Get Install Directory from MSI GUID

[Linkinfamous]

Hi.

So I have a project that installs with an MSI, and I need to be able to get it's install directory later on from somewhere else.

This works:

			int a = 512;
			StringBuilder sb2 = new StringBuilder(a);
			MsiGetProductInfo("{2E2C2AD2-6F72-44D4-925B-4F6130A241D8}", "InstallSource", sb2, ref a);
			Console.Write(sb2.ToString());
			Console.ReadLine();

and returns the path to the MSI I used to install it. But when I sub in InstallLocation, I just get back nothing as a result. What am I doing wrong?

I found the place in the registry where all this data is coming from: hklm\software\microsoft\windows\currentversion\installer\userdata\s-1-5-18\products\myguid\

The InstallLocation is blank. That doesn't make any sense, because I just installed it and It obviously installed somewhere (The default location)

Or does default location just mean a blank entry for InstallLocation?

[Wilhelmus]

Found this:

InstallLocation in registry uninstall information is not being written when using VS2005 Deployment Project:

To Set a value in the registry key "HKLM\Software\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\{ProductCode}\InstallLocation"

You need to set ARPINSTALLLOCATION Property through a custom action in your msi.

The custom action will set the ARPINSTALLLOCATION to the TargetDir

[Linkinfamous]

Ah crap. That doesn't help.

I guess I'll just iterate through the MSI registry for some of the installed assemblies or something. It'll be ugly, but it'll work.

[Andareed]

What if you use MsiOpenProduct + MsiGetProperty("TARGETDIR") or something like that?

[Linkinfamous]

That just openned an MSI "Preparing to Install..." window that wouldn't go away until my program closed. And the GetProperty returned an empty string.

Getting ProductVersion worked, though. Any other thoughts on getting the installed location?

[Linkinfamous]

So, eh, I just decided to iterate through the HKCR\Installer\Assemblies\ subkeys and find one of the installed assemblies that has a rather unique name. I figure it'll always end up there.