4 replies to this topic

[subodh_jai]

After installation of a package we usually get this key created for a product “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Installer\UserData\S-1-5-18\Products\<Some GUID>. Here we don’t know how this GUID got generated as this information is no where mentioned in the .msi database or installation project also it does not seem generated during run time as I found it same on all the system where I installed this package.

We have requirement to get installation information programmatically which is available under this key but unable to complete the registry path as we don’t know the GUID value. Is there any way we can get value for this GUID? Please advice.

[Stefan Krueger]

These entries are undocumented and shouldn't be used - they might change without notice. That said, here's an article that explains how Windows Installer modifies GUIDs when storing them in registry:
http://www.msigeek.c...installer-guids

[Glytzhkof]

As Stefan says you should never access this registry key directly, it's the MSI database itself in its own storage format. Instead you should access Windows Installer via automation. Here is a sample of how you can invoke the windows installer engine via a vbscript:

Const msiUILevelNone = 2

Set objInstaller = CreateObject("WindowsInstaller.Installer")
objInstaller.UILevel = msiUILevelNone
objInstaller.InstallProduct( "foo.msi", "REMOVE=ALL")
Set objInstaller = Nothing

Attached is a sample vbscript from the MSI SDK which shows how to access info from the summary stream.

Attached Files

•  WiSumInf.vbs   6.03KB   51 downloads

[Glytzhkof]

Come to think of it, if you don't have the MSI SDK installed it's annoying to have to download the whole SDK for some sample scripts. Here are the sample scripts in a bundle zip.

Attached Files

•  Windows_Installer_Scripts.zip   43.4KB   83 downloads

Edited by Glytzhkof, 25 March 2010 - 02:07.

[subodh_jai]

Stefan and Stein, Thanks for your help.