Did you set the Control NT Services settings on the component that installs the service to stop and delete on uninstall (in Advanced Settings on the component)? You shouldn't have to create custom actions for this, if you are using the built-in tables. ... View more

Did the upgrade codes also change for the products in the field? You should be able to set major upgrade items for each of them in your current project so that whichever one is there will be uninstalled automatically. ... View more

How was the original package created? If it was also an MSI, you should be able to use a major upgrade item to uninstall it. If it was an InstallScript project, you should be able to create an executable-type CustomAction to run the uninstall command. (Which you may be able to read from the registry items for the original install.) ... View more

I have run into this, and found this to be my issue File Version did not change between releases. Major upgrade starts. Install file costing marks component as already existing. Uninstall removes file. Install skips file because it is marked as not needed. Look in the log for the file name and you should see an entry that tells you the file is being skipped because it already exists with the same version. Changing the file version of the file should resolve it, or, if you don't want to do that, changing the component GUID so Windows Installer thinks it is a new file may also work. Or you can move the RemoveExistingProducts action to happen later, so it's an install-remove obsolete rather that a uninstall completely-reinstall scenario. ... View more

It has also happened to me in this scenario: FileA has not changed version number between releases. Costing marks FileA as not needing upgrade because version is already present. RemoveExistingProducts runs the previous release's uninstall, which removes the file. InstallFiles actions for new install skips the file because costing has marked it as present. You can resolve this by either moving the RemoveExistingProducts action or by ensuring that the version numbers for all versioned files have been increased for a major upgrade. ... View more

Have you tried including the files in the binary table? They can then be accessed by the MSI CA's, and since they aren't installed, they don't have to be removed. ... View more

Have you tried logging the uninstall to see if that gives you any clues? How did you install/configure the service? If you used the tables in the MSI, did you create a control table entry to stop and uninstall the service for uninstall? How did you create the WebSites/AppPools, etc? I don't use IS functionality for those, so I can't advise you what to check if you did. I created our through custom actions, and also created custom actions to remove them on uninstall or rollback. ... View more

Create a major upgrade item with a maximum version of 3.4.0 inclusive with one action property, and another with a minimum version of 3.4.0 not inclusive with a different action property. You can then condition your custom action on the presence of the first action property ... View more

Log the install and check the log file to see if it gives you any clues. ... View more

Windows Installer will not allow more than one Execute Sequence to run at a time. So, you cannot launch an MSI from the Execute Sequence of another MSI. You can from an Install Sequence, but those are a. not elevated, b. skipped for a silent installation, and c. completely contrary to best practices. I don't know about .msp files, though, sorry. ... View more

As I understand it, when the install elevates to admin privileges (as it does when items are run in System Context), the drive mappings for the user are not carried over. This due to the way UAC creates the admin security token, not to anything having to do with Windows Installer. I think you may have to use UNC paths in your custom action to get them to work. ... View more

If I understand it correctly, a 32-bit app won't run properly from the Program Files folder on a 64-bit machine because the OS will expect that location to contain 64-bit executables. ... View more

Only if you have saved them somewhere. MSI does not persist user-entered values. ... View more

In InstallShield 2009, the dialog after you choose to compress the files has a box for creating an installation launcher. Uncheck that and you get an MSI with all the files embedded. Don't know if that changed in 2010 or 2011. ... View more

Have you tried logging the upgrade and checking the state of the component for the files that aren't upgrading? That may tell you something. Also search the log for the file name to find the actually file copy; sometimes that will give you a reason if the file is being skipped. ... View more