duplicate uninstall entries for PWSH in add/remove programs when MSI is used together with EXE installer from Microsoft Update Catalog

[R-Adrian]

Prerequisites

• Write a descriptive title.
• Make sure you are able to repro it on the latest released version
• Search the existing issues.
• Refer to the FAQ.
• Refer to Differences between Windows PowerShell 5.1 and PowerShell.

Steps to reproduce

1. download and install pwsh v7.4.3 using the MSI installer from GitHub ( PowerShell-7.4.4-win-x64.msi )
2. download the pwsh v7.4.3 installer from Microsoft Catalog... install it
   https://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/Search.aspx?q=powershell%20v7*

https://catalog.s.download.windowsupdate.com/d/msdownload/update/software/updt/2024/07/powershell-7.4.3-win-x64_54091441f1ce659f9e6e493fca74c359265d819f.exe

3. check the installed programs list in appwiz.cpl (filter for powershell)
4. download and install the pwsh MSI installer version v7.4.4 that was just released yesterday on GitHub
5. check appwiz.cpl again

Expected behavior

• the MSI installer should detect when the EXE version was previously used to install pwsh and abort the install or cleanup the EXE installer and its remains from C:\Windows\Installer or C:\ProgramData\Package Cache\

• the EXE installer should detect when the MSI was previously used to install pwsh and either abort the install or cleanup the MSI entries and their remains from C:\Windows\Installer or C:\ProgramData\Package Cache\

Actual behavior

both the MSI and the EXE installers for pwsh v7 can be installed at the same time, different versions even, which can lead to weird breakage because they both put their files in the same place: C:\Program Files\PowerShell\7

Error details

(installer, not quite pwsh error)

Environment data

(this is an installer logic error, the environment is not really relevant)

Visuals

[rhubarb-geek-nz]

It is worth understanding how MSI in particular work. But there are a few basics we should get out the way.... This is my understanding and welcome to be corrected if wrong.

1. Windows MSI have no concept of dependencies. If you want dependencies choose some other mechanism, eg MSIX or Homebrew, Chocolatey or whatever.

2. Given they have no concept of dependencies, likewise they have no concept of conflicts.

3. An installer has no rights to uninstall anything except what it itself installed.

4. Yes you can write dlls with DllRegisterServer() in them to run code during MSI installation but that is generally considered 'a bad thing'.

5. An MSI is basically identified by it's UpgradeCode and version number. An MSI new version of an MSI can update itself but it is oblivious to who owns anything else, it is not its job.

6. The MSI version used along with the upgrade code is four numbers where the first three are really the version and the last digit is a revision. If I have MSI installed with version 1.2.3.4 and I install 1.2.3.5 , it is considered a patch and 1.2.3.4 is not removed. If however I install 1.2.4.0 then both 1.2.3.4 and 1.2.3.5 will be removed.

7. MSI are effectively passive, they are a database of content and configuration options. It is msiexec that chooses what should be installed or removed.

Your last image showing two different installations, 7.4.3.0 and 7.4.4.0, this should not occur if both have the same UpgradeCode. So it would be worth getting to the bottom of that.

So do the update EXE and the new MSI from here have different UpgradeCodes ?

Has anyone changed the UpgradeCodes for the official PowerShell MSI from this site?

[R-Adrian]

Your last image showing two different installations, 7.4.3.0 and 7.4.4.0, this should not occur if both have the same UpgradeCode. So it would be worth getting to the bottom of that.

So do the update EXE and the new MSI from here have different UpgradeCodes ?

Has anyone changed the UpgradeCodes for the official PowerShell MSI from this site?

I do not know exactly how to check those UpgradeCodes.. i looked them up and they seem to be some sort of GUID... so i started digging into the registry of my system...

for 7.4.4 installed from MSI have:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Installer\Products\78CD934D567055B42AD918C33150D2C1]
"ProductName"="PowerShell 7-x64"
"PackageCode"="F8CAC8F005D9EB94DA8E2F92291C88AA"
"Language"=dword:00000409
"Version"=dword:07040004
"Assignment"=dword:00000001
"AdvertiseFlags"=dword:00000184
"ProductIcon"="C:\\WINDOWS\\Installer\\{D439DC87-0765-4B55-A29D-813C13052D1C}\\PowerShellExe.ico"
"InstanceType"=dword:00000000
"AuthorizedLUAApp"=dword:00000000
"DeploymentFlags"=dword:00000002

(...snipped more text...)

