Execute custom actions only on install or uninstall

Question

I'm making installer with WiX 3.10. My original task is to copy Postgres files to target system, initialize cluster, register service, start it and restore database on install, and in reverse - stop service, remove it from system, and clear up cluster data. I wrote two bat files, and added custom actions to execute them and some conditions as described in various places, but none of them working. I've tried with and without CDATA, Installed, INSTALLED and some other variations, but it always executes both actions.

Here is the wix file I'm experimenting with now.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<Wix xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/wix/2006/wi">
    <Product Id="*" Name="Hatred_6" Language="1033" Version="1.0.0.0" Manufacturer="Satan" UpgradeCode="d9602b10-8428-4031-8c82-99288b21377f">
        <Package InstallerVersion="405" Compressed="yes" InstallScope="perMachine"  InstallPrivileges="elevated"/>

        <MajorUpgrade DowngradeErrorMessage="A newer version of [ProductName] is already installed." />
        <MediaTemplate EmbedCab="yes" />

        <CustomAction Id="AAction" Directory="INSTALLFOLDER" Execute="deferred" Impersonate="no" Return="check"
                      ExeCommand="cmd.exe /c &quot;a.bat&quot;">NOT Installed</CustomAction>

        <CustomAction Id="BAction" Directory="INSTALLFOLDER" Execute="deferred" Impersonate="no" Return="check"
                      ExeCommand="cmd.exe /c &quot;b.bat&quot;">Installed</CustomAction>

        <InstallExecuteSequence>
            <Custom Action="BAction" After="InstallFiles" />
            <Custom Action="AAction" After="InstallFiles" />
        </InstallExecuteSequence>

        <Feature Id="ProductFeature" Title="Hatred_6" Level="1">
            <ComponentGroupRef Id="ProductComponents" />
        </Feature>
    </Product>

    <Fragment>
        <Directory Id="TARGETDIR" Name="SourceDir">
            <Directory Id="ProgramFilesFolder">
                <Directory Id="INSTALLFOLDER" Name="Hatred_6" />
            </Directory>
        </Directory>
    </Fragment>

    <Fragment>
        <ComponentGroup Id="ProductComponents" Directory="INSTALLFOLDER">
            <Component Id="CalcComponent" Guid="515C0606-FD73-4B5D-ACF4-481123092A3E">
                <File Id="CalcFile" KeyPath="yes" Source="calc.exe" />
            </Component>
            <Component Id="AComponent" Guid="515e3aa0-e5a0-4cd1-aaa5-ebf25a679a24">
                <File Id="AFile" KeyPath="yes" Source="a.bat" />
            </Component>
            <Component Id="BComponent" Guid="85f7627e-fc39-4f78-a870-221d2d08375d">
                <File Id="BFile" KeyPath="yes" Source="b.bat" />
            </Component>
        </ComponentGroup>
    </Fragment>
</Wix>

---

bat files contain dir > a.txt and dir > b.txt so I can see if they actually executed. It's somewhat frustrating, am I misunderstanding something?

Answer 1

Condition should be placed inside Custom element, not CustomAction. Also, you have no InstallFiles action during uninstalling. Use RemoveFiles instead.

<CustomAction Id="AAction" Directory="INSTALLFOLDER" Execute="deferred" 
              Impersonate="no" Return="check" ExeCommand="cmd.exe /c &quot;a.bat&quot;" />
<CustomAction Id="BAction" Directory="INSTALLFOLDER" Execute="deferred"
              Impersonate="no" Return="check" ExeCommand="cmd.exe /c &quot;b.bat&quot;" />

<InstallExecuteSequence>
    <Custom Action="AAction" After="InstallFiles">NOT Installed</Custom>
    <Custom Action="BAction" Before="RemoveFiles">Installed</Custom>
</InstallExecuteSequence>