zenkick
1st March 2008 23:37 UTC
Strange Vista Issue (Not Shortcut!)
I'm seeing strange behavior:
1.) Install app
2.) Use App. You have to register in my app. When you are done, you get prompted for a u/p.
3.) Exit App
4.) Uninstall App
5.) Confirm all files are removed. Check!
6.) Confirm used registry settings are removed. Check!
Now, if I reinstall the same app (using the same installer), and launch it, I'm not presented with my registration screens, but rather my login window. It's like my app was never uninstalled.
If I change the location of my installed app (using the same installer), everything functions as expected.
Help?
kichik
2nd March 2008 20:09 UTC
You'll have to include more details. What exactly happens when a user registers? Does it write a file? Does it write to the registry?
zenkick
6th March 2008 15:32 UTC
Originally posted by kichik
You'll have to include more details. What exactly happens when a user registers? Does it write a file? Does it write to the registry?
The application does not write to the registry. The installer and uninstaller does, however.
The app does write to a database. I am using mysql-embedded 4.1 (libmysqld) to access the database files, which are stored on the local filesystem. And to be clear, I am *not* running a mysql server process-- everything is in-line in-memory while the app is running.
The database files *are* removed during an uninstall.
The symptoms are, however, as if the files are not removed-- as registration information is cached after a reinstall.
I'm installing and uninstalling into "C:\Program Files" successfully, using "RequestExecutionLevel admin".
I've confirmed the files are not appearing in a search after uninstall.
Thoughts?
kichik
6th March 2008 17:25 UTC
I have no good idea regarding this. You should add some debug messages into your application to see exactly where it gets that information from and then we might at least have a lead.
MSG
6th March 2008 17:37 UTC
My first thought is that the file ended up in virtualstore, but it could also have ended up in some other protected directory that Windows doesn't search in. Who knows, maybe even winsxs.
zenkick
12th March 2008 16:20 UTC
Thanks MSG.
The files that my program needs to write/open, are indeed copied to and used out of the virtualstore. Since my uninstaller doesn't know about that, they never get purged.
Now I need to know if there is a simple way to have nsis purge the files from a default $INSTVIRTSTORE or something similar?
Or is that something I have to script like MSG did:
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Please advise.