Does .NET Framework installation support exist in Wix 3.11 for MSI projects?

[skallurk]

Hi,
I have a use case where my product needs to have .NET 4.8 Framework installed before installing the service and it needs to be in the MSI project.
It is built using Wix 3.11 where I include the below NetFx48.wxs file and use it in Product.wxs file as seen below. But it doesn't seem to be installing 4.8 after building the MSI and trying the MSI installation.

Note: I also have a bundle project that uses the MSI generated where the below code works but I need it to be in the MSI (without using the bundling code).

Is this not achievable in Wix 3.11? Will moving to higher versions of Wix like 4.0.4 will help fix this issue?

NetFx48.wxs:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<!-- Copyright (c) .NET Foundation and contributors. All rights reserved. Licensed under the Microsoft Reciprocal License. See LICENSE.TXT file in the project root for full license information. -->

<Wix xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/wix/2006/wi" xmlns:util="http://schemas.microsoft.com/wix/UtilExtension">

    <!--
      .NET Framework installation state properties
      Official documentation can be found at the following location:
      .NET Framework 4.5/4.5.1/4.5.2/4.6/4.6.1/4.6.2/4.7/4.7.1/4.8 - https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/w0x726c2(v=vs.110).aspx
   -->

    <?define NetFx48MinRelease = 528040 ?>
    <?define NetFx48WebLink = https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=2085155 ?>
    <?define NetFx48RedistLink = https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=2088631 ?>
    <?define NetFx48EulaLink = https://referencesource.microsoft.com/license.html ?>

    <Fragment>
        <PropertyRef Id="WIXNETFX4RELEASEINSTALLED" />
        <Property Id="WIX_IS_NETFRAMEWORK_48_OR_LATER_INSTALLED" Secure="yes" />
        <SetProperty Id="WIX_IS_NETFRAMEWORK_48_OR_LATER_INSTALLED" Value="1" After="AppSearch">
            WIXNETFX4RELEASEINSTALLED >= "#$(var.NetFx48MinRelease)"
        </SetProperty>
    </Fragment>

    <Fragment>
        <util:RegistrySearchRef Id="NETFRAMEWORK45"/>

        <WixVariable Id="WixMbaPrereqPackageId" Value="NetFx48Web" />
        <WixVariable Id="WixMbaPrereqLicenseUrl" Value="$(var.NetFx48EulaLink)" Overridable="yes" />
        <WixVariable Id="NetFx48WebDetectCondition" Value="NETFRAMEWORK45 &gt;= $(var.NetFx48MinRelease)" Overridable="yes" />
        <WixVariable Id="NetFx48WebInstallCondition" Value="" Overridable="yes" />
        <WixVariable Id="NetFx48WebPackageDirectory" Value="redist\" Overridable="yes" />

        <PackageGroup Id="NetFx48Web">
            <ExePackage
                InstallCommand="/q /norestart /ChainingPackage &quot;[WixBundleName]&quot; /log &quot;[NetFx48FullLog].html&quot;"
                RepairCommand="/q /norestart /repair /ChainingPackage &quot;[WixBundleName]&quot; /log &quot;[NetFx48FullLog].html&quot;"
                UninstallCommand="/uninstall /q /norestart /ChainingPackage &quot;[WixBundleName]&quot; /log &quot;[NetFx48FullLog].html&quot;"
                PerMachine="yes"
                DetectCondition="!(wix.NetFx48WebDetectCondition)"
                InstallCondition="!(wix.NetFx48WebInstallCondition)"
                Id="NetFx48Web"
                Vital="yes"
                Permanent="yes"
                Protocol="netfx4"
                DownloadUrl="$(var.NetFx48WebLink)"
                LogPathVariable="NetFx48FullLog"
                Compressed="no"
                Name="!(wix.NetFx48WebPackageDirectory)ndp48-web.exe">
                <RemotePayload
                     CertificatePublicKey="F49F9B33E25E33CCA0BFB15A62B7C29FFAB3880B"
                     CertificateThumbprint="ABDCA79AF9DD48A0EA702AD45260B3C03093FB4B"
                     Description="Microsoft .NET Framework 4.8 Setup"
                     Hash="4181398AA1FD5190155AC3A388434E5F7EA0B667"
                     ProductName="Microsoft .NET Framework 4.8"
                     Size="1439328"
                     Version="4.8.4115.0" />
            </ExePackage>
        </PackageGroup>
    </Fragment>

