A synopsis of my question:
Is it possible to use your own, custom variables (the way that you can use [TARGETDIR]) in the Registry screen of a Windows Setup project in VS2010? Specifically, I need to store my assembly's strong name and assembly version in the registry, in order to register a COM object on a machine without the installing user having admin rights.
I already tried using a custom action, and I'd rather not continue down that road if possible.
Here are the specifics, and what I've tried:
Recently, my employer started blindly removing all employees' admin rights from their machines.
I had created a COM-exposed C# class that I'd been using on a few of my workstations, which is no longer able to be registered, because I no longer have the appropriate permissions under HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT.
Through Googling, I found out how to register all of the appropriate keys under HKCU*, but now I'd like to implement this in my deployment project.
I understand how to use the Registry screen within Windows Setup, but there are custom keys/values that need to be stored (install folder, assembly strong name, version).
I could use a custom action, but ideally, I want Windows Setup to manage my registry settings, because (a) it's better than I am at automatically removing all the proper keys/values upon uninstall, (b) during the install, registry changes are transactional & rolled back upon install error, and (c) the logic for registry key install/removal/transactions is already written by Microsoft, and I won't have to rewrite it myself.
The project was in VS2008 until today, but I just upgraded it to VS2010, so perhaps something has changed between 2008 and 2010 that might allow this behavior.
So, rather than using a custom action, is there a better way to do this?
EDIT: I found this answer, which seems to suggest that you can access the Windows Install "Registry" table within your install project. I'm not sure how to do access it, though. In the past, I seem to recall that you could access the MSI databases from a special external tool (Orca), but I don't know if you can access these tables in your setup project.
EDIT 2: Ah, I may be on to something; perhaps a post-build event:
Use Orca to edit msi from command line?,
Examples of Database Queries Using SQL and Script,
WiRunSQL.vbs
* Run RegAsm twice - once with /codebase and once without; both times with the /regfile option. Then merge both files together (removing duplicates), and replace all HKCR references with HKCU\Software\Classes.
Yes, this can be done*.
First, create a Console executable that will be run as part of a post-build event of the Windows Setup project. This modifies the Registry table in the MSI file that has been built by VS2010.
Note: You must add a reference to "Microsoft Windows Installer Object Library" under COM, for the below code to compile.
using System;
using WindowsInstaller;
using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
using System.Reflection;
namespace Post_Setup_Scripting
{
class Program
{
static void Main(string[] args)
{
if (args.Length != 2)
{
Console.WriteLine("Incorrect args.");
return;
}
//arg 1 - path to MSI
string PathToMSI = args[0];
//arg 2 - path to assembly
string PathToAssembly = args[1];
Type InstallerType;
WindowsInstaller.Installer Installer;
InstallerType = Type.GetTypeFromProgID("WindowsInstaller.Installer");
Installer = (WindowsInstaller.Installer)Activator.CreateInstance(InstallerType);
Assembly Assembly = Assembly.LoadFrom(PathToAssembly);
string AssemblyStrongName = Assembly.GetName().FullName;
string AssemblyVersion = Assembly.GetName().Version.ToString();
string SQL = "SELECT `Key`, `Name`, `Value` FROM `Registry`";
WindowsInstaller.Database Db = Installer.OpenDatabase(PathToMSI, WindowsInstaller.MsiOpenDatabaseMode.msiOpenDatabaseModeDirect);
WindowsInstaller.View View = Db.OpenView(SQL);
View.Execute();
WindowsInstaller.Record Rec = View.Fetch();
while (Rec != null)
{
for (int c = 0; c <= Rec.FieldCount; c++)
{
string Column = Rec.get_StringData(c);
Column = Column.Replace("[AssemblyVersion]", AssemblyVersion);
Column = Column.Replace("[AssemblyStrongName]", AssemblyStrongName);
Rec.set_StringData(c, Column);
View.Modify(MsiViewModify.msiViewModifyReplace, Rec);
Console.Write("{0}\t", Column);
Db.Commit();
}
Console.WriteLine();
Rec = View.Fetch();
}
View.Close();
GC.Collect();
Marshal.FinalReleaseComObject(Installer);
Console.ReadLine();
}
}
}
The "variables" that we are going to use in the Windows Setup Registry screen get replaced in these lines of the above code; this could be adapted to any items that are necessary.
string Column = Rec.get_StringData(c);
Column = Column.Replace("[AssemblyVersion]", AssemblyVersion);
Column = Column.Replace("[AssemblyStrongName]", AssemblyStrongName);
Second, create a .reg file that contains the registry keys you want to create upon install. In the code above, we modify the MSI database in the post-build by replacing all instances of [AssemblyVersion] with the assembly version, and [AssemblyStrongName] with the assembly's strong name.
