Deploying example files

Hello,
I think my question it's very obvious , but I have not been able to find a
solution until now.

Toghether with my app I deploy 'optional' files in a separated folder. I
want my user be able to remove one or more of these files if he wants.

BUT When app is executed, installation is repaired and deleted files are
restored.
How to prevent this? How to install files at first installation and then
'forget' them?

tried setting various condition on desider files, without success
Condition=NOT REINSTALL, transitive=true
Condition=Not Installed, transitive=false

unclear why something like "Condition=true, Transitive=false" is not working!

any comment wil be useful
thankyou
R.

"Roberto.Vanoli" <RobertoVanoli@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:247FC044-2792-4E36-BB5A-ACADD3C074A9@microsoft.com...
> Hello,
> I think my question it's very obvious , but I have not been able to find
> a solution until now.
> Toghether with my app I deploy 'optional' files in a separated folder. I
> want my user be able to remove one or more of these files if he wants.
> BUT When app is executed, installation is repaired and deleted files are
> restored.
> How to prevent this? How to install files at first installation and then
> 'forget' them?
> tried setting various condition on desider files, without success
> Condition=NOT REINSTALL, transitive=true
> Condition=Not Installed, transitive=false
> unclear why something like "Condition=true, Transitive=false" is not
> working!
> any comment wil be useful
> thankyou
> R.

For files that can be removed by the user you shouldn't make them key files
for any of your components.

Changing conditions have no effect on the "self-healing" capability of the
Windows Installer. Typically your shortuct/extension/end point is
associated with Feature A and that feature contains one or more components.
If one of these components has an optional file as its Key file [Key file
meaning that the KeyPath field in the component table for a component points
to the referenced file in question in the File table] then the Windows
Installer will detect that component as "broken" if it does not exist and
force a repair when say MsiProvideComponent is called.

So you can avoid this by:
a) removing these files from KeyPath of any component; or
b) moving the components to a separate Feature which is not the target of a
shortcut/extension etc. They can still come back in repairs in which the
separate feature is reinstalled.
c) Create the files outside the MSI

Sincerely,
Adrian Accinelli