Problems with de-registering of COM (advanced installer) - c++

Question

Definition of problem:
Hangs up for sometime during COM de-registering and says The setup was unable to automatically close all requested applications. Please ensure that the applications holding files in use are closed before continuing with the installation. But actually my extension is successfully unloaded and uninstalled.
Definition of environment:
I created some kind of dummy shell namespace extension for tests. It implements IContextMenu and all methods returnS_OK and do nothing else and rgs file is
HKCR
{
xxx.sergz.dummyShellExt.1 = s 'DummyNSE Class'
{
CLSID = s '{6C0FBE00-9898-4BB0-806F-3ED7D2F1170D}'
}
xxx.sergz.dummyShellExt = s 'DummyNSE Class'
{
CurVer = s 'xxx.sergz.dummyShellExt.1'
}
NoRemove CLSID
{
ForceRemove {6C0FBE00-9898-4BB0-806F-3ED7D2F1170D} = s 'DummyNSE Class'
{
ProgID = s 'xxx.sergz.dummyShellExt.1'
VersionIndependentProgID = s 'xxx.sergz.dummyShellExt'
ForceRemove Programmable
InprocServer32 = s '%MODULE%'
{
val ThreadingModel = s 'Apartment'
}
TypeLib = s '{3DC947F0-6691-4043-B414-29F749209905}'
Version = s '1.0'
}
}
NoRemove Directory
{
NoRemove Background
{
NoRemove ShellEx
{
NoRemove ContextMenuHandlers
{
ForceRemove DummyShellExt = s '{6C0FBE00-9898-4BB0-806F-3ED7D2F1170D}'
}
}
}
}
}
HKLM
{
NoRemove Software
{
NoRemove Microsoft
{
NoRemove Windows
{
NoRemove CurrentVersion
{
NoRemove Shell Extensions
{
NoRemove Approved
{
val '{6C0FBE00-9898-4BB0-806F-3ED7D2F1170D}' = s 'xxx.sergz Dummy shell extension.'
}
}
}
}
}
}
}
I choose Professional installer and added only my dll file. On file properties Registration tab I choose Auto register file..., Extract registration info... and Synchronization is Enabled. In Product Information->Install Parameters->PackageType I choose 64-bit package for x64....
Now I build the MSI and install the extension.
Launch explorer and do right click somewhere on folder background. According to my log my extension is loaded and is DLL_PROCESS_ATTACH and a few times DLL_THREAD_ATTACH.
I launch the MSI again and choose Remove. It says that you have to close ... applications are using files... and there is only Windows Explorer in the list. I choose Automatically close ... and press OK.
All Explorer windows are closed but it seems that Explorer was not shutdown.
The status is "Shutting down applications", according to my log the dll is already unloaded. The problem is here. The dll is already unloaded but the MSI is still waiting for something and then it says The setup was unable to automatically close all requested applications. Please ensure that the applications holding files in use are closed before continuing with the installation.
I click OK and the process continues and my DLL is successfully removed in the end.
I use windows 8 64bit.
What are the reasons of this waiting and the message that applications can not be closed. How can I figure it out?

Answer 1

Right, this isn't going to work, the shell extension is very likely to be loaded and MSI isn't going to kill Explorer.exe. Nor would you want it to, it is rather a ghastly sight to the user.
You'll need to use an alternative way to un/register the extension. It isn't clear what "Professional installer" might mean. But you can always un/register a COM server by modifying the registry yourself rather than leaving it up to the DLL to do so. It is in fact the recommended way. You already know the registry keys from your .rgs file. You can also use the Heat.exe harvester from the WiX toolset. The DLL needs to be removed by delay-deleting it at the next user login, done by adding it to the PendingFileRenameOperations registry key. Check your installer creator tool for the proper procedure.