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\{D439DC87-0765-4B55-A29D-813C13052D1C}]
"AuthorizedCDFPrefix"=""
"Comments"=""
"Contact"=""
"DisplayVersion"="7.4.4.0"
"HelpLink"=hex(2):68,00,74,00,74,00,70,00,73,00,3a,00,2f,00,2f,00,67,00,69,00,\
  74,00,68,00,75,00,62,00,2e,00,63,00,6f,00,6d,00,2f,00,50,00,6f,00,77,00,65,\
  00,72,00,53,00,68,00,65,00,6c,00,6c,00,2f,00,50,00,6f,00,77,00,65,00,72,00,\
  53,00,68,00,65,00,6c,00,6c,00,00,00
"HelpTelephone"=""
"InstallDate"="20240724"
"InstallLocation"=""

"ModifyPath"=hex(2):4d,00,73,00,69,00,45,00,78,00,65,00,63,00,2e,00,65,00,78,\
  00,65,00,20,00,2f,00,58,00,7b,00,44,00,34,00,33,00,39,00,44,00,43,00,38,00,\
  37,00,2d,00,30,00,37,00,36,00,35,00,2d,00,34,00,42,00,35,00,35,00,2d,00,41,\
  00,32,00,39,00,44,00,2d,00,38,00,31,00,33,00,43,00,31,00,33,00,30,00,35,00,\
  32,00,44,00,31,00,43,00,7d,00,00,00
"NoModify"=dword:00000001
"Publisher"="Microsoft Corporation"
"Readme"=""
"Size"=""
"EstimatedSize"=dword:00042b0d
"UninstallString"=hex(2):4d,00,73,00,69,00,45,00,78,00,65,00,63,00,2e,00,65,00,\
  78,00,65,00,20,00,2f,00,58,00,7b,00,44,00,34,00,33,00,39,00,44,00,43,00,38,\
  00,37,00,2d,00,30,00,37,00,36,00,35,00,2d,00,34,00,42,00,35,00,35,00,2d,00,\
  41,00,32,00,39,00,44,00,2d,00,38,00,31,00,33,00,43,00,31,00,33,00,30,00,35,\
  00,32,00,44,00,31,00,43,00,7d,00,00,00
"URLInfoAbout"=""
"URLUpdateInfo"=""
"VersionMajor"=dword:00000007
"VersionMinor"=dword:00000004
"WindowsInstaller"=dword:00000001
"Version"=dword:07040004
"Language"=dword:00000409
"DisplayName"="PowerShell 7-x64"

and for the 7.4.3 EXE installer from Microsoft Update Catalog i have:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\{8f477957-4a80-4514-9943-25a7614782b0}]
"BundleCachePath"="C:\\ProgramData\\Package Cache\\{8f477957-4a80-4514-9943-25a7614782b0}\\PowerShell-7.4.3-win-x64.exe"
"BundleUpgradeCode"=hex(7):7b,00,37,00,41,00,38,00,30,00,34,00,43,00,42,00,42,\
  00,2d,00,36,00,34,00,38,00,45,00,2d,00,34,00,32,00,37,00,36,00,2d,00,39,00,\
  41,00,35,00,38,00,2d,00,30,00,38,00,31,00,38,00,36,00,32,00,44,00,42,00,31,\
  00,42,00,39,00,39,00,7d,00,00,00,00,00
"BundleAddonCode"=hex(7):
"BundleDetectCode"=hex(7):
"BundlePatchCode"=hex(7):
"BundleVersion"="7.4.3.0"
"VersionMajor"=dword:00000007
"VersionMinor"=dword:00000004
"BundleProviderKey"="{8f477957-4a80-4514-9943-25a7614782b0}"
"BundleTag"=""
"EngineVersion"="3.14.1.8722"
"DisplayIcon"="C:\\ProgramData\\Package Cache\\{8f477957-4a80-4514-9943-25a7614782b0}\\PowerShell-7.4.3-win-x64.exe,0"
"DisplayName"="PowerShell 7.4.3.0-x64"
"DisplayVersion"="7.4.3.0"
"Publisher"="Microsoft Corporation"
"ModifyPath"="\"C:\\ProgramData\\Package Cache\\{8f477957-4a80-4514-9943-25a7614782b0}\\PowerShell-7.4.3-win-x64.exe\" /modify"
"NoElevateOnModify"=dword:00000001
"QuietUninstallString"="\"C:\\ProgramData\\Package Cache\\{8f477957-4a80-4514-9943-25a7614782b0}\\PowerShell-7.4.3-win-x64.exe\" /uninstall /quiet"
"UninstallString"="\"C:\\ProgramData\\Package Cache\\{8f477957-4a80-4514-9943-25a7614782b0}\\PowerShell-7.4.3-win-x64.exe\"  /uninstall"
"EstimatedSize"=dword:0005c60e
"Resume"=dword:00000003
"Installed"=dword:00000001

