How Can I Reliably Register a CPP DLL in COM During MSI Installation Using WiX?

Registering a CPP DLL into COM after Installation Using Wix Msi Installer

Problem: The CPP library is not getting registered into COM during MSI installation, despite attempts with different approaches.

Solution:

Stop Using Batch Files and Custom Actions:

Manually running batch files and custom actions for COM registration is unreliable.

Extract COM Registration Information Using heat.exe

1. Use the heat.exe tool from the WiX toolkit to extract the COM registration information from the CPP dll.
2. The extracted registry data will be used to populate the MSI database at compile time, ensuring reliable COM registration during installation.

Addressing Missing Dependencies

The COM file's inability to load often results from missing dependencies.

1. Use Dependency Walker to scan the COM file for missing dependencies.
2. Place the missing dependency files in the installation directory along with the COM dll to make them accessible during registration.

COM Extraction Process with heat.exe

1. For 32-bit COM files with dependencies in the local folder or path, use this command:

   heat.exe file YourFileName.ocx -o YourFileName.wxs

2. To incorporate the exported WiX registry data into the main WiX source, refer to this article: How to Reference a Heat Output(wxs) in Wix (Command Line).

64-bit Binaries

heat.exe does not correctly process 64-bit COM binaries. Consider using the WiX Expansion Pack (commercial) or self-registration (not recommended).

Additional Tips

• Ensure registration is attempted with elevated privileges.
• Verify that the heat.exe command is run on the COM file after deployment, when all dependencies are available.
• Utilize the Dependency Walker tool to understand any missing dependencies or false positives.

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