Custom Action executes Powershell script after installation?

[Luchinchi]

Hello,

I am trying to implement a custom action that executes a Powershell script after the installation is finished.
Unfortunately, I'm very new to custom actions, and every tutorial or blog post I found was very confusing and only for WiX v.3.
I hope someone can help me out here :).

thank you!

[bevanweiss]

I don't recall there being too much different in CustomActions between WiX v3 and WiX v4+
https://wixtoolset.org/docs/fourthree/faqs/

You're likely going to need to provide actual details for your specific problems.
Your current request sounds more like 'please do this complicated task for me', you haven't shown evidence of any attempt to solve the issue yourself.

Have you looked at this:
https://github.com/flcdrg/PowerShellWixExtension

It's got the whole WiX v3 Extension thing wrapped around the CustomAction that you wouldn't really need.
But the CustomAction itself has the considerations that you will need.
If it's all too complicated, and you don't want to take the time to learn, then you may have to spend the money to get someone like FireGiant (etc) to help you out.

[Luchinchi]

This is not ture. Here is my code:

`

<Fragment>

    <Component Id="installationScript" Guid="e74fa7d1-f7ef-4994-add6-a5cb84f04b95" Directory="InstallationScriptsFolder">

        <File Id="unzipActoveDirectoryFile" Name="unzipActiveDirectory.ps1" Source="unzipActiveDirectory.ps1"/>

    </Component>



    <CustomAction Id="RunPowerShellScript"

        Directory="InstallationScriptsFolder"

        ExeCommand="powershell.exe -Command &quot;Start-Process powershell -ArgumentList '-ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File &quot;[InstallationScriptsFolder]unzipActiveDirectory.ps1&quot;' -Verb runAs&quot;"

        Return="check" Execute="deferred" Impersonate="no"

    />



    <InstallExecuteSequence>

        <Custom Action="RunPowerShellScript" After="InstallFiles" Condition="NOT REMOVE"></Custom>

    </InstallExecuteSequence>



</Fragment>

`

My Powershellskript:
Write-Host "Custom Action Test: done" >> "C:\ProgramData\NetzlaufwerkeApp\installationScripts\logfile.txt"

The logfile.txt is created but empty. the .msi logfile returns "1" for the RunPowerShellScript action. I added the Condition Not remove because when I tried to deinstall it the first time it wouldn't work.

[bevanweiss]

Ahh, so you're not really trying to implement a Custom Action. You're just trying to use an existing Custom Action.

You might want to have a review of the Windows Installer doco for these various built in custom actions.
Given you've used ExeCommand and Directory, then I think it's the Type 34 that you're trying to use.
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/msi/custom-action-type-34

The base requirements of the MSI Windows Installer Custom Action are required, but those requirements get mapped into Wix world via this authoring symbol
https://wixtoolset.org/docs/schema/wxs/customaction/

Ultimately, you might want to look at the Wix QuietExec custom action instead
https://wixtoolset.org/docs/tools/wixext/quietexec/
It's more like the command line call that you're currently trying to do.

[Luchinchi]

Thank you! It really helped me