Launch application after installation complete, with UAC turned on

Question

Good day.

I\'ve been building an installer for our product using the WIX(Windows Installer XML) technology. The expected behavior is that the product is launched, if

Answer 1

The WiX toolset documentation has a topic called How To: Run the Installed Application After Setup that covers how to do this.

Answer 2

Unfortunately, the topic that Rob mentioned doesn't really help for Windows Vista or 7 as I have found. Especially with UAC turned on.

The way I have got around this is to use a CustomAction that launches the command prompt and launches the application you want.

<CustomAction 
    Id="LaunchApp" 
    Directory="YourDirectory" 
    ExeCommand="[SystemFolder]cmd.exe /C app.exe" />

Hope that helps.

Ray

Answer 3

See WiX and DTF: Using a bootstrapper to force elevated privileges in Vista how you can run the whole msi elevated.

You can automate this in the .wixproj file with help of the GenerateBootstrapper task. To summarize:

Create a setup.manifest like this:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?>
<assembly xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v1" manifestVersion="1.0">
  <assemblyIdentity version="1.0.0.0" processorArchitecture="X86" name="Setup" type="win32" />
  <trustInfo xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v3">
    <security>
      <requestedPrivileges>
        <requestedExecutionLevel level="requireAdministrator" uiAccess="false" />
      </requestedPrivileges>
    </security>
  </trustInfo>
</assembly>

And modify your .wixproj file like this:

<Project DefaultTargets="Build" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
 <!-- standard PropertyGroups and ItemGroups -->

 <PropertyGroup>
   <WindowsSDK>$(registry:HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SDKs\Windows@CurrentInstallFolder)</WindowsSDK>
 </PropertyGroup>
 <PropertyGroup Condition="$(WindowsSDK) == ''">
   <WindowsSDK>$(registry:HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SDKs\Windows@CurrentInstallFolder)</WindowsSDK>
 </PropertyGroup>

 <PropertyGroup>
   <mt_exe>$(WindowsSDK)bin\mt.exe</mt_exe>
 </PropertyGroup>

 <ItemGroup>
   <BootstrapperFile Include="Microsoft.Windows.Installer.3.1" >
     <ProductName>Windows Installer 3.1</ProductName>
   </BootstrapperFile>
   <!-- more BootstrapperFile items -->
 </ItemGroup>

 <Target Name="Bootstrapper"
         Inputs="$(OutDir)$(TargetFileName)"
         Outputs="$(OutDir)\Setup.exe"
         Condition=" '$(OutputType)'=='package' " >
   <GenerateBootstrapper ApplicationName="application name"
                         ApplicationFile="$(TargetFileName)"
                         BootstrapperItems="@(BootstrapperFile)"
                         ComponentsLocation="Relative"
                         OutputPath="$(OutputPath)"
                         Culture="en-US"
                         Path="$(WindowsSDK)\Bootstrapper" />
 </Target>

 <Target Name="PatchSetupExe" DependsOnTargets="Bootstrapper">
   <Exec Command='"$(mt_exe)" -manifest setup.manifest -outputresource:$(OutDir)\Setup.exe;#1' IgnoreExitCode='false' />
 </Target>

 <Import Project="$(MSBuildExtensionsPath)\Microsoft\WiX\v3.0\Wix.targets" />

 <PropertyGroup>
   <BuildDependsOn>$(BuildDependsOn);Bootstrapper;PatchSetupExe</BuildDependsOn>
 </PropertyGroup>
</Project>

Now a correct setup.exe which will run elevated will be generated on every build.