[wix-users] Is it normal to re-write all reg keys during patch?

[Kyle Lee]

​Hi,
I have a simple question regarding patch. Does applying patch always
re-write the registry values even if their parent component isn't in the
patch wxs file?
I have hundreds of components and one of them is just like this:

<Component Id="reg_info" Guid="{xxx}">
 <RegistryKey Root="HKLM" Key="SOFTWARE\Test">
  <RegistryValue Name="Names" Value="a;b;c" Type="string" KeyPath="yes" />
  <RegistryValue Name="Name1" Value="A" Type="string" />
  <RegistryValue Name="Name2" Value="B" Type="string" />
  <RegistryValue Name="Name3" Value="C" Type="string" />
 </RegistryKey>
</Component>

I created a patch MSP and applied it by double-clicking the MSP file.
Although I didn't put a "reg_info" in patch.wxs file and I didn't change
any of those reg values, I noticed all the reg values were overwritten
during patch.
The log file I generated during patch says:

MSI (s) : Executing op: RegAddValue(Name=Names,Value=a;b;c,)
WriteRegistryValues: Key: \SOFTWARE\Test, Name: Names, Value: a;b;c
MSI (s) : Executing op: RegAddValue(Name=Name1,Value=A)
WriteRegistryValues: Key: \SOFTWARE\Test, Name: Name1, Value: A
...