Using bootstrapper with MSI ui

wix

Solution

If you use the Visual Studio Setup and Deployment projects bootstrapper (`GenerateBootstrapper` related things) then it will show your MSI UI after installing the prerequisites. It's a pretty simple bootstrapper.

I believe the custom bootstrapper UI you are thinking about is the new Burn functionality in WiX v3.6+. Burn is a lot more powerful and can create single, seamless user experience for multiple chained packages (.exe's or .msi's or .msp's or .msu's). Using Burn you can create a very custom UI that does not show any UI from your chained packages. Alternatively, you can have Burn show the MSI UI. Basically, Burn is highly configurable but does require a bit of extra work (since WiX toolset doesn't provide everything out of the box, yet).

To show the MSI UI when running in a Burn-based `Bundle` you'll need to add `DisplayInternalUI='yes'` to the `MsiPackage` elements you want to display. For example:

<Chain>
   ...
   <MsiPackage ... DisplayInternalUI='yes' />
</Chain>

If you are using the wixstdba (which is very common), it will show it's UI until it comes time to install the .msi package. Then the .msi package UI will pop-up on top and return back to the wixstdba UI to complete the `Bundle` install. You could provide your own Bootstrapper Application if you want to change the way that the Bundle based UI shows up.

Problem

I have MSI file that is ready to install. It contains a customized UI that also collects data from user. As part of installation, i would like to install following things if missing - .Net framework 4.0 - Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 Redistributable Package (x64) From what I learned, bootstrapper should contain UI as well. How can I use bootstrapper for only initiating prerequisites stage and then proceed with MSI UI installation?

Original source