How to run multiple installed exe's using wix installer?

Question

I'm trying to run multiple exe's after installation. This code creates single msi that deploy both exe's but run the first. I haven't found a single example for it at the whole internet. This is my code (Don't mind the "put guid here"):

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<<Wix xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/wix/2006/wi">
    <Product Id="*"
             UpgradeCode="PUT-GUID-HERE"
             Version="1.0.0.0"
             Language="1033"
             Name="My Application Name"
             Manufacturer="My Manufacturer Name">    
    <Package InstallerVersion="300" Compressed="yes"/>
    <Media Id="1" Cabinet="myapplication.cab" EmbedCab="yes" />

    <Directory Id="TARGETDIR" Name="SourceDir">
        <Directory Id="ProgramFilesFolder">
            <Directory Id="APPLICATIONROOTDIRECTORY" Name="My Application Name"/>
        </Directory>
    </Directory>

    <DirectoryRef Id="APPLICATIONROOTDIRECTORY">
        <Component Id="Installs" Guid="PUT-GUID-HERE">
            <File Id="myapplication.exe" Source="MySourceFiles\MyApplication.exe" KeyPath="yes" Checksum="yes"/>
        <File Id="myapplication2.exe" Source="MySourceFiles\MyApplication.exe2" KeyPath="yes" Checksum="yes"/>  
        </Component>
    </DirectoryRef>

    <Feature Id="MainApplication" Title="Main Application" Level="1">
        <ComponentRef Id="Installs" />
    </Feature>

    <UI>
        <UIRef Id="WixUI_Minimal" />
        <Publish Dialog="ExitDialog" 
            Control="Finish" 
            Event="DoAction" 
            Value="LaunchApplication">WIXUI_EXITDIALOGOPTIONALCHECKBOX = 1 and NOT Installed</Publish>
    </UI>
    <Property Id="WIXUI_EXITDIALOGOPTIONALCHECKBOXTEXT" Value="Launch My Application Name" />


    <Property Id="WixShellExecTarget" Value="[#myapplication.exe]" />
    <CustomAction Id="LaunchApplication" 
        BinaryKey="WixCA" 
        DllEntry="WixShellExec"
        Impersonate="yes" />
    </Product>
</Wix>

But it only installs the first exe upon completing setup. Ideas? Best Regards.

Answer 1

A component can't have multiple keypaths. Each EXE file should be the keypath of it's own component per Windows Installer component rules.

I don't see how anything would launch. [#myapplication.exe] is a formatted expression that's not valid until after ConstFinalize. You'd need a SetProperty custom action scheduled appropriately to work. You'd need more then one also to call LaunchApplication over and over for each EXE you want to launch. Or create a single custom EXE who's sole purpose is to launch the others.

Answer 2

You can just do it 2 times: First set the property "WixShellExecTarget" and then call "WixShellExec". Ie try replacing with custom actions to set the property:

<UI>
  <UIRef Id="WixUI_Minimal" />

  <!-- set property and launch the first exe -->
  <Publish Dialog="ExitDialog" Control="Finish" Event="DoAction" Value="PrepareLaunchApplication1">WIXUI_EXITDIALOGOPTIONALCHECKBOX = 1 and NOT Installed</Publish>
  <Publish Dialog="ExitDialog" Control="Finish" Event="DoAction" Value="LaunchApplication1">WIXUI_EXITDIALOGOPTIONALCHECKBOX = 1 and NOT Installed</Publish>

  <!-- set property and launch the second exe -->
  <Publish Dialog="ExitDialog" Control="Finish" Event="DoAction" Value="PrepareLaunchApplication2">WIXUI_EXITDIALOGOPTIONALCHECKBOX = 1 and NOT Installed</Publish>
  <Publish Dialog="ExitDialog" Control="Finish" Event="DoAction" Value="LaunchApplication2">WIXUI_EXITDIALOGOPTIONALCHECKBOX = 1 and NOT Installed</Publish>
</UI>
<Property Id="WIXUI_EXITDIALOGOPTIONALCHECKBOXTEXT" Value="Launch My Application Name" />

<CustomAction Id="PrepareLaunchApplication1" Property="WixShellExecTarget" Value="[#myapplication.exe]" />
<CustomAction Id="LaunchApplication1"
    BinaryKey="WixCA"
    DllEntry="WixShellExec"
    Impersonate="yes" />

<CustomAction Id="PrepareLaunchApplication2" Property="WixShellExecTarget" Value="[#myapplication2.exe]" />
<CustomAction Id="LaunchApplication2"
    BinaryKey="WixCA"
    DllEntry="WixShellExec"
    Impersonate="yes" />

If you want for programs to be run sequentially and wait for the second one to exit and check it's exit code, you can use "ExeCommand" instead of "WixShellExec". If you don't care about exit code, you'll need to configure ExeCommand correspondingly (check the docs).

<UI>
  <UIRef Id="WixUI_Minimal" />

  <Publish Dialog="ExitDialog" Control="Finish" Event="DoAction" Value="LaunchApplication1">WIXUI_EXITDIALOGOPTIONALCHECKBOX = 1 and NOT Installed</Publish>
  <Publish Dialog="ExitDialog" Control="Finish" Event="DoAction" Value="LaunchApplication2">WIXUI_EXITDIALOGOPTIONALCHECKBOX = 1 and NOT Installed</Publish>
</UI>

<CustomAction Id="LaunchApplication1" FileKey="myapplication1.exe" ExeCommand="" Impersonate="yes" />
<CustomAction Id="LaunchApplication2" FileKey="myapplication2.exe" ExeCommand="" Impersonate="yes" />