PerUserOrMachine will not do "Program Files" directory for all users

[Captnwalker1]

Trying to implement a dual-scope package with WiX4, using the new scope="PerUserOrMachine". However every time I would select the PerMachine option it would still give me a %LOCALAPPDATA% path e.x.: C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Local\Programs\PerUserOrMachine-Example

See my example project with workaround. Just add scope to Package tag and it still breaks even with the workaround.
https://github.com/Captnwalker1/Wix4-PerUser-OR-PerMachine-Example

Bug

• Which version of WiX are you building with?
  4.0.0-rc.4+dea44a7d

• Which version of Visual Studio are you building with (if any)?
  Microsoft Visual Studio Enterprise 2022 Version 17.5.0

• Which version of the WiX Toolset Visual Studio Extension are you building with (if any)?
  HeatWave for VS2022 0.9.5

• Which version of .NET are you building with?
  7.0.201

• If the problem occurs when installing your packages built with WiX, what is the version of Windows the package is running on?
  Version 10.0.19044 Build 19044

• Describe the problem and the steps to reproduce it.
  Add Scope="perUserOrPerMachine" to wix project, if you use [ProgramFilesFolder] it will then only try to go within %localappdata%.
  See Example Project with workaround for InstallScopeDlg: https://github.com/Captnwalker1/Wix4-PerUser-OR-PerMachine-Example

• Describe the behavior you expected and how it differed from the actual behavior.
  Expecting a path with %localappdata% when picking perUser install, but not when selecting perMachine install. Should be like C:\Program Files\ or C:\Program Files(x86)\

[barnson]

Scope="perUserOrMachine" works as expected from the command line:

msiexec /l*vx permachine.log /i DualPurposePackage.msi ALLUSERS=1

MSI (c) (CC:64) [15:00:21:909]: Dir (target): Key: INSTALLFOLDER	, Object: C:\Program Files (x86)\TODO Manufacturer DualPurposePackage\

-v-

msiexec /l*vx peruser.log /i DualPurposePackage.msi

MSI (c) (78:10) [15:02:35:842]: Dir (target): Key: INSTALLFOLDER	, Object: C:\Users\User Name\AppData\Local\Programs\TODO Manufacturer DualPurposePackage\

FWIW, WixUI_Advanced predates dual-purpose packages so doesn't support them.

[Captnwalker1]

So there is no way to use any UI with Scope="PerUserOrMachine"?

I know in enterprise its common to use msiexec but most end-users will just be running the msi directly.

[barnson]

So far, nobody's done the work to make WixUI_Advanced work with dual-purpose packages.

[robmen]

@Captnwalker1 if this is something you'd like to work on in WiX v5, I'd recommend opening an issue to start the WIP process.

[gdams]

Hi there, I just wanted to check if this is still the case? The Adoptium project is migrating from with v3 to v5 and this feels like a pretty major regression. Are there any workarounds such as a permissions elevation dialogue to switch between perUser and perMachine?

[robmen]

It's not a regression. WixUI_Advanced was developed before Windows Installer introduced per-user/per-machine switching packages. The point is no one has made an effort to make it work better at all.

None of my customers use this feature of the Windows Installer (I am not sure any even use WixUI_Advanced either), so I don't personally prioritize it.