Why the MSP patch is needing the base MSI present in the machine for installation

[SujalBirari]

Question

WiX version used - 5.0.0+41e11442

I have created a sample msi with version 1.0.0.0 and then I created the msi again, keeping everything same except changing the version to 1.0.0.1 and changing the version of one of the input dll.

My Product.wxs code -

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>

<Wix xmlns="http://wixtoolset.org/schemas/v4/wxs"
     xmlns:ui="http://wixtoolset.org/schemas/v4/wxs/ui">

	<Package Name="TestMsi"
			 Manufacturer="Sujal Birari Corp"
			 Version="1.0.0.1"
			 UpgradeCode="7E2E0B98-E80C-40C5-B925-66699D5EA28A"
			 InstallerVersion="200"
			 Compressed="yes"
			 Language="1033"
			 Scope="perMachine">
		<SummaryInformation Description="Test msi to test msp behavour in WiX v5"/>
		
		<MajorUpgrade AllowSameVersionUpgrades="yes" AllowDowngrades="no" DowngradeErrorMessage="A later version of Product TestMsi is already installed."/>
		<CustomAction Id="AlreadyUpdated" Error="testMsi is already installed." />
		<CustomAction Id="NoDowngrade" Error="A later version of TestMsi is already installed." />
		<MediaTemplate EmbedCab="yes"/>

		<!--Parent Child Feature-->
		<Feature Id="FP_library" Title="TestMsi_Feature" Level="1">
			<ComponentGroupRef Id="bin_INSTALLDIR" />
		</Feature>

		<UI Id="WixUI_Minimal">
      		<TextStyle Id="WixUI_Font_Normal" FaceName="Tahoma" Size="8" />
      		<TextStyle Id="WixUI_Font_Bigger" FaceName="Tahoma" Size="12" />
      		<TextStyle Id="WixUI_Font_Title" FaceName="Tahoma" Size="9" Bold="yes" />
      		<Property Id="DefaultUIFont" Value="WixUI_Font_Normal" />
      		<Property Id="WixUI_Mode" Value="Minimal" />
      		<DialogRef Id="ErrorDlg" />
      		<DialogRef Id="FatalError" />
      		<DialogRef Id="FilesInUse" />
      		<DialogRef Id="MsiRMFilesInUse" />
      		<DialogRef Id="PrepareDlg" />
      		<DialogRef Id="ProgressDlg" />
      		<DialogRef Id="ResumeDlg" />
      		<DialogRef Id="UserExit" />
      		<DialogRef Id="WelcomeDlg" />
      		<Publish Dialog="ExitDialog" Control="Finish" Event="EndDialog" Value="Return" Order="999"></Publish>
      		<Publish Dialog="VerifyReadyDlg" Control="Back" Event="NewDialog" Value="MaintenanceTypeDlg"></Publish>
      		<Publish Dialog="MaintenanceWelcomeDlg" Control="Next" Event="NewDialog" Value="MaintenanceTypeDlg"></Publish>
      		<Publish Dialog="MaintenanceTypeDlg" Control="RepairButton" Event="NewDialog" Value="VerifyReadyDlg"></Publish>
      		<Publish Dialog="MaintenanceTypeDlg" Control="RemoveButton" Event="NewDialog" Value="VerifyReadyDlg"></Publish>
      		<Publish Dialog="MaintenanceTypeDlg" Control="Back" Event="NewDialog" Value="MaintenanceWelcomeDlg"></Publish>
      		<Publish Dialog="WelcomeDlg" Control="Next" Event="NewDialog" Value="VerifyReadyDlg"></Publish>
      		<Publish Dialog="VerifyReadyDlg" Control="Back" Event="NewDialog" Value="WelcomeDlg" Order="2"></Publish>
      		<Property Id="ARPNOMODIFY" Value="1" />
    	</UI>
    	<UIRef Id="WixUI_Common" />
		<WixVariable Id="WixUIBannerBmp" Value="Images\top.bmp" />
		<WixVariable Id="WixUIDialogBmp" Value="Images\welcome.bmp" />
		<InstallExecuteSequence>
			<Custom Action='NoDowngrade' After='FindRelatedProducts' Condition='NEWERFOUND'></Custom>
		</InstallExecuteSequence>
	</Package>

	<Fragment>
    	<StandardDirectory Id="ProgramFiles64Folder">
      		<Directory Id="INSTALLDIR" Name="MsiTestFiles">
        		<Directory Id="bin_INSTALLDIR" Name="bin" />
      		</Directory>
    	</StandardDirectory>
     </Fragment>