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Record\{XXXXXXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXXXXXXXXXX}\[AssemblyVersion]]
"Class"="MyClass.MyClass"
"Assembly"="[AssemblyStrongName]"
"RuntimeVersion"="v2.0.50727"
"CodeBase"="[TARGETDIR]MyClass.dll"
Third, import the .reg file into the Windows Setup registry screen in VS2010 by right-clicking "Registry On Target Machine", and clicking "Import".
Finally, call the post-build executable in the "PostBuildEvent" property of the setup project:
"C:\Path\To\Exe\Post-Setup Scripting.exe" [Path to MSI] [Path To DLL to extract strong name/version]
* This is a little different than using [TARGETDIR], because [TARGETDIR] gets resolved at install time, and these "variables" will get resolved at build time. For my solution, I needed to resolve at build time, because my version number increments with each build.
Related
I need to add a new row in the msi file database i.e. I need to add a new row in Property table.
ServerUrl = "www.google.com". I have tried using orca and I was able to do it. But this is a manual process. I need to do it via code.
Without starting the installer.
Without using orca
How can I achieve this in c#? I tried to use the command line options but it starts the installer. I need to edit the table without starting the installer in the existing msi file.
Been a while since I looked at this, I'll just point you to two previous answers.
Important!: You should always avoid post-processing the MSI if you can. You can create an MST (transform) to add this to the MSI during installation or set it as a property at the command line. See this old answer: Transforms and PUBLIC PROPERTIES: heavy-weight and light-weight customization of MSI installers and from section "Customizing Silent Install" onwards.
VBScript: There is a VBScript WiRunSQL.vbs - which is part of the Windows SDK - just search your SDK folder if you have Visual Studio installed.
You can use this and a batch file to post-process an MSI (sample here):
cscript.exe "%~dp0"\WiRunSQL.vbs "MySetup.msi" "INSERT INTO `Property` (`Property`, `Value`) VALUES ('MYPROPERTY', 'PropertyValue')"
pause
There is a previous answer here on how to change things in the ControlCondition table.
C#: There is also some C# code here you can test. Not that well tested, and not the greatest code overall, but have a look?
Alternatively try this source. You need to know what DTF is for this source. What is DTF? DTF is included in the code by this reference: using Microsoft.Deployment.WindowsInstaller;
Briefly inlined:
public static void Set(string msi, string name, string value)
{
using (Database db = new Database(msi, DatabaseOpenMode.Direct))
{
db.Execute("UPDATE `Property` SET `Value` = '{0}' WHERE `Property` = '{1}'", value, name);
}
}
Some Links:
Currupted file in non-english locale (encoding problem?)
cx_freeze bdist_msi: create registry entries?
MSI code from github
Features, Transforms, Properties
How to tag or customize the a binary (for example of an installer)
I have a C# WPF application, which is written in Visual Studio 2017 (15.9.9) using .Net 4.7. The solution for the application contains two projects - the WPF Project itself and also a Microsoft VS Installer Project that creates a .msi file on the build action.
I have stored the version information for the application project and can return it using the following method
public static string GetVersion()
{
try
{
System.Reflection.Assembly assembly = System.Reflection.Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly();
FileVersionInfo fvi = FileVersionInfo.GetVersionInfo(assembly.Location);
string version = fvi.FileVersion;
return $"Version {version}";
}
catch(Exception ex)
{
//send error notif to IT dept.
Alert_IT(ex, GetCurrentMethod(), false);
return "0";
}
}
I would like to use the result of this to set the the version information in the Setup project when I build the solution - at the moment it has to be manually entered into the properties of the setup project.
Since we are planning on using setup projects for all our applications, it would be really nice to only have to alter the version in one place for all our projects, ensuring that there are no inconsistencies.
Is it possible to set the version on a setup project programmatically? It would have to be done before the .msi is created.
If this is not possible, do you have any other suggestions as to how to achieve the desired outcome - that the version information for the application need only be set in one place before it is built?
I have seen the advice here, but did not find it specific enough to be helpful.
Initially I created an application that I completely rewrite in a second version. It is a complete different Visual studio solution.
Now I would like that its Setup installer uninstall the previous version but because it was not created using the same solution, the automatic uninstallation of previous version does not work.
Is there any way to force the installer to uninstall certain application based on product name or product code?
I found a WMIC command that works when run from command line
wmic product where name="XXXX" call uninstall /nointeractive
So I created a VBS script which execute a bat file containing the WMIC code and I added it to the Setup project
dim shell
set shell=createobject("wscript.shell")
shell.run "uninstallAll.bat",0,true
set shell=nothing
but when I run the result MSI, it fires an error 1001, meaning that a service already exists. , in other words the uninstallation didn't work.
