[wix-users] Fwd: Install WiX Bootstrapper Prerequisite Before Displaying UI

[Rob Mensching]

It is possible, for example, mba (the managed bootstrapper application host and friends) does this to install NETFX before managed code BA can be loaded.

-----Original Message-----
From: wix-users [mailto:wix-users-bounces at lists.wixtoolset.org] On Behalf Of Ben Key
Sent: Wednesday, December 9, 2015 10:09
To: wix-users at lists.wixtoolset.org
Subject: [wix-users] Fwd: Install WiX Bootstrapper Prerequisite Before Displaying UI

Is it possible to have one or more prerequisites installed before the Burn custom user interface? The scenario I have in mind is that the custom user interface depends on the prerequisites.

The documentation I have found thus far indicates that you use the Chain element to install multiple packages. The packages are installed in the order that they are listed in the Chain element. However none of the documentation I have found indicates at which point when the UI is actually displayed or how to control this?

One document on How To: Install the .NET Framework Using Burn <http://wixtoolset.org/documentation/manual/v3/howtos/redistributables_and_install_checks/install_dotnet.html>
seems to suggest that this may not be possible. For example it contains the following sentences.

"Target your bootstrapper application to the version of .NET built into the operating system. For Windows 7, this is .NET 3.5."

Why would it specifically state that you need to target the version of .NET built into the operating system if you could be certain that the version of .NET you included in the bootstrapper would be available at the time the UI is displayed?