[wix-users] Puzzling issue with an msi's RegistrySearch...

[Lewis Henderson]

Hi Everyone,

I hate to bother the list with such an apparently trivial issue, but I'm at a complete loss.  I've got a simple .msi installer where one particular RegistrySearch fails for no apparent reason.  Here's a code snippet:

    <Property Id="INSTALLDIR" Secure="yes">
      <RegistrySearch Id="InstallPath" Root="HKLM"
                      Key="Software\$(var.CompanyName)\$(var.ProductName)\$(var.ProductVersion)"
                      Name="InstallPath" Type="directory" />
    </Property>

    <Property Id="BACKUPPATH" Secure="yes">
      <RegistrySearch Id="BackupDbPath" Root="HKLM"
                      Key="Software\$(var.CompanyName)\$(var.ProductName)\$(var.ProductVersion)"
                      Name="BackupDbPath" Type="directory" />
    </Property>

The first search (for InstallPath) works just fine, but I can't for the life of me get the second one (for BackupDbPath) to work.  I've checked the registry again and again, and the registry value is there.  The BACKUPPATH property just doesn't get set.  Here's a snippet from the verbose log file:

Action 9:32:35: AppSearch. Searching for installed applications
Action start 9:32:35: AppSearch.
AppSearch: Property: INSTALLDIR, Signature: InstallPath
MSI (c) (F4:8C) [09:32:35:639]: Note: 1: 2262 2: Signature 3: -2147287038
MSI (c) (F4:8C) [09:32:35:639]: PROPERTY CHANGE: Adding INSTALLDIR property. Its value is 'D:\OpenText\BASIS_11\'.
AppSearch: Property: BACKUPPATH, Signature: BackupDbPath
MSI (c) (F4:8C) [09:32:35:639]: Note: 1: 2262 2: Signature 3: -2147287038
Action ended 9:32:35: AppSearch. Return value 1.

I've tried changing the property name, the name of the registry value, and everything else I can think of.  I've got similar property setting code all over the place in several other installs, and they've never given me a problem.

Can anyone help me figure out what's going on here?  If I had hair, I'd be pulling it out.

Thanks,
                                                                Lewis