How can I add an optional UI to WiX toolset

Question

I have already made a quiet installer (without the need to click any buttons but some progress bar is shown while installation is in progress) for a project deployment. This time I wish to add an optional graphical user interface.

By default, the installer should just run without clicking anything, when a parameter is given, let's say, the msiexec parameter: /qf , the installer would pop up an interface that can be interacted with.

I've already added the required UI dll to the project reference, but given msiexec /i C:\\Setup.msi /qf , it doesn't work. How can I get it to work?

Answer 1

Did you try the procedure described in this well known Wix tutorial ?

At its simplest level, this means that you essentially just add this to the Wix source file and you get a default GUI :

<UIRef Id="WixUI_Minimal" />

You can also try the other "defaults":

• WixUI_Mondo (normal)
• WixUI_FeatureTree
• WixUI_InstallDir
• WixUI_Advanced

A search turned up a similar answer , and one talking about extending the default gui .

Answer 2

Just modify the WixUI_Minimal.wxs file :

• How to build a minimal WiX installer UI without a license page?
• WiX toolset WixUI_Minimal Dialog Set
• Customised UI's for WiX

Then use properties to condition the dialogs to show or hide as you launch the MSI via msiexec.exe.