Stuck on preserving config file in WIX major upgra

Question

ARGH! Wix is driving me crazy.

So, of course I have seen the many posts both here on stackoverflow and elsewhere about WiX and major upgrades. I inherited this software project using WiX and am releasing a new version. I need this new version to leave ONLY the one configuration file if it's present, and replace everything else. This installer works EXCEPT no matter what I have done so far, the new XML file replaces the old on every install. Even attempting to use NeverOverwrite="yes" and even trying and messing back and forth with OnlyDetect="no"! I am simply stuck and humbly request a little guidance. The file that needs to be preserved is called SETTINGS.XML and is in the All Users->ApplicationData directory. Here is (most of) my .wxs file!

    <Package Id='$(var.PackageCode)'
             Description="Pathways Directory Software"
             InstallerVersion="301"
             Compressed="yes" />

    <WixVariable Id="WixUILicenseRtf" Value="License.rtf" />
    <Media Id="1" Cabinet="Pathways.cab" EmbedCab="yes" />

    <Upgrade Id="$(var.UpgradeCode)">
        <UpgradeVersion
            OnlyDetect="no"  
            Maximum="$(var.ProductVersion)"
            IncludeMaximum="no"
            Language="1033"
            Property="OLDAPPFOUND"
        />
        <UpgradeVersion
            Minimum="$(var.ProductVersion)"
            IncludeMinimum="yes"
            OnlyDetect="no"
            Language="1033"
            Property="NEWAPPFOUND"
        />
    </Upgrade>

        <!-- program files directory -->
        <Directory Id="ProgramFilesFolder">
            <Directory Id="INSTALLDIR" Name="Pathways"/>
        </Directory>

        <!-- application data directory -->
        <Directory Id="CommonAppDataFolder" Name="CommonAppData">
            <Directory Id="CommonAppDataPathways" Name="Pathways" />
        </Directory>

        <!-- start menu program directory -->
        <Directory Id="ProgramMenuFolder">
            <Directory Id="ProgramsMenuPathwaysFolder" Name="Pathways" />
        </Directory>

        <!-- desktop directory -->
        <Directory Id="DesktopFolder" />

    </Directory>

    <Icon Id="PathwaysIcon" SourceFile="\\Fileserver\Release\Pathways\Latest\Release\Pathways.exe" />

    <!-- components in the reference to the install directory -->
    <DirectoryRef Id="INSTALLDIR">
        <Component Id="Application" Guid="EEE4EB55-A515-4872-A4A5-06D6AB4A06A6">
            <File Id="pathwaysExe" Name="Pathways.exe" DiskId="1" Source="\\Fileserver\Release\Pathways\Latest\Release\Pathways.exe" Vital="yes" KeyPath="yes" Assembly=".net" AssemblyApplication="pathwaysExe" AssemblyManifest="pathwaysExe">
                <!--<netfx:NativeImage Id="ngen_Pathways.exe" Platform="32bit" Priority="2"/> -->
            </File>

            <File Id="pathwaysChm" Name="Pathways.chm" DiskId="1" Source="\\fileserver\Release\Pathways\Dependencies\Pathways.chm" />

            <File Id="publicKeyXml" ShortName="RSAPUBLI.XML" Name="RSAPublicKey.xml" DiskId="1" Source="\\fileserver\Release\Pathways\Dependencies\RSAPublicKey.xml" Vital="yes" />
            <File Id="staticListsXml" ShortName="STATICLI.XML" Name="StaticLists.xml" DiskId="1" Source="\\fileserver\Release\Pathways\Dependencies\StaticLists.xml" Vital="yes" />

            <File Id="axInteropMapPointDll" ShortName="AXMPOINT.DLL" Name="AxInterop.MapPoint.dll" DiskId="1" Source="\\fileserver\Release\Pathways\Dependencies\AxInterop.MapPoint.dll" Vital="yes" />
            <File Id="interopMapPointDll" ShortName="INMPOINT.DLL" Name="Interop.MapPoint.dll" DiskId="1" Source="\\fileserver\Release\Pathways\Dependencies\Interop.MapPoint.dll" Vital="yes" />
            <File Id="mapPointDll" ShortName="MAPPOINT.DLL" Name="MapPoint.dll" DiskId="1" Source="\\fileserver\Release\Pathways\Dependencies\Interop.MapPoint.dll" Vital="yes" />

