Installing Namespace Extension with Microsoft WIX

Question

What is the best/easiest way to install a namespace extension using wix? Especially how do I install it on Windows 7 with enabled UAC.

Answer 1

You need to add namespace extension specific registry entries for it to work. Many of these entries require admin privileges. So installing with UAC ON is not possible unless the user allows elevation.

Answer 2

I've solved this with by using a built in custom action from WiX where you just set the command line option before running the custom action. Here's an example how we do it:

<CustomAction Id='RegisterExtensions.SetProperty' Property='QtExecCmdLine' 
    Value='"[INSTALLDIR]RegisterExtensionDotNet20_x86.exe" -i "[INSTALLDIR]LogicNP.EZShellExtensions.dll" "[INSTALLDIR]LogicNP.EZNamespaceExtensions.dll" "[INSTALLDIR]MyNse.dll"'/>

<CustomAction Id='RegisterExtensions' BinaryKey="WixCA" DllEntry="CAQuietExec" Execute="immediate" Return="check"/>

This has to be done also for 64 bit. I have separate 64 bit version of the custom action also:

<CustomAction Id='RegisterExtensions64.SetProperty' Property='QtExecCmdLine'
      Value='"[INSTALLDIR]RegisterExtensionDotNet20_x64.exe" -i "[INSTALLDIR]LogicNP.EZShellExtensions.dll" "[INSTALLDIR]LogicNP.EZNamespaceExtensions.dll" "[INSTALLDIR]MyNse.dll"'/>

<CustomAction Id='RegisterExtensions64' BinaryKey="WixCA" DllEntry="CAQuietExec" Execute="immediate" Return="check"/>

You have to schedule the registration process also into the WiX build file:

<Custom Action="RegisterExtensions.SetProperty" Before="RegisterExtensions">(NOT Installed)</Custom>
<Custom Action='RegisterExtensions' After="InstallFinalize">(NOT Installed)</Custom>
<Custom Action='RegisterExtensions64.SetProperty' Before='RegisterExtensions64'>(NOT Installed) AND (VersionNT64)</Custom>
  <Custom Action='RegisterExtensions64' After='RegisterExtensions'>(NOT Installed) AND (VersionNT64)</Custom>

A consequence is that you need to include the EZNamespaceExtension executables in your installer.