[wix-users] why does 64 bit bundle install key/value pairs under the 32 bit HKLM/Software/Win6432Node registry key?

[Ian Bell]

Burn only writes to the 32 bit registry?   OUCH - the 'code-smell' is
already detectable.   JJJ 

 

The WIX based MSI installer adds configuration information to 32 bit or 64
bit registry keys depending on which soluction platform (i.e. 32 bit or 64
bit) of the WIX base MSI project is built in VS2015.   So far, so good.
Now, you have just confirmed the same is not true for WIX based SETUP (i.e.
bundle) installers - these installers only add configuration information to
32 bit registry keys.  Here is the problem.  My app needs to know where to
find configuration information added to the registry by WIX based MSI and
SETUP installers (e.g. the 'UninstallString'  key/value pair).   If the 64
bit version of my application was installed using the WIX based MSI
installer then my application needs to look for the installer added
information in the 64 bit registry keys (this is the expected location).
On the other hand, if the 64 bit version of my application was installed
using the WIX based SETUP installer then my application needs to look for
the installer added information in the 32 bit registry keys (this is the
unexpected location and where the 'code-smell' begins).   The question is,
how does the 64 bit version of my application know whether it was installed
using the WIX based MSI installer or the WIX based SETUP installer?   There
are several hacks that come to mind such as writing a custom installer that
adds this extra information to the registry (i.e. was the application
installed using an MSI or a SETUP installer) and rewriting the source code
to accommodate this hack, hence the 'code-smell'.   Oh well, I'll just have
to decide which of these hacks is the lesser evil and get on with it. 

 

Anyways, thanks you for responding so quickly.   Now I can start to grapple
with the next WIX based SETUP hiccup. J

 

Cheers,

 

Ian

 

 

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: wix-users [mailto:wix-users-bounces at lists.wixtoolset.org] On Behalf Of
Bob Arnson
Sent: 12-Oct-16 13:22
To: WiX Toolset Users Mailing List
Subject: Re: [wix-users] why does 64 bit bundle install key/value pairs
under the 32 bit HKLM/Software/Win6432Node registry key?

 

Yes. Burn is currently 32-bit.

 

-----Original Message-----

From: wix-users [ <mailto:wix-users-bounces at lists.wixtoolset.org>
mailto:wix-users-bounces at lists.wixtoolset.org] On Behalf Of Ian Bell

Sent: Wednesday, 12 October, 2016 12:59

To:  <mailto:wix-users at lists.wixtoolset.org> wix-users at lists.wixtoolset.org

Subject: [wix-users] why does 64 bit bundle install key/value pairs under
the 32 bit HKLM/Software/Win6432Node registry key?

 

The 32 bit version of my WIX setup bundle adds key/value pairs under the 32
bit HKLM/Software/Win6432Node/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Uninstall

registry key.    Examples of the keys added to the registry are

BundleCachePath, BundleVersion, QuietUninstallString and UninstallString.

Now, I found the 64 bit version of my WIX setup bundle also adds key/value
pairs under the 32 bit
HKLM/Software/Win6432Node/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Uninstall

registry key and this is not where I expected to find the 64 bit key/value

pairs.   Instead, I expected the 64 bit version of my WIX setup bundle to

install under  these key/value pairs under the 64 bit registry key

HKLM/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Uninstall.   My application

needs to know where the key/value pairs installed by my WIX bundle are

located in the registry.    Is it normal for the 64 bit version of the setup

bundle to add these key/value pairs to the 32 bit version of the registry
key?

 

 

Thanks,

 

 

Ian

 

 

 

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