WiX - trying to figure out install sequences

Question

I'm installing a large app, and part of it is a custom written tool called "DbUpdateManager" to mass execute SQL scripts against our target database.

Right now, the WiX 2.x install works - but it has one flaw: during install, I also install a couple of Windows services, which can be optionally started right away. Those however will fail, if the DbUpdateManager hasn't been run yet.

So what I'm trying to accomplish is this:

1. Install DbUpdateManager and my services from my MSI
2. Run DbUpdateManager BEFORE any of the services start up

My current WiX source looks something like this:

<Directory Id='INSTALLDIR' Name='DbUpdMgr' LongName='DbUpdateManager' >
  <!-- DbUpdateManager component with the necessary files -->
  <Component Id='DbUpdateManagerComponent' Guid='...' DiskId='1'>
     <File Id='DbUpdateManagerFile' LongName='DbUpdateManager.Wizard.exe' 
           Name='DbUmWz.exe' src='DbUpdateManager.Wizard.exe'  KeyPath='no' />
  </Component>

  <!-- Component to install one of my Windows services -->
  <Component Id='InstallServiceComponent' Guid='...' DiskId='1'>
     <File Id='InstallServiceFile' LongName='MyService.exe' 
           Name='MyServic.exe' src='MyService.exe' KeyPath='yes'/>
     <ServiceInstall Id='InstallMyService' Name='MyService' 
                     Description='My Service' ErrorControl='normal' 
                     Start='auto' Type='ownProcess' Vital='yes' />
     <ServiceControl Id='UninstallMyService' Name='MyService' 
                     Remove='uninstall' Wait='yes' />
  </Component>

  <!-- Feature for the DbUpdateManager referencing the above component -->    
  <Feature Id='DbUpdateManager' ConfigurableDirectory='INSTALLDIR' 
           AllowAdvertise='no' Description='DbUpdateManager' Level='1' 
           Title='Database Update Manager'>
     <ComponentRef Id='DbUpdateManagerComponent'/>
  </Feature>

  <!-- Custom action for running DbUpdateManager -->    
  <CustomAction Id='RunDbUpdateManagerAction' FileKey='DbUpdateManagerFile' 
                ExeCommand='' Return='asyncWait' />

  <!-- Calling the custom action in the install sequence -->    
  <InstallExecuteSequence>
      <RemoveExistingProducts After='InstallInitialize' />
      <Custom Action='RunDbUpdateManagerAction' 
              After='InstallFinalize'>&amp;DbUpdateManager=3</Custom>

I inherited this WIX, and it works - but as I said - the DbUpdateManager gets called too late in the process (only "After=InstallFinalize") and thus the services will fail to start up properly at first (the run fine the second time around when you restart them manually after DbUpdateManager has run).

I poked around the MSI documentation a bit and found a nice step called "StartServices", so my hunch was to just change my calling the custom action to this:

   <InstallExecuteSequence>
          <Custom Action='RunDbUpdateManagerAction' 
                  Before='StartServices'>&amp;DbUpdateManager=3</Custom>

Unfortunately, in this case, nothing at all happens - DbUpdateManager NEVER gets called....

Any ideas why? Debugging the MSI/WiX stuff is really really tricky, and I can't seem to see the forest for the trees anymore....

Thanks! Marc

EDIT: The "RunDbUpdateManagerAction" is placed in the right position in the InstallExecuteSequence table in my MSI - right AFTER InstallServices and just BEFORE StartServices - and yet it doesn't work.... DbUpdateManager (a Winforms utility) does not show up during installation :-(

EDIT 2: now my action appears to be executed and at the right time - unfortunately, I'm just not seeing my wizard :-( What I'm seeing is an error code "return value 1631" which means something like "MSI Service could not be started" - wtf ???

MSI (s) (2C:D8) [20:53:36:383]: Doing action: RunDbUpdateManagerAction Action 20:53:36: RunDbUpdateManagerAction. Action started at 20:53:36: RunDbUpdateManagerAction. MSI (s) (2C:D8) [20:53:36:383]: Doing action: StartServices Action 20:53:36: StartServices. Services are being started Action started at 20:53:36: StartServices. Action finished at 20:53:36: RunDbUpdateManagerAction. Return value 1631.

Answer 1

Try getting a log file of the Installation, and look for the sequence order in there and the value of the condition to perform the Custom Action

Use this in the command line: msiexec /i [msiname] /l*v [filename]

EDIT: After reading your comment have a look at this page here you could try to add NOT INSTALLED in the condition

EDIT2: I found this page Search for your error Number 1631