[wix-users] Always do major upgrades

[Skildum, Mat]

MSI does not truly support this type of functionality without some hacks to the MSI.  Basically you have create a pseudo "always overwrite" situation by setting false version numbers on the version components.  I do this with a post build step where I call a small VBScript that updates the file version in the Files table to 99.99.99 or some other high value you will never reach for a version.  You can do this for all files if you want a global over write, or just for the versioned files if they are all you are worried about.

If this has been done, you should be able to upgrade or downgrade if no issue as long as your upgrade table id handled correctly.

Mat Skildum



-----Original Message-----
From: wix-users [mailto:wix-users-bounces at lists.wixtoolset.org] On Behalf Of Wolfgang Haupt
Sent: Wednesday, December 7, 2016 8:22 AM
To: wix-users at lists.wixtoolset.org
Subject: [wix-users] Always do major upgrades

Hello,

I think I stumbled across following problem:

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/15138731/wix-major-upgrade-not-installing-all-files

https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/astebner/2015/11/16/why-windows-installer-removes-files-during-a-major-upgrade-if-they-go-backwards-in-version-numbers/

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/4227456/windows-installer-deletes-versioned-file-during-product-upgrade-instead-of-down?rq=1


I basically want to be able to up and downgrade my application from whatever versions.
It's no problem for me that it cannot track files and save some installation time, I just want to remove the existing installation and then install the "new" (or older) version.

When I read the docs it seems to me if I can use the MajorUpgrade-Tag with "AllowDowngrades=yes", but still the installer is checking the version of my Components after CostInitialize and keeps saying:
MSI (s) (9C:34) [15:02:05:904]: Disallowing installation of component:
{GUID} since the same component with higher versioned keyfile exists

After that it removes my current version and does not install the mentioned components anymore.
This keeps puzzling me since days.

Does anyone have an answer/opinion on this topic?


Best Regards,
Wolfgang

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