MSI: About the Uninstall Registry Key, WindowsInstaller Value

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MSI packages built using Visual Studio Setup and Deployment project create the following registry key.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\<Product Guid>\WindowsInstaller.

 

There is no official Microsoft documentation for this registry key but the result of changing its value are as follows :-

 

If the "WindowsInstaller" registry entry is "1", the uninstall program set in the ProgramPath of the "UninstallString" entry did not work.

However, when the "WindowsInstaller" registry entry is "0", the uninstall program set in the program path of the "UninstallString" entry worked as expected.

 Setting the WindowsInstaller Registry key under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\<Product Guid>\ will let you use your own UninstallString to uninstall the application via Add/Remove Programs

List of all properties under the Uninstall Key are documented on https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa372105(VS.85).aspx

 

 

Contributor : Ravi Shankar