WiX - CustomAction ExeCommand - Hide Console

Question

We've gotten a custom action that runs command-line to work as such:

<CustomAction Id="OurAction" FileKey="OurInstalledExe.exe" ExeCommand="our command line args" Execute="deferred" Return="check" />

The problem is, the user sees a console popup when the command runs.

The command line requires UAC elevation, but should not require any user interaction. We also install the file with the setup, the custom action runs After="InstallFiles".

How do we prevent the user from seeing the console?

Answer 1

If you have the source code of the exe this is what you can do. Make the EXE project Win32 Application project instead of Console Application.

If you cannot modify the Source code of the Exe, You can do this by:

1. Create a CustomAction dll
2. Call a CustomAction in DLL (From Wix) to Execute the process, by hiding the console window.

Answer 2

This should help you: http://wix.sourceforge.net/manual-wix3/qtexec.htm

Answer 3

Note that if you do require UAC elevation, then you need to ensure that it's a deferred execution CA. Here's the example from the manual with command line arguments added.

<CustomAction Id="QtExecDeferredExampleWithProperty_Cmd" Property="QtExecDeferredExampleWithProperty"
              Value="&quot;[#MyExecutable.exe]&quot; /arguments" Execute="immediate"/>
<CustomAction Id="QtExecDeferredExampleWithProperty" BinaryKey="WixCA" DllEntry="CAQuietExec"
              Execute="deferred" Return="check" Impersonate="no"/>
.
.
.
<InstallExecuteSequence>
    <Custom Action="QtExecDeferredExampleWithProperty_Cmd" After="CostFinalize"/>
    <Custom Action="QtExecDeferredExampleWithProperty" After="TheActionYouWantItAfter"/>
</InstallExecuteSequence>