Summary

Synopsis

Certain rules should be followed when creating your components. These rules ensure that the uninstallation of parts of your application do not affect those parts that remain installed on the machine. This also ensures that nothing is left behind on the machine when the application is uninstalled.

Discussion

These rules are as follows.

• All files within the component should be installed to a single location. Different subdirectories should be made with separate components.

• Every component must have one key path. This can be a file, registry key, or the folder in which the component is located.

• Every .exe, .dll, ocx, .hlp, and .chm file should be in its own component. These files should be the key path for the component in which they are contained.

• Each component should only have one file that is a target of a Start Menu or Desktop shortcut. Every file that is the target file for a shortcut should be in its own component.

• No file can ever be included in more than one component. This applies to applications, products, product versions, and companies. The name of the file should be changed if it is to be included more than once.

• No registry entry, shortcut, or other resource should be included in more than one component. Change the name of the information if it is to be placed in more than one component.

• Every component that is not backward compatible with previous versions of the component must have a unique component GUID.

Additional Information

If the name of any of the resources or files in a component changes, a new GUID should be created for the component. If the GUID of the component is changed, all of the files and resources contained in the component must be changed.

For more information on components, see the following Windows Installer Help Library topics:

• Changing the Component Code
• Organizing Applications into Components
• What happens if the component rules are broken?
• Specifying Components