[wix-users] Forced removal of shortcut directories?

[Brian Enderle]

I am curious why a //RemoveFolder element is required for folders that
contain shortcuts but not the other folders I create during install.

For instance, I build the following file structure and install my exe with
shortcuts:

  <Fragment>
    <Directory Id="TARGETDIR" Name="SourceDir">

      <!-- Program Menu Folders (i.e., Start Button) -->
      <Directory Id="ProgramMenuFolder" Name="Programs">
        <Directory Id="ProgramMenuFolderCompany" Name="$(var.CompanyName)"
/>
      </Directory>

      <!-- x86 Program File Folders (i.e., C:\Program Files (x86)\ ) -->
      <Directory Id="ProgramFilesFolder">
        <Directory Id="ProgramFilesCompany" Name="$(var.CompanyName)" >
          <Directory Id="INSTALLFOLDER" Name="$(var.ProductName)">
          </Directory>
        </Directory>
      </Directory>

      <!-- Program Data Folders (i.e., C:\ProgramData, typically a hidden
folder) -->
      <Directory Id="CommonAppDataFolder">
        <Directory Id="CompanyAppFolder" Name="$(var.CompanyName)">
          <Directory Id="AppFolder" Name="$(var.ProductName)" />
        </Directory>
      </Directory>
    </Directory>
  </Fragment>


  <!-- Program files to be installed -->
  <Fragment>

    <!-- Program File Folders (i.e., C:\Program Files (x86)\ ) -->
    <ComponentGroup Id="ProductComponents" Directory="INSTALLFOLDER">
      <Component Id="AutomatedSQLMigrationEXE">
        <File Id="AutomatedSQLMigrationEXE"

Source="$(var.AutomatedSQLMigration.TargetDir)AutomatedSQLMigration.exe"
              Vital="yes"
              KeyPath="yes">

          <!-- Create Shortcut the program menu dir -->
          <Shortcut Id="ProgramMenuDirShortcut"
                    Name="$(var.ProductName)"
                    Description="My Product"
                    Directory="ProgramMenuFolderCompany"
                    WorkingDirectory="INSTALLFOLDER"
                    Advertise="yes" />

        </File>

        <!-- Remove Start Menu -> Delphia Consulting ->
AutomatedSQLMigration-->
        <!--<RemoveFolder Id="RemoveProgramMenuFolderApplication"
Directory="ProgramMenuFolderCompany" On="uninstall" />-->

      </Component>
  </Fragment>


If I build the Product.wxs using the above I get an ICE64 error (The
directory ProgramMenuFolderCompany is in the user profile but is not listed
in the RemoveFile table.)

If I uncomment the //RemoveFile element is builds correctly.

Why is //RemoveFolder required for ProgramMenuFolderCompany but not for
other folders I create (i.e., ProgramFilesCompany, CompanyAppFolder).
Uninstalling the product correctly uninstalls all of these folders without
a //RemoveFolder element.



Brian

If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough.  -
Albert Einstein