The old program is still present and they create a service with the same name. :/
any suggestion?
There are 2 options:
You can increase the version of MSI project so it will treat as upgrade and it will not throw any error while installing.
another way out is the write some in the installer project as follows:
protected override void OnBeforeInstall(IDictionary savedState)
{
//Write uninstall powershell script
//installutil /u <yourproject>.exe
using (PowerShell PowerShellInstance = PowerShell.Create())
{
PowerShellInstance.AddScript("");
PowerShellInstance.AddParameter("");
}
PowerShellInstance.Invoke();
}
Note: This InstallUtil is available with the .NET Framework, and its path is %WINDIR%\Microsoft.NET\Framework[64]\<framework_version>.
For example, for the 32-bit version of the .NET Framework 4 or 4.5.*, if your Windows installation directory is C:\Windows, the path is C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v4.0.30319\InstallUtil.exe.
For the 64-bit version of the .NET Framework 4 or 4.5.*, the default path is C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework64\v4.0.30319\InstallUtil.exe
I decided to go for the option of introducing c# code in the project installer. Firstly I added the reference for System.Management.Automation via nuget
https://www.nuget.org/packages/System.Management.Automation
After this, I just created a string variable containing the PS code I need to uninstall several programs with a similar name.
string unInstallKiosk = #"$app = get-WMIObject win32_Product -Filter ""name like 'KIOSK'""
foreach ($program in $app){
$app2 = Get-WmiObject -Class Win32_Product | Where -Object { $_.IdentifyingNumber -match ""$($program.identifyingNumber)""
}
$app2.Uninstall()}";
and passed this variable to the method PowerShellInstance.AddScript()
PowerShellInstance.AddScript(unInstallKiosk);
The installation ends but the uninstallation simply dont happens.
anyone has an idea how to solve this?
Goal: Create a C# Assembly called TestDLL.dll that can be installed to any computer such that MS Access VBA can use it via COM.
Environment:
Windows 7 64-bit.
MS Office Professional Plus 2010 Version: 14.0.1753.5000 (64-bit).
Visual Studio 2010 Professional.
TestDLL.dll assembly code:
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
namespace TestDLL
{
[ComVisible(true)]
[Guid("7CAAEF3F-F867-445B-B078-5837A833620A")]
[InterfaceType(ComInterfaceType.InterfaceIsDual)]
public interface IGreeting
{
string SayHello();
}
[ComVisible(true)]
[ProgId("TestDLL.Greeting")]
[Guid("73D4187A-F71D-4E45-832A-6DD9F88CC59B")]
[ClassInterface(ClassInterfaceType.None)]
public class Greeting : IGreeting
{
[ComVisible(true)]
public string SayHello()
{
return "Hello, World!";
}
}
}
A WinForms project added to the solution successfully calls the SayHello() method.
TestDLL project properties:
Application / Target Framework - .NET Framework 4
Application / Assembly Information / Make assembly COM-visible: false (I only want certain public classes within the assembly to be COM-visible, not ALL public classes. Even though for this demo there's just one class and I do want it to be COM-visible. The code above should have taken care of that.)
Application / Assembly Information / Title and Description and Company and Product are all "TestDLL".
Build / Platform: Active (any CPU)
Build / Platform target: x86
Build / Register for COM interop: false (I don't want it to work on MY computer only but ALL computers. Thus I want to register the assembly when it is INSTALLED, not when it is BUILT.)
Signing / Sign the assembly: false (I want the assembly to live in the install folder, not in the GAC.)
A peek at AssemblyInfo.cs reveals:
[assembly: ComVisible(false)]
[assembly: Guid("6bf701f9-3953-43bb-a8af-1bdf7818af3c")]
The assembly is built.
Then a type library is created using the Visual Studio Command Prompt (run as Administrator) with this command:
tlbexp "C:\(path)\bin\Release\TestDLL.dll" /win32 /out:"C:\(path)\bin\Release\TestDLL.tlb"
A Visual Studio Installer project called SetupTestDLL is added to the solution.
On its File System tab, Application Folder, TestDLL.dll is added. This automatically also adds TestDLL.tlb.
Right-clicking TestDLL.dll in that Application Folder allows opening a properties window.
There, Register: vsdraCOM
When right-clicking TestDLL.tlb in that Application folder to get the properties window:
Register: vsdrfCOM
(I'm guessing that vsdraCOM means register the assembly and vsdrfCOM means register a file for COM.)
One more file is added to the Application folder: TestDLL.pdb.
SetupTestDLL is built.
Browsing to its output folder, reveals setup.exe and setupTestDLL.msi.