            <File Id="devExpressData63Dll" ShortName="DAAT63.DLL" Name="DevExpress.Data.v6.3.dll" DiskId="1" Source="\\fileserver\Release\Pathways\Dependencies\DevExpress.Data.v6.3.dll" Vital="yes" />
            <File Id="devExpressUtils63Dll" ShortName="UTILS63.DLL" Name="DevExpress.Utils.v6.3.dll" DiskId="1" Source="\\fileserver\Release\Pathways\Dependencies\DevExpress.Utils.v6.3.dll" Vital="yes" />
            <File Id="devExpressXtraBars63Dll" ShortName="BARS63.DLL" Name="DevExpress.XtraBars.v6.3.dll" DiskId="1" Source="\\fileserver\Release\Pathways\Dependencies\DevExpress.XtraBars.v6.3.dll" Vital="yes" />
            <File Id="devExpressXtraNavBar63Dll" ShortName="NAVBAR63.DLL" Name="DevExpress.XtraNavBar.v6.3.dll" DiskId="1" Source="\\fileserver\Release\Pathways\Dependencies\DevExpress.XtraNavBar.v6.3.dll" Vital="yes" />
            <File Id="devExpressXtraCharts63Dll" ShortName="CHARTS63.DLL" Name="DevExpress.XtraCharts.v6.3.dll" DiskId="1" Source="\\fileserver\Release\Pathways\Dependencies\DevExpress.XtraCharts.v6.3.dll" Vital="yes" />
            <File Id="devExpressXtraEditors63Dll" ShortName="EDITOR63.DLL" Name="DevExpress.XtraEditors.v6.3.dll" DiskId="1" Source="\\fileserver\Release\Pathways\Dependencies\DevExpress.XtraEditors.v6.3.dll" Vital="yes" />
            <File Id="devExpressXtraPrinting63Dll" ShortName="PRINT63.DLL" Name="DevExpress.XtraPrinting.v6.3.dll" DiskId="1" Source="\\fileserver\Release\Pathways\Dependencies\DevExpress.XtraPrinting.v6.3.dll" Vital="yes" />
            <File Id="devExpressXtraReports63Dll" ShortName="REPORT63.DLL" Name="DevExpress.XtraReports.v6.3.dll" DiskId="1" Source="\\fileserver\Release\Pathways\Dependencies\DevExpress.XtraReports.v6.3.dll" Vital="yes" />
            <File Id="devExpressXtraRichTextEdit63Dll" ShortName="RICHTE63.DLL" Name="DevExpress.XtraRichTextEdit.v6.3.dll" DiskId="1" Source="\\fileserver\Release\Pathways\Dependencies\DevExpress.XtraRichTextEdit.v6.3.dll" Vital="yes" />

            <RegistryValue Id="PathwaysInstallDir" Root="HKLM" Key="Software\Tribal Data Resources\Pathways" Name="InstallDir" Action="write" Type="string" Value="[INSTALLDIR]" />
        </Component>

    </DirectoryRef>

    <!-- application data components -->
    <DirectoryRef Id="CommonAppDataPathways">

        <Component Id="CommonAppDataPathwaysFolderComponent" Guid="087C6F14-E87E-4B57-A7FA-C03FC8488E0D">
            <CreateFolder>
                <Permission User="Everyone" GenericAll="yes" />
            </CreateFolder>

            <RemoveFolder Id="CommonAppDataPathways" On="uninstall" />
            <RegistryValue Root="HKCU" Key="Software\TDR\Pathways" Name="installed" Type="integer" Value="1" KeyPath="yes" />
            <File Id="settingsXml" ShortName="SETTINGS.XML" Name="Settings.xml" DiskId="1" Source="\\fileserver\Release\Pathways\Dependencies\Settings\settings.xml" Vital="yes" />
        </Component>

        <Component Id="Database" Guid="1D8756EF-FD6C-49BC-8400-299492E8C65D">
            <File Id="pathwaysMdf" Name="Pathways.mdf" DiskId="1" Source="\\fileserver\Shared\Databases\Pathways\SystemDBs\Pathways.mdf" />
            <RemoveFile Id="pathwaysLdf" ShortName="Pathways.ldf" Name="Pathways_log.LDF" On="uninstall" />
        </Component>

    </DirectoryRef>

    <!-- shortcut components -->
    <DirectoryRef Id="DesktopFolder">
        <Component Id="DesktopShortcutComponent" Guid="1BF412BA-9C6B-460D-80ED-8388AC66703F">
            <Shortcut Id="DesktopShortcut"
                      Target="[INSTALLDIR]Pathways.exe"
                      Name="Pathways"
                      Description="Pathways Tribal Directory"
                      Icon="PathwaysIcon"
                      Show="normal"
                      WorkingDirectory="INSTALLDIR" />
            <RegistryValue Root="HKCU" Key="Software\TDR\Pathways" Name="installed" Type="integer" Value="1" KeyPath="yes"/>
        </Component>
    </DirectoryRef>

