Why does [ProgramFilesFolder] resolve to C:\Users\[USERNAME]\AppData\Local\Programs\... in advanced installer with Per Machine selected?

[Woodgnome]

Package.wxs:

<Wix xmlns="http://wixtoolset.org/schemas/v4/wxs" xmlns:ui="http://wixtoolset.org/schemas/v4/wxs/ui">
	<Package Name="AppName"
			 Manufacturer="Test"
			 Version="!(bind.FileVersion.ExeFile)"
			 UpgradeCode="efaa7add-80a0-4975-b503-ef6198b6f2df"
			 Scope="perUserOrMachine">
		<MajorUpgrade DowngradeErrorMessage="!(loc.DowngradeError)"/>
		<MediaTemplate EmbedCab="yes"/>

		<!-- Icon for Add/remove programs -->
		<Icon Id="Icon" SourceFile="..\App\Images\icon.ico"/>
		<Property Id="ARPPRODUCTICON" Value="Icon" />
		
		<!-- Files to install -->
		<Feature Id="Main">
			<ComponentGroupRef Id="FileComponents"/>
		</Feature>

		<Property Id="ApplicationFolderName" Value="My Application Folder" />
		<Property Id="WixAppFolder" Value="WixPerMachineFolder" />
		<ui:WixUI Id="WixUI_Advanced"/>

		<!-- Set custom dialog/banner backgrounds -->
		<WixVariable Id="WixUIDialogBmp" Value=".\Assets\dialog.png"/>
		<WixVariable Id="WixUIBannerBmp" Value=".\Assets\banner.png"/>
	</Package>
</Wix>

Folders.wxs:

<Wix xmlns="http://wixtoolset.org/schemas/v4/wxs">
	<Fragment>
		<Directory Id="APPLICATIONFOLDER" Name="Placeholder"/>
	</Fragment>
</Wix>

Components.wxs:

<Wix xmlns="http://wixtoolset.org/schemas/v4/wxs">
	<Fragment>
		<ComponentGroup Id="FileComponents" Directory="APPLICATIONFOLDER">
			<Component Guid="0151A7DC-0429-4C22-98B2-397B345D881A">
				<File Id="ExeFile" Source="..\App\bin\$(Configuration)\publish\bin.exe"/>

				<!-- Ensure application folder and contents deleted on uninstall -->
				<RemoveFile Id="PurgeApplicationFolder" Name="*.*" On="uninstall" />
			</Component>
		</ComponentGroup>
	</Fragment>
</Wix>

The binary is installed correctly according to the selected location in the Install scope dialog, but for some reason the resolved path for "Per Machine" installation is:

If I create a <StandardDirectory Id="ProgramFilesFolder"/> in Folders.wxs this correctly refers to C:\Program Files\... - why does the custom action fail to resolve the correct path?

[wmanning]

This link is for wix v3 but it notes a property called WixUISupportPerUser that you can use to prevent a user from setting the install context to per-user:

<WixVariable Id="WixUISupportPerUser" Value="0" />

[bevanweiss]

What is your ALLUSERS property set to when it comes time to call the CustomAction WixSetPerMachineFolder or where the APPLICATIONFOLDER property is set?

I suspect it might be something around this area that's causing some problem
https://github.com/wixtoolset/wix/blob/523c66a62a619e6aa9f30070173ea33edfb5e328/src/ext/UI/wixlib/WixUI_Advanced.wxs#L101-L109

So you'll want to look at the log file around this, and confirm that in both PerMachine and PerUser all of the values are matching expectations.

[Woodgnome]

Using a modified version of WixUI_Advanced.wxs I got it to work (modifications below). In the unmodified version the order of events are:

1. Installation is started.
2. Custom actions WixSetDefaultPerUserFolder and WixSetDefaultPerMachineFolder are run before CostFinalize (as specified in InstallExecuteSequence and InstallUISequence).
3. Scope dialog is displayed and user selects "Per machine" or "Per user" installation.
4. ALLUSERS is set according to the selection.

