WiX, how to prevent files from uninstalling though we forgot to set Permanent=“yes”

Question

We have a product installer created with Wix, containing a program package (\"V1\") and some configuration files. Now, we are going to make a major upgrade with

Answer 1

Try the NeverOverwrite attribute for the configuration file

If this attribute is set to 'yes', the installer does not install or reinstall the component if a key path file or a key path registry entry for the component already exists.

EDIT

I have just tested this in a test setup. At first it didn't work because I had scheduled the RemoveExistingProducts action before InstallInitialize sequence. This removes the old product before the new product is installed so it can't compare.

However when I set it to after InstallFinalize it did work, it left the file there even though the original setup didn't have NeverOverwrite set. here are my two test examples

version 1.0.0.0

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Wix xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/wix/2006/wi">
    <Product Id="35d07bf8-a729-402d-83d6-fdc55799a3d5" Language="1033" Manufacturer="..." Name="test1" UpgradeCode="9773a278-068d-4fac-8241-4a5b7e54f15a" Version="1.0.0.0">
        <Package Compressed="no" InstallerVersion="200" />
        <Property Id="ALLUSERS" Value="1" />
        <Upgrade Id="9773a278-068d-4fac-8241-4a5b7e54f15a">
            <UpgradeVersion OnlyDetect="no" Property="REMOVEOLDVERSION" Maximum="1.0.0.0" IncludeMaximum="no" />
            <UpgradeVersion OnlyDetect="yes" Property="NEWERFOUND" Minimum="1.0.0.0" IncludeMinimum="no" />
        </Upgrade>
        <Directory Id="TARGETDIR" Name="SourceDir">
            <Directory Id="ProgramFilesFolder" Name="ProgramFilesFolder">
                <Directory Id="INSTALLDIR" Name="test1">
                    <Component Id="New_Text_Document.txt" Guid="{CCA38D83-A890-4528-B11D-DA2E2DCDED93}" Feature="ProductFeature">
                        <File Id="New_Text_Document.txt" KeyPath="yes" Source="Harvest\ProgramFilesFolder\INSTALLDIR\New Text Document.txt" />
                    </Component>
                </Directory>
            </Directory>
        </Directory>
        <Feature Id="ProductFeature" Level="1" Title="CompletePackage" Description="The complete Product." Display="expand" />
        <CustomAction Id="NewerFound" Error="A later version of [ProductName] is already installed" />
        <InstallExecuteSequence>
            <Custom Action="NewerFound" After="FindRelatedProducts">NEWERFOUND</Custom>
            <RemoveExistingProducts After="InstallFinalize" />
        </InstallExecuteSequence>
        <UIRef Id="WixUI_Minimal" />
        <Media Id="1" />
        <UI />
    </Product>
</Wix>

version 1.0.1.0

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Wix xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/wix/2006/wi">
    <Product Id="1da36626-d760-4c4c-8a5c-3eb3841dbfd5" Language="1033" Manufacturer="..." Name="test1" UpgradeCode="9773a278-068d-4fac-8241-4a5b7e54f15a" Version="1.0.1.0">
        <Package Compressed="no" InstallerVersion="200" />
        <Property Id="ALLUSERS" Value="1" />
        <Upgrade Id="9773a278-068d-4fac-8241-4a5b7e54f15a">
            <UpgradeVersion OnlyDetect="no" Property="REMOVEOLDVERSION" Maximum="1.0.1.0" IncludeMaximum="no" />
            <UpgradeVersion OnlyDetect="yes" Property="NEWERFOUND" Minimum="1.0.1.0" IncludeMinimum="no" />
        </Upgrade>
        <Directory Id="TARGETDIR" Name="SourceDir">
            <Directory Id="ProgramFilesFolder" Name="ProgramFilesFolder">
                <Directory Id="INSTALLDIR" Name="test1">
                    <Component Id="New_Text_Document.txt" Guid="{CCA38D83-A890-4528-B11D-DA2E2DCDED93}" Feature="ProductFeature" NeverOverwrite="yes">
                        <File Id="New_Text_Document.txt" KeyPath="yes" Source="Harvest\ProgramFilesFolder\INSTALLDIR\New Text Document.txt" />
                    </Component>
                </Directory>
            </Directory>
        </Directory>
        <Feature Id="ProductFeature" Level="1" Title="CompletePackage" Description="The complete Product." Display="expand" />
        <CustomAction Id="NewerFound" Error="A later version of [ProductName] is already installed" />
        <InstallExecuteSequence>
            <Custom Action="NewerFound" After="FindRelatedProducts">
NEWERFOUND</Custom>
            <RemoveExistingProducts After="InstallFinalize" />
        </InstallExecuteSequence>
        <UIRef Id="WixUI_Minimal" />
        <Media Id="1" />
        <UI />
    </Product>
</Wix>

Answer 2

The way I am fixing this is very simple. I don't install yourapp.config files but only yourapp.config.new On the first run the application before doing anything else check for the config file. If there is none make a copy yourapp.config.new to yourapp.config

This is very simple it doesn't use any special attributes. When the application is uninstalled the config file is not uninstalled. When the application is re-installed file is disturbed. Note that when the application is repaired the config is not modified either.