Powertoys: [installer] uninstalling PT requires quitting other apps

[enricogior]

This applies to current master 4dfac020650989c598bf4eb529bfe5e136047889
The MSI is trying to uninstall components that are used by other apps.

[alekhyareddy28]

The reason why this was happening is that launcher continues to run in the background while we try to uninstall PowerToys. If my understanding is correct, the above PR fixed it because Launcher was no longer running in that MSI because of the missing dlls.

An easy way to repro this even without launcher is to open settings v2 and try to uninstall powerToys. It shows the same dialogue that some applications need to be closed and it doesn't show this when we close settingsv2 and try to uninstall. However, it is prominently noticed with launcher because it is always running in the background.

According to me the correct fix for this issue would be to close PowerLauncher.exe and the Settings executable before uninstalling, as is done for the PowerToys.exe.

EXISTINGPOWERRENAMEEXTPATH OR EXISTINGIMAGERESIZERPATH

[crutkas]

yes, we should add this too

[crutkas]

and windowwalker

[enricogior]

@alekhyareddy28
great finding, thanks!

[arjunbalgovind]

@enricogior I haven't been able to repro this exact scenario where it shows other random applications. For me it only shows PowerToys settings. Did you face this while installing or while uninstalling?

[crutkas]

I hit this installing.

[alekhyareddy28]

@enricogior I haven't been able to repro this exact scenario where it shows other random applications. For me it only shows PowerToys settings. Did you face this while installing or while uninstalling?

I see random applications as well, but only while uninstalling. This doesn't show up for me if all PTs are exited properly.

[crutkas]

I just installed from the farm, still hitting scenarios it where 'files are in use.' Seems Office related.

Note, this was on "install", not uninstall

I had uninstalled prior builds and deleted settings as well.

[enricogior]

It might be a bug in WiX/MSI/Windows, since in theory those applications are not using the dlls installed by PT, but for some reason they are considered the same dll even if they are copies.

[arjunbalgovind]

Maybe there's a possibility that Wix is looking only at the file IDs rather than the file names? I think there were some files added in the wix installer without file IDs and maybe that is what is causing the problem? Just thinking of possible reasons why Wix would throw this error

[enricogior]

@arjunbalgovind
yest, that is a possibility. We'll verify it. Thanks of the suggestion.

[yuyoyuppe]

@arjunbalgovind yes, that's our theory as well.

Looks like we might just disable the FileInUse dialog or InstallValidate action altogether now. I'd like to test this solution, but I cannot reproduce the problem on installation. I have Outlook, PowerPoint and Teams open, just the same as on @crutkas screenshot, but the installation still happens w/o that dialog. Would be awesome to have a consistent way of reproducing it.

I'm also thinking of possible implications of disabling that dialog, but only the contrived and intentional scenarios come up.

[barnson]

WiX is the build toolset. Windows Installer (MSI) is the runtime. So WiX isn't involved in this at runtime, other than supplying the dialog. File ids are irrelevant but maybe not names.

Start with a verbose log.

[enricogior]

@barnson

So WiX isn't involved in this at runtime

We know that, but if we do something wrong in the WiX definitions or if WiX doesn't build the installer correctly, it's still "involved".