Software Deployment

For the MSI to remove a directory all directoryies including sub-folders must be empty.
Could it be possible that the user is local admin and the application itself produces some files/folders which is not included in the MSI?

What have you tried as for the custom action?

Create a Batch file that contains: remdir "c:\program files\[applicationsfolder]" /s /q. So create an Custom Action and run your batch file after the uninstall is finished. This will remove the folder and subfolders you wish to remove.

i would be very careful using a script to do this.

your initial comments state you have multiple products in the same path. this means that your reference count scenario would be completely disregarded so a script would most likely blanket delete your product and any others in the same location.

You are right John, if we have several applications from same manufacturer like Adobe. All products from Adobe will usually be installed under C:\Program Files\Adobe\. If we use REMDIR "C:\Program Files\Adobe /s /q, it will permanently delete Adobe directory and every subdirectories and files. I use REMDIR when I want to remove an specific folder that wont be automatically remove during uninstall process.

Dear Happy,
this will remove empty folders only. doesnt remove sub folders......

simply we have written script i.e . using launchappandwait we made custom actions

ORIGINAL: axsysbabu

Dear Happy,
this will remove empty folders only. doesnt remove sub folders......



[font="courier new"]C:\> rmdir /?
[font="courier new"]RMDIR [/S] [/Q] [drive:]path
RD [/S] [/Q] [drive:]path
[font="courier new"] /S Removes all directories and files in the specified directory
in addition to the directory itself. Used to remove a directory
tree.
[font="courier new"]
Looks good enough to get the job done to me, even if the folders aren't empty and there are subfolders ...

Regards,

Spartacus

So if you have uninstalled all products that writes folders/files to the "c:\program files\<company name><product name>" then the files/folders that are left are they included in any of the (uninstalled) packages?

Check that there is no component with the msidbComponentAttributesPermanent attribute bit set on them as that will prevent the components resources from being removed during uninstall.

You're aware, of course, that - natively (i.e. without adding explicit entries in the RemoveFile table or by adding Custom Actions) - an MSI will only remove files which it installed. So, if the application writes data to a file or files in any of the folders, those files will NOT be removed by uninstallation.

Try ProcMon

hehe nice, but ProcMon will not help this time.

The log file will tell for each component that is not removed during uninstall.
I would start with that. I guess it would be easier to find the component(s) for file(s) that is not removed and search for them in the verbose log.

lol!!

debugview ? I know this fellow Kim who wrote a cool article on its use.

hehe nice call,

I mostly use DebugView to investigate if ex. InstallShield script based MSI queries/modifies the database.
Otherwise the output from DebugView and a verbose log (+x) would produce the same result (except the database query).