Shortcut to application launches windows installer repair program
On my Windows Installation project, I have a registry entry - to have the program run at startup - that's set during the install process. In my application, user can opt to have this feature turned off (the program will then delete this registry entry). However, when that's done, the next time user launches the program through the shortcut item, the windows installer repair is launched. This however is not happening when they launch the program directly (by launching the .exe file)
So I know where it all occured, just not sure how to fix it (to make the shortcut ignore the existance of this registry entry.
The closest solution I have on this is from the MSDN chat forum:http://msdn.microsoft.com/chats/transcripts/windows/windows_060503.aspx
"....do not make these resources key paths of any components"
I don't understand what that means :) Does that mean I can't refer to that registry entry on my code anywhere?
Any input will be appreciated.
Every item installed by Windows Installer (file, registry entry, etc.) is considered static for the lifetime of the installed product. Once the item is modified or removed, Windows Installer tries to restore it by launching the correspondent setup program.
This feature is embedded in the installed shortcuts, as well as in other places. You can use it in your .exe is you wish, but (obviously) you did not. That is why the shortcut launches the installer and the .exe doesn't.
The offending item, as you describe it, is the registry entry modified by the user. You have to find another solution for it. For example, you can install it through a custom action run by the installer. Or, you can install a "default" entry and have the application write a second "current" entry, which can be freely modified, since it is not part of the installation.
You should also check the setup project for other similar items.
Good luck!
Jordan Jossifov
Hi,
I'm not sure if my problem is related, but in my limited technical knowledge it seems to be. Anyway, whenever I start-up my computer, Windows Installer tries to install a component that is apparently on disk (Windows Office). This happened after I viewed a page in Word that needed a new language file to do so. The problem is that I don't have a disk with the needed upgrade because all of that software was already pre-installed onto my hard drive. My questions are: 1) Where could I possibly locate this file so that it will stop asking me for the disk and/or 2) How do I "refuse" Window Installer's request or turn it off so that it wont prompt me at start-up anymore?
Thanks in advance,
Jonathan
