Dialogs (and dialog sequences) can always be easily added to be shown during uninstallations (that isn't usually the problem). It is done the same way dialog sequences are added to installations and to "change" transactions.
The issue comes from the following: There are 4 levels of UI that can be "requested" for Windows Installer transactions, and different tools that may interact with your MSI will request different ones at different times. They are (see http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/aa372391.aspx): * "Full UI" (shows everything) * "Reduced UI" (no modal dialogs - you shouldn't stop and wait for responses to any questions). Modal error dialogs are acceptable, however. * "Basic UI" (only "built-in" dialogs shown, no dialogs from the MSI are to be shown) * "None" (no UI at all) Windows Installer doesn't care which level is used when, but it is expected by all tools that the UI levels will be honored. Creating and showing dialogs from custom actions is one sure way of violating those levels and breaks administrative tools that work with Windows Installer packages, especially in corporate scenarios. The reason this is an issue is this: * When you double-click an MSI file from Windows Explorer, msiexec.exe is called with just the file as a command-line parameter. MsiExec defaults to "Full UI". * When you select your installation from the "Programs and Features" window (aka Add/Remove Programs) and select an operation, what you get depends on the operation: * Modify: "Full UI" * Repair: "Basic UI" * Remove: "Basic UI" (after showing its own dialog box for confirmation) Yes, there is an UninstallString value in the registry for your installation, and if you run that string you will get "Full UI", however, for MSI packages the "Programs and Features" window ignores that registry key. The UI level from that window (which is how most removals are performed) cannot be configured. Thus, most removals can't stop and ask the user for removal instructions/guidance without breaking the UI rules above and causing problems with GPO and other related tools. -----Original Message----- From: Sanjay Rao [mailto:s...@noida.interrasystems.com] Sent: Thursday, January 07, 2010 4:01 AM To: General discussion for Windows Installer XML toolset. Subject: Re: [WiX-users] How to add a custom dialog in uninstall process using Wix I am not aware, how to show dialogs via custom actions. Please help with some sample code. Thanks & Regards, Sanjay Rao Sebastian Brand (Instyler Software) wrote: > You may only show dialogs during uninstallation via a custom action, the > dialogs from the msi won't be shown. > > > > Best regards, > > Sebastian Brand > > sebast...@instyler.com > > > > Geisenfelder Str. 53a > > 85053 Ingolstadt, Germany > > EU VAT ID: DE219712370 > > Phone: +49 841 4544567 > > www.instyler.com <http://www.instyler.com/> > > > > Travel add-in for Outlook <http://www.traveladdin.com/> : Add travel and > return times to your calendar. > > Instyler Setup <http://www.instyler.com/> : Create WiX-based MSI > installations, elegantly. > > Sebastianbrand.com <http://www.sebastianbrand.com/> : blogging about > software development, deployment and productivity > > > > >> -----Original Message----- >> > > >> From: Sanjay Rao [mailto:s...@noida.interrasystems.com] >> > > >> Sent: Thursday, January 07, 2010 10:52 >> > > >> To: General discussion for Windows Installer XML toolset. >> > > >> Subject: [WiX-users] How to add a custom dialog in uninstall process using >> > > >> Wix >> > > > > >> Hi, >> > > > > >> I want to add a dialog box into my installer's uninstalling process. >> > > >> custom dialog have a check box, which will ask user to delete/keep user >> > > >> setting data of the application. User setting data files usually created >> > in > > >> application installation directory after installing the application. Any >> > help > > >> would be appreciated. >> > > > > >> Thanks, >> > > >> Sanjay Rao >> > > > > > > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > -- > > >> This SF.Net email is sponsored by the Verizon Developer Community Take >> > > >> advantage of Verizon's best-in-class app development support A >> > > >> streamlined, 14 day to market process makes app distribution fast and easy >> > > >> Join now and get one step closer to millions of Verizon customers >> > > >> <http://p.sf.net/sfu/verizon-dev2dev> http://p.sf.net/sfu/verizon-dev2dev >> > > >> _______________________________________________ >> > > >> WiX-users mailing list >> > > >> <mailto:WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net> WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net >> > > >> <https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users> >> > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- > This SF.Net email is sponsored by the Verizon Developer Community > Take advantage of Verizon's best-in-class app development support > A streamlined, 14 day to market process makes app distribution fast and easy > Join now and get one step closer to millions of Verizon customers > http://p.sf.net/sfu/verizon-dev2dev > _______________________________________________ > WiX-users mailing list > WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- This SF.Net email is sponsored by the Verizon Developer Community Take advantage of Verizon's best-in-class app development support A streamlined, 14 day to market process makes app distribution fast and easy Join now and get one step closer to millions of Verizon customers http://p.sf.net/sfu/verizon-dev2dev _______________________________________________ WiX-users mailing list WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This SF.Net email is sponsored by the Verizon Developer Community Take advantage of Verizon's best-in-class app development support A streamlined, 14 day to market process makes app distribution fast and easy Join now and get one step closer to millions of Verizon customers http://p.sf.net/sfu/verizon-dev2dev _______________________________________________ WiX-users mailing list WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users
