Shortcuts on the Desktop is not removed during UnInstall

[zims]

I have a problem with shortcuts on the desktop not being removed during a UnInstall. The problem arrises when one user installas the application and another user uninstalls the application. The strange thing is that it works fine for shortcuts under the startmenu, but not on the desktop.

I have spent a lot of time analyzing the problem and have come to the following conclusing of how to reproduce the problem.


I use InstallAware 8.01 and the computer where I have reproduced the problem is a Windows XP Sp2 (English).

1. Create a new InstallAware project (I used the Basic template)

2. This project has as default a shortcut located under $SHORTCUTFOLDER$ to uninstall the application. Keep this shortcut unmodified and create a new shortcut with the exact same properties except use $DESKTOPDIR$ as Link Location.

Code: Select all

Create Shortcut $DESKTOPDIR$\\Uninstall BasicSetupTest to $UNINSTALLLINK$
Create Shortcut $SHORTCUTFOLDER$\\Uninstall BasicSetupTest to $UNINSTALLLINK$

3. Compile and run the install on the test computer with a user account that is local admin on the computer. On the page “Select Program Folder” in the wizard make sure you have selected to Install this application for “All Users”.

4. When the installation is complete you have 2 shortcuts, one on the desktop and on under the Start menu.
If you look more closely at the shortcuts you can see both are located on the harddrive in subfolder the to directory C:\\Documents and Settings\\All Users\\

5. Now UnInstall the application by right click the setup .exe file and select “Run as”. Run the installer with another user account than you used when you installed the software, make sure this second user also is an local admin on the computer.

6. After the uninstallation you can see that the shortcut on the desktop was not removed but the shortcut under the start menu was removed without any problems.


So if you install and uninstall the application using the same user account everything works without problem. But if you use a different user account for installation and uninstalling shortcuts under the start menu as successfully removed, but shortcuts on the desktop are not removed.

I hope you understand what I mean and if not let me know and I will try to explain better. I have also attached the testprojekt I have created for this example.

The reason this is a problem for me is that we “push” the installation on the clients from a server. From the server we install a temporary Service on each client that runs under the user account “Localmachine”, this service automatically installs the application in the background. When the user later uninstalls the application they do it manually and that is when my problem was found. This “push” installation that we use is very use full when you need to install/update aloft of client at the same time. When manually installation and uninstalling the application with 2 diffrent user account you simulate what happends during our "Push" installation.

Zims

File Attached:

BasicSetupTest.zip

[zims]

Any comment on this from InstallAware?

Zims

[MichaelNesmith]

Use logging, run the setup in the debugger, to find out more about this inconsistency.

[zims]

How can I use debugging to track this problem. The removal of shortcuts are do by "Apply Uninstall" if I understand everything correctly. Is it possibly to debug what happends during Apply Uninstall?

I have tried to analyse the logfile but I could not find anything strange in it, but it holds ALOT of information so i might have missed anything.

I have spent alot of time investigating this problem, I have also created a sample project (included in my first post). Can you please see if you can reproduce my problem following my abow procedure.

Zims

[zims]

Use logging, run the setup in the debugger, to find out more about this inconsistency.

To be honest I think I have found out alot about this problem. I have been able to reproduce the problem wity your "Basic template". I have also included a project + a compiled setup with everything about the problem.

What do you want me to do more?

Zims

[MichaelNesmith]

Observe the values of variables in the script in the debugger to make sure they are what you expect them to be at both install time and uninstall time.

[zims]

What variabels do you want me to observer. I dont understand what to look at during debug. What happends during Apply Uninstall I can't debug as far as I know.

Code: Select all

Create Shortcut $DESKTOPDIR$\\Uninstall BasicSetupTest to $UNINSTALLLINK$

I honestly think I have investigated this as far as I can and that is why I created this message with information how to reproduce the problem with your "Basic template". I also included my project just to make it easier for you to reproduce the problem.

If you tell me more exactly what to look after while debuging i will do that but right now I don't know what to observ.

Zims

[MichaelNesmith]

ALLUSERS, UNINSTALLLINK, DESKTOPDIR, etc.

[zims]

I have already checked these properties and they are OK.

Have you been able to reproduce the problem?

[MichaelNesmith]

If the values of all these variables are correct, and also are correctly stated in the Windows Installer log, I would cross-check with other Windows Installer tools to see if they exhibit this same problem first. It might be a Windows Installer issue and not an issue specific to InstallAware. I've seen problems with the MSI engine before similar to this one, such as some kinds of registry entries not being removed when all user installs are made and removals are done by different users.

[zims]

We have just migrated from InstallShield to InstallAware and while using InstallShield we never had ny problems with this.

Why have you not tried to reproduce my problem. I have given you all information you need to test it but still you have not said anything about it?

I honestly think that installing with one user and uninstalling with another is not that uncommon. When you work with big customers there are alot of technical people helping users with there computers.

Zims

[MichaelNesmith]

Were you using InstallShield's MSI engine or their own custom Win32 setup engine?

I will queue this for reproduction once I have all the information I need. Make sure you keep your posts professional - any kind of rants will NOT be tolerated. This is your ONLY warning. You do not control our schedules, we do.

[zims]

We use the InstallShield's MSI engin.

I think my post are professional. I have not been rude I only want you to look at my problem. I have followd this forum for several month while using the trial version to decide if we should migrate or not. I have seen several post where InstallAware staffs asks for way to reproduce the problems. That was why I first worked hard to find a way to easily reproduce my problem before I wrote my post.

I have tried everything I could think about before I wrote my post. I understand that YOU control you schedule, but you have not said anything about my effort to give you as much information as possible.

I am a paying customer and I accualy think I have the right to ask you if you have tried to reproduce my problem.

Zims

[MichaelNesmith]

Unfortunately your attitude demands that we look at this issue ASAP and fix it ASAP for you. That's not how it works. You don't get to choose what we spend our time on.

For your case, there is an extremely simple workaround, which is to manually delete the created links. Since you have said the variable values are intact, you can simply add a delete call to your script after Apply Uninstall to remove these errant parts.

I have queued your issue for reproduction and fixing after that, but again, you don't get to demand when that happens. Our R&D department is always busy adding new features to the product and they get to assign priorities to their work orders.

[zims]

I accualy created my post the 2009-02-26 and waited until 2009-03-09 to get an answer, I am not in a hurry to solve this problem. I never asked you to do this as ASAP, I just wanted to know if you have tried to reproduce or if you are planning to do so since I have tried everything I can think of.

I am happy with your answer since you are going to look at it in the mean time I will look at you suggestion of a work around.

For your case, there is an extremely simple workaround, which is to manually delete the created links. Since you have said the variable values are intact, you can simply add a delete call to your script after Apply Uninstall to remove these errant parts.

I will try to do this, but when you say a "Delete call" do you mean a specifik MSICode method?

Many Thanks
Zims