Add/Remove for my application showing up in roaming user account.

Question

I've built an installer for my application by hand (don't ask why). And I set up the registry keys for its entry in the add/remove control panel under "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall". And it works fine. I need it to be under HKCU so my installer will run on Vista without asking to be elevated.

The issue I have is that if a user installs using a domain account with a roaming profile, and then goes to a different machine, there's an entry for my software in the add/remove control panel with no information in it. I don't want it to appear there for roaming users, my app does not get installed in such a way that it will work in that circumstance anyway. Is there anyway I can setup that entry so my app won't appear in the add/remove? Or have I doomed myself to it by making the entry under HKCU? Thanks!

Answer 1

fwiw:Google Chrome installs the way you did, but also suffers from the same problem since it installs in the profiles "local settings\app data" directory, which doesn't roam [1].

Rather than fix the install\uninstall problem, would it be reasonable to have your app roam with the user? Is it small and xcopy installable such that you could install it under Doc & settings\Application Data some place, which does roam?

[1] http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/windows2000serv/reskit/distrib/dseb_ovr_wpeu.mspx?mfr=true