DetectPackageComplete / PackageState wrong

[Steve0212a]

I am upgrading a Wix v3 MSI and bootstrapper to v4. The bootstrapper also installs SQL Server Express 2017 as shown in this fragment.

  <Fragment>
    <?define InstanceName = "xxx" ?>
    <?define SqlWebLink = https://xxx/installationmedia/SQLEXPR_x64_2017_ENU.exe ?>

    <!-- Read SQL Server keys to find current instance and version -->
    <util:RegistrySearch Id="SqlInstanceKeyFound"
                         Root="HKLM"
                         Key="SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server\Instance Names\SQL"
                         Value="$(var.InstanceName)"
                         Result="exists"
                         Variable="SqlInstanceKeyFound"
                         Bitness="always64" />
    <util:RegistrySearch Id="SqlInstanceKey"
                         Root="HKLM"
                         Key="SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server\Instance Names\SQL"
                         Value="$(var.InstanceName)"
                         Variable="SqlInstanceKey"
                         After="SqlInstanceKeyFound" 
                         Condition="SqlInstanceKeyFound" 
                         Bitness="always64" />
    <util:RegistrySearch Id="SqlInstanceFound" 
                         Root="HKLM" 
                         Key="SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server\[SqlInstanceKey]" 
                         Result="exists" 
                         Variable="SqlInstanceFound" 
                         After="SqlInstanceKey"
                         Condition="SqlInstanceKeyFound"
                         Bitness="always64" />

    <PackageGroup Id="SqlServer2017ExpressRedistPackage">
      <!--
      SQL Server 2017 Express - Install new instance
      -->
      <ExePackage PerMachine="yes" 
                  DetectCondition="SqlInstanceFound" 
                  Id="SqlServer2017ExpressRedist" 
                  Vital="yes" 
                  Permanent="yes" 
                  DisplayName="SQL Server 2017 Express" 
                  Cache="remove"
                  InstallArguments="/action=Install /IACCEPTSQLSERVERLICENSETERMS /IACCEPTROPENLICENSETERMS /ROLE=AllFeatures_WithDefaults /FEATURES=SQL /INSTANCENAME=$(var.InstanceName) /QS /HIDECONSOLE /SECURITYMODE=SQL /ADDCURRENTUSERASSQLADMIN /SAPWD=xxx /INSTALLSHAREDDIR=&quot;[SELECTEDSQLSERVERDRIVE]Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server&quot; /INSTALLSHAREDWOWDIR=&quot;[SELECTEDSQLSERVERDRIVE]Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server&quot; /INSTANCEDIR=&quot;[SELECTEDSQLSERVERDRIVE]Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL14.$(var.InstanceName)&quot;"
                  >
        <ExitCode Value="3010" Behavior="forceReboot" />
        <ExePackagePayload Description="SQL Server 2017 Express"
                           Hash="e0a5a388255244f1f5eb2fbf46bdc7292f7e3d8e" 
                           ProductName="SQL Server 2017 Express" 
                           Size="289058768"
                           Version="14.0.1000.169" 
                           Name="SQLEXPR_x64_2017_ENU.exe"
                           DownloadUrl="$(var.SqlWebLink)" 
                           />
      </ExePackage>
    </PackageGroup>
  </Fragment>

On my system, I already have SQL Server installed and the v3 installer recognizes that it is installed. However, for the v4 installer when the DetectPackageComplete event is fired, the PackageState for this SQL Server package is Cached as shown in the screen print below. One other thing to note in the screen print - the state is cached, but the boolean variable "Cached" is false.

When I look at the comment for Cached (“The package is not installed but is in the package cache.”), I do not believe it should be returning cached in this instance. I believe it should return Present as the v3 installer does.

Here is a part of the log bundle log. It did detect that it was installed.

[5164:C40C][2023-04-10T10:33:07]i000: Setting numeric variable 'SqlInstanceKeyFound' to value 1
[5164:C40C][2023-04-10T10:33:07]i052: Condition 'SqlInstanceKeyFound' evaluates to true.
[5164:C40C][2023-04-10T10:33:07]i000: Setting string variable 'SqlInstanceKey' to value 'MSSQL14.xxx' <-- change instance name to xxx
[5164:C40C][2023-04-10T10:33:07]i052: Condition 'SqlInstanceKeyFound' evaluates to true.
[5164:C40C][2023-04-10T10:33:07]i000: Setting numeric variable 'SqlInstanceFound' to value 1
[5164:C40C][2023-04-10T10:39:06]i052: Condition 'SqlInstanceFound' evaluates to true.

So, why did it say Cached for the package state? Is this a bug?

thanks for any help

[rseanhall]

It says Cached because this is a bug. The Cached value of the managed enum should have been removed at the same time it was removed from the native header in wixtoolset/burn#55.

[Steve0212a]

OK. Will this be fixed in the next release of Wix? Until then, is it safe to say on v4.0 "== cached || == present" if what I really want is "== present"?

[rseanhall]

I don't know if will be in the next release, that depends on someone creating a bug for this and then us triaging it next week.

Since the cached value was moved to a separate boolean value, 99.9% of the time you would want to workaround this by doing "> absent". Almost nobody will need to tell the difference between Present and Superseded.

[Steve0212a]

thanks - I will use "> absent".

[vaa2000]

Hey @Steve0212a , can you please guide me on how are you performing step debugging of wix installer as shown in this screenshot-

[Steve0212a]

I compile the code with a Debugger.Launch(); line and it will launch the debugger. Then select the Visual Studio with your code open...