alain
> >
> >
> >
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