MAKEMSI quickly and reliably creates MSI files in a non-programmatic way
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Have your say! Join the MAKEMSI discussion list or view archive! Suggest improvements. No question too simple or too complex.
\->Windows Installer FAQ (the basics)->Registry Usage

UNINSTALL Registry

Like all installers, MSIs want to register their product with the Add/Remove Applet, this registry is stored at "HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall".

Undocumented Registry

Microsoft are obviously trying to hide the registry information so it won't be documented. I will try to add information here that I (or others) discover. Please check the information for validity yourself, that is don't blame me if its wrong!

Any information here may also be specific to specific versions of Windows Installer. It would be silly (to say the least) to use this information if the same information can be obtained via documented interfaces.

The "GUID Conversion" facility converts between the 2 formats of GUIDs that I know about.

The "PerUser.VBS" tool uses some of the information documented here to list products installed per-user.

  1. HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Installer\UserData
    Directly under this key will be at least one user SID and that is for the system account (S-1-5-18). This seems to hold information about any product installed by any user per-machine.

    I think others will only appear if one or more products have been installed per-user for that user.

  2. HKLM\SOFTWARE\Classes\Installer
    Looks like per-machine installed product information.

  3. HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Installer
    Looks like per-user installed product information.

Microsoft awarded me an MVP (Most Valuable Professional award) in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 & 2009 for the Windows SDK (Windows Installer) area.Please email me any feedback, additional information or corrections.
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Saturday May 28 2022 at 3:11pm
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Microsoft awarded me an MVP (Most Valuable Professional award) in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 & 2009 for the Windows SDK (Windows Installer) area.