   <Fragment>
    <ComponentGroup Id="bin_INSTALLDIR">
      <ComponentRef Id="comp_1B2FA4506AAB4316BA49F3FE3C253399" />
      <ComponentRef Id="comp_EF54B56D33DF40669CBFDF083BAD9366" />
      <ComponentRef Id="comp_E0312308A1D94C83A5FF0A7169870B2C" />
      <ComponentRef Id="comp_1D5552B961244A99A5A76B85340F9264" />
      <ComponentRef Id="comp_59DD0AB2F5624F5CA1FF490FAEA4EB8A" />
      <ComponentRef Id="comp_7D153BC294AA4DB0AB08A359FE525F53" />
      <ComponentRef Id="comp_CE260A391F9547049CD338C16D36EAFB" />
      <ComponentRef Id="comp_93A4D76F2E5449F5B0C3891A7FB07AD6" />
    </ComponentGroup>
    <DirectoryRef Id="INSTALLDIR">
      <Directory Id="dir_B21A34D96A1848AC88BD0C173AE13935" Name="bin">
        <Component Id="comp_1B2FA4506AAB4316BA49F3FE3C253399" Guid="AD5F33EE-51E2-42C6-B3F7-76FF9EEFD515" Bitness="always64">
          <File Id="file_D45EFA65AD0344C0AAC51C7D2A2B12FD" CompanionFile="Companion.dll" Source="files\MsiDllScaner.deps.json" />
        </Component>
        <Component Id="comp_EF54B56D33DF40669CBFDF083BAD9366" Guid="6902E28C-7A5A-4AC1-BB42-6828DC7B3163" Bitness="always64">
          <File Id="file_4998508142A841C8BB1E5766DEFD5B35" Checksum="yes" KeyPath="yes" Source="files\MsiDllScaner.dll" />
        </Component>
        <Component Id="comp_E0312308A1D94C83A5FF0A7169870B2C" Guid="1B7EF4F7-9AE3-40A1-8C4E-B83C65339F51" Bitness="always64">
          <File Id="file_1E32AF18726B4F0BB573881B69E3EEEE" Checksum="yes" KeyPath="yes" Source="files\MsiDllScaner.exe" />
        </Component>
        <Component Id="comp_1D5552B961244A99A5A76B85340F9264" Guid="F6AF3142-8A16-44D6-9900-F5041C36E1DA" Bitness="always64">
          <File Id="file_E54C84A3791945E9944515FB28210700" CompanionFile="Companion.dll" Source="files\MsiDllScaner.pdb" />
        </Component>
        <Component Id="comp_59DD0AB2F5624F5CA1FF490FAEA4EB8A" Guid="5A5D536D-3FBE-4271-8CBA-9898959008D0" Bitness="always64">
          <File Id="file_31B2967EF24D40CC8945EBD8BB76F7EE" CompanionFile="Companion.dll" Source="files\MsiDllScaner.runtimeconfig.json" />
        </Component>
        <Component Id="comp_7D153BC294AA4DB0AB08A359FE525F53" Guid="9691F048-8712-444B-AD35-359EF4ABDCC9" Bitness="always64">
          <File Id="file_26DD512D189548978F078B1CF456F857" CompanionFile="Companion.dll" Source="files\New Text Document.txt" />
        </Component>
        <Component Id="comp_CE260A391F9547049CD338C16D36EAFB" Guid="EA019893-3807-4A42-B6A9-8F72BCEEAA2D" Bitness="always64">
          <File Id="Companion.dll" Checksum="yes" KeyPath="yes" Source="files\Companion.dll" />
        </Component>
        <Component Id="comp_93A4D76F2E5449F5B0C3891A7FB07AD6" Guid="223B4D9B-CECB-48C8-B77E-29B6286D86ED" Bitness="always64">
          <File Id="file_3F8BC66A82CF4C7EAE4E0B61F1074A0A" Checksum="yes" KeyPath="yes" Source="files\WixToolset.Dtf.WindowsInstaller.dll" />
        </Component>
      </Directory>
    </DirectoryRef>
  </Fragment>
</Wix>

Then I created a msp patch from the above two msis.

My Patch.wxs -

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<Wix xmlns="http://wixtoolset.org/schemas/v4/wxs">
  <Patch
    Id="5D70ECD4-7F85-4653-924E-79178486A02D"
    AllowRemoval="yes"
    DisplayName="MsiTest Patch1"
    Description="Patch1 for MsiTest"
    Manufacturer="Sujal Birari Corp"
    MinorUpdateTargetRTM="yes"
    TargetProductName="MSITest"
    Classification="Hotfix">
    <!-- Critical Update, Hotfix, Security Rollup, Security Update, Service Pack, Update, Update Rollup -->
    <PatchInformation Comments="Patch1 for MSITest" />

    <PatchFamilyRef Id="SamplePatchFamily" />

    <Media Id="5000" Cabinet="patch.cab" EmbedCab="yes">
      <PatchBaseline
        Id="RTM"
        BaselineFile="v1\MSITestV1.msi"
        UpdateFile="v2\MSITestV2.msi" />
    </Media>

    <!--Check the best options for update-->
    <PatchProperty Name="REINSTALLMODE" Value="vomus" />
    <PatchProperty Name="REINSTALL" Value="ALL" />
    <PatchProperty Name="CommandLine" Value="REINSTALLMODE=vomus REINSTALL=ALL" />
  </Patch>

  <Fragment>
    <PatchFamily Id="SamplePatchFamily" Supersede="yes" Version="1.0.0.1" />
  </Fragment>
</Wix>

Now if I perform the following steps -

1. Install base msi (v1.0.0.0)
2. Delete the base msi from the machine
3. Install patch msp

Then why is it required to have the base msi present in the machine, else it gives following errors -

We have migrated from using WiX v3 to WiX v5, and I did not observe this behaviour in patches created using WiX v3.

Any help or insight will be highly appreciated !!

Open Source Maintenance Fee

• I (or an organization I'm a member of) pay the Open Source Maintenance Fee by sponsoring the wixtoolset project because I support the maintainers.

[SujalBirari]

patch-apply.log

Verbose logs for the same problem but on a different machine

[robmen]

Maybe because you're trying to force reinstall with the REINSTALLMODE properties? The patch process from legacy WiX to modern WiX is pretty different. You might use Orca to apply your old patch and your new patch and see what is different. Nothing jumps out at me.

[SujalBirari]

Thanks @robmen for your reply.

If I comment out the PatchProperty elements from my Patch.wxs where these REINSTALLMODE properties are defined, still this behavior is occurring.

On observing the logs, I can see the logs of the problem.

It seems this problem is somewhat similar to this discussion I have found in this forum - https://github.com/orgs/wixtoolset/discussions/8697
But there are no comments on this discussion.