'Privileged' vs. 'MsiRunningElevated'

Hello,

one of our customers is having problems with one of our installers running
in one of his machines. What happens is that property 'Privileged' is set to
1 (it is required to install that product), but 'MsiRunningElevated' is not.
In one log line, you read that the setup runs with 'user privileges'.

Many components are bound to the condition ('Privileged'=1), and the custom
actions associated with these components are run. But the C.A. parameters
uses filenames installed by those components (in WiX the syntax is
[#filename]), but those filenames resolve to empty strings "".

I'm almost sure that the root of the problem is that the installer is
running with 'user privileges', even though property 'Privileged' is set to
1. My question is:
What could cause such behavior?
What's the difference between 'Privileged' and 'MsiRunningElevated'?

How are you finding the value of MsiRunningElevated? If you're using it as a
condition someplace but not running at least MSI 4.0 you won't have it set.
Also, I think this is elevation as when the elevation prompt is shown, so I
think it's not set until the execute sequence.
--
Phil Wilson


"alex" <alex@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news840A716-2FED-4F20-A132-38D67039E47A@microsoft.com...
> Hello,
>
> one of our customers is having problems with one of our installers running
> in one of his machines. What happens is that property 'Privileged' is set
> to
> 1 (it is required to install that product), but 'MsiRunningElevated' is
> not.
> In one log line, you read that the setup runs with 'user privileges'.
>
> Many components are bound to the condition ('Privileged'=1), and the
> custom
> actions associated with these components are run. But the C.A. parameters
> uses filenames installed by those components (in WiX the syntax is
> [#filename]), but those filenames resolve to empty strings "".
>
> I'm almost sure that the root of the problem is that the installer is
> running with 'user privileges', even though property 'Privileged' is set
> to
> 1. My question is:
> What could cause such behavior?
> What's the difference between 'Privileged' and 'MsiRunningElevated'?

They send me a log of some sucessfull installation cases, an this property
was set. In the fail-log, it does not appear. I tought it was strange, and I
didn't know this MsiRunningElevated was only used with MSI4.0.

But I still don't understand how an MSI can be 'Privileged' but still run
with 'user privileges', and not administrative privileges... If 'Privileged'
is not the property to check for elevation, what property should I use?

"Wilson, Phil" wrote:

> How are you finding the value of MsiRunningElevated? If you're using it as a
> condition someplace but not running at least MSI 4.0 you won't have it set.
> Also, I think this is elevation as when the elevation prompt is shown, so I
> think it's not set until the execute sequence.
> --
> Phil Wilson
>
>
> "alex" <alex@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news840A716-2FED-4F20-A132-38D67039E47A@microsoft.com...
> > Hello,
> >
> > one of our customers is having problems with one of our installers running
> > in one of his machines. What happens is that property 'Privileged' is set
> > to
> > 1 (it is required to install that product), but 'MsiRunningElevated' is
> > not.
> > In one log line, you read that the setup runs with 'user privileges'.
> >
> > Many components are bound to the condition ('Privileged'=1), and the
> > custom
> > actions associated with these components are run. But the C.A. parameters
> > uses filenames installed by those components (in WiX the syntax is
> > [#filename]), but those filenames resolve to empty strings "".
> >
> > I'm almost sure that the root of the problem is that the installer is
> > running with 'user privileges', even though property 'Privileged' is set
> > to
> > 1. My question is:
> > What could cause such behavior?
> > What's the difference between 'Privileged' and 'MsiRunningElevated'?
>

It's important where you want to check. The method I've heard the MSI team
recommend is to check Privileged early in the Executesequence and fail with
a type 19 custom action if it's not set. One of the reasons for this is that
the Privileged and AdminUser properties are tricky on UAC systems in the UI
sequence. This is after the elevation prompt where an administrator may type
in credentials and get the install elevated.

--
Phil Wilson
The Definitive Guide to Windows Installer
http://www.apress.com/book/view/1590592972


"alex" <alex@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:4D0A43B3-AC4C-44BF-9415-620270106D66@microsoft.com...
> They send me a log of some sucessfull installation cases, an this property
> was set. In the fail-log, it does not appear. I tought it was strange, and
> I
> didn't know this MsiRunningElevated was only used with MSI4.0.
>
> But I still don't understand how an MSI can be 'Privileged' but still run
> with 'user privileges', and not administrative privileges... If
> 'Privileged'
> is not the property to check for elevation, what property should I use?
>
> "Wilson, Phil" wrote:
>
>> How are you finding the value of MsiRunningElevated? If you're using it
>> as a
>> condition someplace but not running at least MSI 4.0 you won't have it
>> set.
>> Also, I think this is elevation as when the elevation prompt is shown, so
>> I
>> think it's not set until the execute sequence.
>> --
>> Phil Wilson
>>
>>
>> "alex" <alex@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news840A716-2FED-4F20-A132-38D67039E47A@microsoft.com...
>> > Hello,
>> >
>> > one of our customers is having problems with one of our installers
>> > running
>> > in one of his machines. What happens is that property 'Privileged' is
>> > set
>> > to
>> > 1 (it is required to install that product), but 'MsiRunningElevated' is
>> > not.
>> > In one log line, you read that the setup runs with 'user privileges'.
>> >
>> > Many components are bound to the condition ('Privileged'=1), and the
>> > custom
>> > actions associated with these components are run. But the C.A.
>> > parameters
>> > uses filenames installed by those components (in WiX the syntax is
>> > [#filename]), but those filenames resolve to empty strings "".
>> >
>> > I'm almost sure that the root of the problem is that the installer is
>> > running with 'user privileges', even though property 'Privileged' is
>> > set
>> > to
>> > 1. My question is:
>> > What could cause such behavior?
>> > What's the difference between 'Privileged' and 'MsiRunningElevated'?
>>