Right-click setup.exe and Run as administrator.
A dialog box displays the correct install path and the correct "Install for everyone" option.
The install completes successfully.
In the Control Panel / Programs and Features, TestDLL is now listed. Its publisher is listed as "XYZ". Where did that come from? Evidently from the "Manufacturer" property of the SetupTestDLL project's property window. I created that value only there in the entire solution.
In C:\Program Files (x86) there is now an "XYZ" folder, under which is a TestDLL folder, and in that are the three files.
Launch MS Access. Open an existing database and its existing code module.
From the Access code window toolbar, choose Tools / References.
TestDLL is found in the Available References listbox. Click its check box and click OK.
Click the Object Browser button on the code window toolbar.
is selected in a dropdown list. Change it to TestDLL.
The class "Greeting" is shown with its method "SayHello". So far, so good.
Close the Object Browser.
Create this procedure in the code module and try to run it.
Public Sub Test2()
' Dim o As New TestDLL.Greeting
' The above is early binding. It should also work
' since we set a reference.
Dim o As Variant
Set o = CreateObject("TestDLL.Greeting")
' The above is late binding.
Debug.Print o.SayHello()
Set o = Nothing
End Sub
Result:
Whether early or late bound,
ActiveX Component can't create object.
What's wrong?
I was just going to add a comment, but I don't have enough reputation points so I'll just post this as an answer and remove it if necessary.
I'm not familiar with Visual Studio Installer projects, so I'm not sure if it is registering the assembly correctly. Have you tried using regasm to register TestDLL? Something like:
regasm /codebase TestDLL.dll /tlb:TestDLL.tlb
64-bit MS Office cannot use a 32-bit COM DLL early bound, but with a reg hack involving DLLSurrogate, it can use it late-bound. I got that to work.
In Windows using C#, how can I get the installation path of a software (for example consider NUnit or any other software like MS word, etc.) from my project? Also how to set the path variables that we set in Environment variables so that we can run the application just by giving in command prompt.
Like if I install NUnit in "C:\Program Files" I can run it by giving 'NUnit' in cmd prompt but if I install in a different location I can't do the same.
I need to get the location or path of NUnit or any other software installed in my system (having Windows XP) from my project.
EDIT:
Like I can get the path of installed program from registry.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER->SOFTWARE
Use the system and application classes. This will give you all sorts of information.
EG: Application.ExecutablePath
It also provides methods to do what you want to.
Edit: Also see registry read/write instructions here:
http://www.c-sharpcorner.com/UploadFile/sushmita_kumari/RegistryKeys102082006061720AM/RegistryKeys1.aspx?ArticleID=0ce07333-c9ab-4a6a-bc5d-44ea2523e232
Application.ExecutablePath (includes filename)
Application.StartupPath (not includes filename)
This will give you the path where the application started. Hopefully it will be the installation path.
string appFileName = Environment.GetCommandLineArgs()[0];
will give you the full path of the executable and
string directory = Path.GetDirectoryName(appFileName);
extracts the directory.
string envPath = Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("PATH");
Environment.SetEnvironmentVariable(envPath + ";" + yourPath);
edits the PATH environment variable for the current process.
Application.StartupPath is used to get installation location in c#.
Like if i install Nunit in "C:\Program
Files" i can run it by giving 'nunit'
in cmd prompt but if i install in a
different location i cant do the same.
May be you are using Windows Vista, which can search in Program Files, but won't look in other folders.
In windows using C#, how to get the
installation path of a software(for
example consider nunit).?
It depends, how you are installing the application. The installer knows the path, you may program the installer to write that path to somewhere, say registry.
Also how to set the path variables
that we set in Environment variables
so that we can run the application
just by giving in command prompt.
How do I get and set Environment variables in C#?
Steps to extract value from registry are shown in following code snippet.
You may already know that there are no standard rules for applications to place their installation info.
The steps shown below are for COM based applications where the appplication must provide Local executable path in a reasonably standard manner.
For non-com applications, check to see if some data can be extracted from installed applications cache.
I hate to admit that the solution is not as elegant as I want it to be. Each subkey has to opened in series and opening in single method does not work.
//string hiveName = #"CLSID"; // for 64 bit COM 7applications
string hiveName = #"WOW6432Node\CLSID"; // for 32 bit COM applications
using (RegistryKey key = Registry.ClassesRoot.OpenSubKey(hiveName))
{
if (key != null) {
using (RegistryKey key2 = key.OpenSubKey("{<YourAppGUID>}"))
{
if (key2 != null) {
using (RegistryKey key3 = key2.OpenSubKey("LocalServer32"))
{
if (key3 != null) {
return key3.GetValue("").ToString();
}
}