wix: running external msi before installation begins

my application requires the microsoft visual c++ redisributable package (vcredist_x86.exe). i have a custom action to run the vcredist_x86.exe

i want it to run only if it's not already inst开发者_如何学运维alled. i created a registry search to check it.

the question: how do i run this action with the check? when using the InstallExecuteSequence element, as shown below, the vcredist_x86.exe crashes because you cannot run an msi while running a different msi

thanks,

Uzi

what you need is a bootstrapper that would install the VC++ redistributable before your MSI starts. i'm using open source dotNetInstaller and it works pretty well.

Don't use the exe at all. To distribute the VC++ runtime in an msi-based install, use a merge module. No custom actions, no conditions to add, it just works.

Aaron Stebner's blog specifically talks about doing this with WiX. http://blogs.msdn.com/astebner/archive/2007/02/13/building-an-msi-using-wix-v3-0-that-includes-the-vc-8-0-runtime-merge-modules.aspx