    <Fragment>
        <util:RegistrySearchRef Id="NETFRAMEWORK45"/>

        <WixVariable Id="WixMbaPrereqPackageId" Value="NetFx48Redist" />
        <WixVariable Id="WixMbaPrereqLicenseUrl" Value="$(var.NetFx48EulaLink)" Overridable="yes" />
        <WixVariable Id="NetFx48RedistDetectCondition" Value="NETFRAMEWORK45 &gt;= $(var.NetFx48MinRelease)" Overridable="yes" />
        <WixVariable Id="NetFx48RedistInstallCondition" Value="" Overridable="yes" />
        <WixVariable Id="NetFx48RedistPackageDirectory" Value="redist\" Overridable="yes" />

        <PackageGroup Id="NetFx48Redist">
            <ExePackage
              InstallCommand="/passive /norestart /showrmui /ChainingPackage &quot;[WixBundleName]&quot; /log &quot;[NetFx48RedistLog].html&quot;"
              RepairCommand="/passive /norestart /showrmui /repair /ChainingPackage &quot;[WixBundleName]&quot; /log &quot;[NetFx48RedistLog].html&quot;"
              UninstallCommand="/uninstall /passive /showrmui /norestart /ChainingPackage &quot;[WixBundleName]&quot; /log &quot;[NetFx48RedistLog].html&quot;"
              PerMachine="yes"
              DetectCondition="!(wix.NetFx48RedistDetectCondition)"
              InstallCondition="!(wix.NetFx48RedistInstallCondition)"
              Id="NetFx48Redist"
              Vital="yes"
              Permanent="yes"
              DownloadUrl="$(var.NetFx48RedistLink)"
              LogPathVariable="NetFx48RedistLog"
              Compressed="no"
              Name="!(wix.NetFx48RedistPackageDirectory)ndp48-x86-x64-allos-enu.exe">
                <RemotePayload
                  CertificatePublicKey="F49F9B33E25E33CCA0BFB15A62B7C29FFAB3880B"
                  CertificateThumbprint="ABDCA79AF9DD48A0EA702AD45260B3C03093FB4B"
                  Description="Microsoft .NET Framework 4.8 Setup"
                  Hash="E322E2E0FB4C86172C38A97DC6C71982134F0570"
                  ProductName="Microsoft .NET Framework 4.8"
                  Size="117380440"
                  Version="4.8.4115.0" />
            </ExePackage>
        </PackageGroup>
    </Fragment>
</Wix>

Product.wxs:

<Product ...>
   <!-- Abort installation if the .NET Framework 4.8 is not installed -->
   <Condition Message="This application requires .NET Framework 4.8. Please install the .NET Framework then run this installer again.">
      <![CDATA[Installed OR WIX_IS_NETFRAMEWORK_48_OR_LATER_INSTALLED]]>
   </Condition> 
</Product>

I also tried using NetFx48Redist but it doesn't seem to work.

<Product ...>
   <!-- Abort installation if the .NET Framework 4.8 is not installed -->
   <Condition Message="This application requires .NET Framework 4.8. Please install the .NET Framework then run this installer again.">
      <![CDATA[Installed OR NetFx48Redist]]>
   </Condition> 
</Product>

[chrpai]

An MSI can't install another MSI due to a mutex imposed by the Windows Installer Service. Only a bootstrapper/chainer such as Burn can install multiple MSI in a serial manner known as a bundle.

What OS are you targeting that you have to install .NET 4.8? Windows 7 was EOL 4 years ago and Extended Security Updates ended a year ago.

[skallurk]

Thanks for your reply.
The reason why we want this ability is because our service uses MSI's for sending out new updates to customers.
The scenario is that currently they have .NET Framework 4.6.2 installed and we would like to seamlessly update them to .NET Framework 4.8 as our service is migrating to 4.8.

We plan to install NET 4.8 on windows server 2016, server 2019 (only when it is not pre-installed). We don't have windows versions as old as windows 7. AFAIK, it would be for flavors of Windows 10.

Is there a way to bypass the mutex? Would you have any other suggestions on how we can achieve this?

[robmen]

Send and install a Bundle instead of an MSI.

[chrpai]

You will need to make a new version of your service that can handle installing .net and deploy it. Then deploy the .net update via the service then resume deploying app updates via msi.