[rhubarb-geek-nz]

First find the product code, eg

C:\>wmic product list brief | findstr PowerShell
PowerShell 7 ARM64                                                             {210F08E3-CE82-4913-BF80-425CFABEE22E}  PowerShell 7 ARM64
                     Microsoft Corporation           7.2.21.0

Then lookup the product code

PS>  gwmi -Query "SELECT Value FROM Win32_Property WHERE Property='UpgradeCode' AND ProductCode='{210F08E3-CE82-4913-BF80-425CFABEE22E}'" | format-table Value

Value
-----
{31AB5147-9A97-4452-8443-D9709F0516E1}

Now in my case it matches the source code to my MSI

[R-Adrian]

wmic product list brief only contains a single entry for pwsh - the MSI one, with the same 31AB5147-9A97-4452-8443-D9709F0516E1 UpgradeCode for me too, but the one installed via the EXE installer seems invisible for WMI

... maybe that is because Microsoft Update delivered it in a 32-bit installer even if it is a 64-bit program?
the Uninstall info is written to the WOW6432Node registry section

MSI 7.4.3 + EXE 7.4.3

MSI 7.4.4 + EXE 7.4.3

[R-Adrian]

i have uninstalled both MSI and EXE, decided to install just the EXE and check.. it has the same 31AB5147-9A97-4452-8443-D9709F0516E1 UpgradeCode but even if it has a DisplayName of x64 it is saved in registry under the 32-bit section...

i also checked the filesystem - the files are present in the standard path C:\Program Files\PowerShell\7
and not under C:\Program Files (x86)

PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> wmic product list brief | findstr PowerShell
PowerShell 7-x64                                                                                                  {046D50AC-89E4-4694-8701-5120BF24BA4C}  PowerShell 7-x64                                                                                                  Microsoft Corporation       7.4.3.0
PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> gwmi -Query "SELECT Value FROM Win32_Property WHERE Property='UpgradeCode' AND ProductCode='{046D50AC-89E4-4694-8701-5120BF24BA4C}'" | format-table Value

Value
-----
{31AB5147-9A97-4452-8443-D9709F0516E1}

[rhubarb-geek-nz]

I would suggest use a single source for your installer and don't mix and match over time. Eg either download the MSI from here or use WinGet and leave it at that.

[R-Adrian]

I would suggest use a single source for your installer and don't mix and match over time. Eg either download the MSI from here or use WinGet and leave it at that.

The problem is that the MSI installer, the same one sourced here from GitHub keeps insisting to switch to use Microsoft Update as installation source for updates.... it comes with these options enabled by default and tagged as "recommended"

[rhubarb-geek-nz]

The problem is that the MSI installer, the same one sourced here from GitHub keeps insisting to switch to use Microsoft Update as installation source for updates.... it comes with these options enabled by default and tagged as "recommended"

Certainly agree that the default install should not guide the user into a problematic update experience. If the installation from WSUS is incompatible then that is the problem,

If it can't be made error free then option should be removed from this MSI, and let WinGet deliver the complete install/update cycle.