Registering SharpShell extension using SRM via WIX installer

Firstly I should clarify that I am a novice and have been struggling to understand the WIX formatting, but by cobbling together examples found on-line, I now have the files installing fine so I next need to register my DLL.

I used the example here as a starting point: How to deploy a SharpShell-based shell extension via WiX? but it seems that the SharpShell tool srm.exe may not be getting called at installation.

If I manually call srm.exe as follows, it works as hoped i.e. the DLL is registered and my shell extension works.

srm install MyExtension.dll -codebase

I can also see that the registration has been successful via the Server Manager application that comes with SharpShell.

I can also manually uninstall with the following - not that this is particularly relevant to my problem but it at least confirms that the manual methods work:

srm uninstall MyExtension.dll

Here is a fragment of my WXS file. When I run the resultant MSI, the files are installed but the DLL is not being registered; confirmed via SharpShell's Server Manager. Where am I going wrong?

 </Component> <Component Guid="C17BB61F-6471-46F9-AA87-2D14D2456632"> <File Id='srm' Name='srm.exe' DiskId='1' Source='..\MyExtension\packages\SharpShellTools.2.2.0.0\lib\srm.exe' KeyPath='yes'> </File> </Component> <!-- TODO: Insert files, registry keys, and other resources here. --> <!-- </Component> --> </ComponentGroup>
</Fragment>
<Fragment> <CustomAction FileKey="srm" ExeCommand='install "[INSTALLFOLDER]\MyExtension.dll" -codebase' Execute="deferred" Return="check" Impersonate="no" /> <CustomAction FileKey="srm" ExeCommand='uninstall "[INSTALLFOLDER]\MyExtension.dll"' Execute="deferred" Return="check" Impersonate="no" /> <InstallExecuteSequence> <Custom Action="InstallShell" After="InstallFiles"> NOT Installed </Custom> <Custom Action="UninstallShell" Before="RemoveFiles"> (NOT UPGRADINGPRODUCTCODE) AND (REMOVE="ALL") </Custom> </InstallExecuteSequence>
</Fragment>

1 Answer

It doesn't look like you have any references to the Fragment with the CustomAction definitions so they are not linked into your final output MSI.

Add a CustomActionRef from your Product element to create the reference.