Setting the 'AllUsers' option on Wix installer does not work

Question

I am using a WiX to install a service on test machine. But when I do that only the user who installed it on the machine is able to see in the 'Add/Remove Programs' control panel option. But I want to make it visible for every user on the machine.

I did some research and realized that I am not setting the AllUSERS property while creating the installer in the .wxs file.

So I updated my script with this line <Property Id="AllUSERS" Value="1"/> and created the installer. But still only the user who installed can see it in the Control Panel.

Here is my script to create the installer.

<?xml version='1.0' encoding='windows-1252'?>

<Wix xmlns='http://schemas.microsoft.com/wix/2006/wi'>

<Product Name='Importer Service' Id='PUT-GUID-HERE' UpgradeCode='PUT-GUID-HERE'
Language='1033' Codepage='1252' Version='$(var.version)' Manufacturer='Test'>

<Package Id='*' Keywords='Installer' Description="Imports data"
   Manufacturer='Test' InstallerVersion='100' Languages='1033' Compressed='yes'
   SummaryCodepage='1252' />

 <Media Id='1' Cabinet='ImporterWebService.cab' EmbedCab='yes' 
        DiskPrompt="CD-ROM #1" />
<Property Id='DiskPrompt' Value="Importer Web Service 1.0 Installation [1]" />

<Property Id="WIXUI_INSTALLDIR" Value="INSTALLDIR" />
<Property Id="AllUSERS" Value="1"/>

<Directory Id='TARGETDIR' Name='SourceDir'>

  <Directory Id='ProgramFilesFolder' Name='PFiles'>
    <Directory Id='Test' Name='Test1'>
      <Directory Id='INSTALLDIR' Name='Importer Service'>

        <Component Id='MainExecutable' Guid='*'>
          <File Id='ImporterWindowsServiceEXE' 
                Name='Importer.WindowsService.exe' DiskId='1' 
                Source='Importer.WindowsService.exe' KeyPath='yes'>
          </File>

      <ServiceInstall
          Id="ImporterServiceInstaller"
          Type="ownProcess"
          Vital="yes"
          Name="Importer Service"
          DisplayName="Importer Service"
          Description="Imports data."
          Start="demand"
          Account="LocalSystem"
          ErrorControl="ignore"
          Interactive="no">
     </ServiceInstall>

        <ServiceControl Id="StartService" Stop="both" Remove="uninstall" 
                        Name="Importer Service" Wait="yes" />
        </Component>

        <Component Id='FileHelpersLibrary' Guid='*'>
          <File Id='FileHelpersDLL' Name='FileHelpers.dll' DiskId='1' 
                Source='FileHelpers.dll' KeyPath='yes' />
        </Component>           

        <Component Id='CodeSmithDataLibrary' Guid='*'>
          <File Id='CodeSmithDataDLL' Name='CodeSmith.Data.dll' DiskId='1' 
                Source='CodeSmith.Data.dll' KeyPath='yes' />
        </Component>          

      </Directory>
    </Directory>
  </Directory>

  <Directory Id="ProgramMenuFolder" Name="Programs">
    <Directory Id="ProgramMenuDir" Name="Importer Service">
      <Component Id="ProgramMenuDir" Guid="*">
        <RemoveFolder Id='ProgramMenuDir' On='uninstall' />
        <RegistryValue Root='HKCU' 
                       Key='Software\[Manufacturer]\[ProductName]' 
                       Type='string' Value='' KeyPath='yes' />
      </Component>
    </Directory>
  </Directory>

  <Directory Id="DesktopFolder" Name="Desktop" />
</Directory>

<Feature Id='Complete' Title='Importer Service' 
         Description='The complete package'
         Display='hidden' Level='1' ConfigurableDirectory='INSTALLDIR'>
  <ComponentRef Id='MainExecutable' />
  <ComponentRef Id='FileHelpersLibrary' /> 
  <ComponentRef Id='CodeSmithDataLibrary' />      
  <ComponentRef Id='ProgramMenuDir' />      
</Feature>

<UIRef Id="WixUI_InstallDir" />
<UIRef Id="WixUI_ErrorProgressText" />


 </Product>
 </Wix>

Could someone please look at the script and let me know what I am doing wrong.

Thanks.

Answer 1

Instead of setting ALLUSERS explicitly, try setting the InstallScope of the Package element to perMachine. According to the documentation, this fact:

Set this value to declare that the package is a per-machine installation and requires elevated privileges to install. Sets the ALLUSERS property to 1.

So, it should do the required job under the hood.