    <DirectoryRef Id ="ProgramsMenuPathwaysFolder">
        <Component Id="ProgramsMenuShortcutComponent" Guid="83A18245-4C22-4CDC-94E0-B480F80A407D">
            <Shortcut Id="ProgramsMenuShortcut" Target="[INSTALLDIR]Pathways.exe" Name="Pathways" Icon="PathwaysIcon" Show="normal" WorkingDirectory="INSTALLDIR" />
            <RemoveFolder Id="ProgramsMenuPathwaysFolder" On="uninstall"/>
            <RegistryValue Root="HKCU" Key="Software\TDR\Pathways" Name="installed" Type="integer" Value="1" KeyPath="yes"/>
        </Component>
    </DirectoryRef>


    <Feature Id="App" Title="Pathways Application" Level="1" Description="Pathways software" Display="expand" ConfigurableDirectory="INSTALLDIR" Absent="disallow" AllowAdvertise="no" InstallDefault="local">
        <ComponentRef Id="Application" />
        <ComponentRef Id="CommonAppDataPathwaysFolderComponent" />
        <ComponentRef Id="ProgramsMenuShortcutComponent" />
        <Feature Id="Shortcuts" Title="Desktop Shortcut" Level="1" Absent="allow" AllowAdvertise="no" InstallDefault="local">
            <ComponentRef Id="DesktopShortcutComponent" />
        </Feature>
    </Feature>


    <Feature Id="Data" Title="Database" Level="1" Absent="allow" AllowAdvertise="no" InstallDefault="local">
        <ComponentRef Id="Database" />
    </Feature>

    <!-- <UIRef Id="WixUI_Minimal" /> -->
    <UIRef Id ="WixUI_FeatureTree"/>
    <UIRef Id="WixUI_ErrorProgressText"/>

    <UI>
        <Error Id="2000">There is a later version of this program installed.</Error>
    </UI>

    <CustomAction Id="NewerVersionDetected" Error="2000" />

    <InstallExecuteSequence>
        <RemoveExistingProducts After="InstallFinalize"/>
    </InstallExecuteSequence>

</Product>

Answer 1

when running your code in a test I got this warning

warning LGHT1076 : ICE57: Component 'CommonAppDataPathwaysFolderComponent' has both pe r-user and per-machine data with an HKCU Registry KeyPath.

and The error in the log file whilst running your code is this

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Pathways\Settings.xml; Overwrite; Won't patch; Existing file is unversioned and unmodified - hash doesn't match source file

Which indicates the xml file component has per machine data (the xml file) with a per user registry key path.

Use the xml file as a keypath for the component like so:

<Component Id="CommonAppDataPathwaysFolderComponent" Guid="087C6F14-E87E-4B57-A7FA-C03FC8488E0D">
    <CreateFolder>
        <Permission User="Everyone" GenericAll="yes" />
    </CreateFolder>

    <RemoveFolder Id="CommonAppDataPathways" On="uninstall" />
    <File Id="settingsXml" KeyPath="yes" ShortName="SETTINGS.XML" Name="Settings.xml" DiskId="1" Source="\\fileserver\Release\Pathways\Dependencies\Settings\settings.xml" Vital="yes" />
</Component>

This will make Windows Installer use unversioned file comparison when deciding whether or not to replace this file.

you have correctly scheduled RemoveExistingProducts action after the InstallFiles action which makes sure that the new versions are installed before removing the old versions.

Answer 2

First thing you'll probably need to do is get rid of that RemoveFolder in your CommonAppDataPathwaysFolderComponent component. Thats going to delete your directory and everything it contains (including settings.xml). Add the neveroverwrite back in and see what happens.

What version of wix are you using? 3 right?

Answer 3

Windows installer only installs a component if the keypath is not yet present, or points to a file with a lower version. In the typical case of a single-file component, wix defaults to using that file as the keypath. In this case the keypath of the CommonAppDataPathwaysFolderComponent component is a registry key; it has been explicitly marked with the keypath=yes attribute.

You schedule the uninstall of the old version after the installation of the new version. So if the keypath for this component is the same for the old and the new version, then things should work as you want.

The fact that it does not work, implies that you have changed the keypath of the component. Apparently the old installer did not write a "Software\TDR\Pathways, Installed=1" value to the registry. The new installer looks for this registry key, doesn't find it, and decides to install the CommonAppDataPathwaysFolderComponent - overwriting the old SETTINGS.XML file in the process.