As far as I can tell this causes the default value for DefaultPerMachineFolder to be set incorrectly when <Package> scope is different from perMachine (and causes the installer to require elevated permissions when set to perMachine breaking per user installation).

I fixed it with the following changes:

Package.wxs:

<Package Scope="perUserOrMachine" ...> <!-- No changes, allow both values -->

Custom WixUI_Advanced.wxs:

<!-- Replace existing custom actions and InstallExecuteSequence / InstallUISequence with: -->
<CustomAction Id="SetPerUserFolder" Property="APPLICATIONFOLDER" Value="[LocalAppDataFolder][ProductName]" Execute="immediate" />
<CustomAction Id="SetPerMachineFolder" Property="APPLICATIONFOLDER" Value="[ProgramFiles64Folder][Manufacturer]\[ProductName]" Execute="immediate" />

<!-- Update step 4/5 of the InstallScopeDlg Next control: 
<!-- <Publish Dialog="InstallScopeDlg" Control="Next" Property="APPLICATIONFOLDER" Value="[WixPerUserFolder]" Order="4" Condition="WixAppFolder = &quot;WixPerUserFolder&quot;" /> -->
<!-- <Publish Dialog="InstallScopeDlg" Control="Next" Property="APPLICATIONFOLDER" Value="[WixPerMachineFolder]" Order="5" Condition="WixAppFolder = &quot;WixPerMachineFolder&quot;" /> -->
<Publish Dialog="InstallScopeDlg" Control="Next" Event="DoAction" Value="SetPerUserFolder" Order="4" Condition="WixAppFolder = &quot;WixPerUserFolder&quot;" />
<Publish Dialog="InstallScopeDlg" Control="Next" Event="DoAction" Value="SetPerMachineFolder" Order="5" Condition="WixAppFolder = &quot;WixPerMachineFolder&quot;" />

This causes the folder actions to be run after ALLUSERS have been set in step 2/3 of InstallScopeDlg Next control:

<Publish Dialog="InstallScopeDlg" Control="Next" Property="ALLUSERS" Value="{}" Order="2" Condition="WixAppFolder = &quot;WixPerUserFolder&quot;" />
<Publish Dialog="InstallScopeDlg" Control="Next" Property="ALLUSERS" Value="1" Order="3" Condition="WixAppFolder = &quot;WixPerMachineFolder&quot;" />

Is this a bug in the advanced installer?

[bevanweiss]

As far as I can tell this causes the default value for DefaultPerMachineFolder to be set incorrectly when <Package> scope is different from perMachine (and causes the installer to require elevated permissions when set to perMachine breaking per user installation).

Are you sure about this part?
I would expect the DefaultPerMachineFolder location to be strictly under C:\Program Files... (either 64 or 32 bit as applicable for the architecture).
And the DefaultPerUserFolder to be under the LocalAppDataFolder.

I was a bit surprised that the InstallScopeDlg did more than just setting the ALLUSERS property.
Since it's all UI stuff it's pretty tough to really configure unit tests for. I'm not aware of any for the UI stuff myself. So it's possible that changes between v3 and now have resulted in some undesired behaviour in certain less frequent scenarios.

If you put together a minimal reproducible example, and reproduction steps (screen shots showing both options, with logs), where a single text file is put into the wrong location.. then you could raise an issue around that. Then someone can look into it and potentially resolve the issue.

[Woodgnome]

As far as I can tell this causes the default value for DefaultPerMachineFolder to be set incorrectly when <Package> scope is different from perMachine (and causes the installer to require elevated permissions when set to perMachine breaking per user installation).

Are you sure about this part? I would expect the DefaultPerMachineFolder location to be strictly under C:\Program Files... (either 64 or 32 bit as applicable for the architecture). And the DefaultPerUserFolder to be under the LocalAppDataFolder.

Unless I'm doing something else wrong, pretty sure. Issue created: #8887