Powertoys: Please continue to provide MSI installer, not just EXE

[Gibson99]

Please make an MSI available as was done in previous versions. It's nice that the EXE has apparently reached parity with the MSI, but MSI is much preferred for distribution in an enterprise environment using Configuration Manager.

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[ghost]

Related: #5381

[ghost]

@enricogior I don't think this is a duplicate. In #5361 @crutkas added the msi installer to the release. But in the latest release, the msi installer is not in assets

[enricogior]

Sorry, my bad.
Anyway we don't have plans to provide the .msi again, main reason is that we added support for install flags to the .exe https://github.com/microsoft/PowerToys/wiki/Installer-arguments-for-exe
If there is something missing we will add it to the .exe but we prefer not to release the .msi since it's a source of problems and bugs for the general public when updating from a previous version.
PT is not a simple app, it's installation process is quite complex and using the .msi simply doesn't cut it.

[klint]

The "Beyond Trust Privilege management" software present on my office laptop is preventing me from installing the EXE version, while the MSI version would install correctly.
Can the EXE version be updated accordingly or a MSI version provided again, please?
Thanks

[enricogior]

@klint
why does it prevent to install it? Have you talked to your company IT?
For us, providing the .msi would mean a ton of issues and problems to investigate because users were randomly using the .msi instead of .exe and as I said, the .msi cannot guarantee a clean update path because of the complexity of the product.

[klint]

@enricogior I have no way to involve my company IT unfortunately, I'm using it unofficially ;).
What is happening is that BeyondTrust was able to elevate my privileges when installing the MSI version whereas it is still asking for an admin account and password (that I don't have of course) when installing the EXE version.

[klint]

Back on this: strangely, but luckily, it now works well with EXE after I uninstalled the MSI version completely!

[enricogior]

@klint
good to know. Thanks.

[enricogior]

@Gibson99
since we don't have plans to release the .msi, please let us know what you need in the .exe to work in your environment and we will add it. Thanks.

[msftbot[bot]]

This issue has been automatically marked as stale because it has been marked as requiring author feedback but has not had any activity for 5 days. It will be closed if no further activity occurs within 5 days of this comment.

[Gibson99]

The main reason to use msi is much quicker and easier package maintenance
in configuration manager - using an msi automatically creates appropriate
install and uninstall command lines, as well as detection rules. I can
still use the exe, it's just that the msi is much more convenient. I
totally understand that msi isn't working how you need it to so you have to
wrap it in a conventional installer. I'll survive 😁

On Mon, Oct 19, 2020, 3:19 AM Enrico Giordani [e-mail]
wrote:

@Gibson99 https://github.com/Gibson99
since we don't have plans to release the .msi, please let us know what you
need in the .exe to work in your environment and we will add it. Thanks.

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[crutkas]

Lets create a new issue if there is stuff the exe needs to for args