Executing UninstallString using C#

Question

I have a problem to execute uninstallString using process, it won't work in all cases. I need a generic procedure that will run in any case.

• one of my ideas was to parse uninstall string

Code:

int indexOfExe = uninstallString.ToLower().IndexOf(".exe") + 4;
string exeFile = uninstallString.Substring(0, indexOfExe).Trim();
string args = uninstallString.Substring(indexOfExe, uninstallString.Length - indexOfExe).Trim();

if (args.Length > 0)
{
    procStartInfo.FileName = exeFile;
    procStartInfo.Arguments = args;
}
else
{
    procStartInfo.FileName = exeFile;
    procStartInfo.Arguments = "";
}

procStartInfo.Verb = "runas";
procStartInfo.CreateNoWindow = true;
procStartInfo.UseShellExecute = false ;
System.Diagnostics.Process proc = new System.Diagnostics.Process();
proc.StartInfo = procStartInfo;
proc.Start();
proc.WaitForExit();

• my second idea was:

Code:

if (uninstallString.Contains("msiexec"))
{
    uninstallString = uninstallString.Replace("\"", "");
    uninstallString = RegistryHandler.getCommandInCommaAndArgumentsOutside(uninstallString);
}
else
{
    procStartInfo.FileName = "cmd";

    string[] words = uninstallString.Split("/".ToCharArray());

    if (uninstallString.StartsWith(@"""") && words.Count() == 1)
    {
        procStartInfo.FileName = uninstallString;
        procStartInfo.Arguments = "";
    }
    else
    {
        //procStartInfo.Arguments = "/c " + "\"" + uninstallString + "\"";
        if ((uninstallString.StartsWith(@"""") && words.Count() > 1))
        {
            procStartInfo.Arguments = "/c " + uninstallString;
        }
        else
        {
            procStartInfo.Arguments = "/c " + RegistryHandler.getCommandInCommaAndArgumentsOutsideByExe(uninstallString);
        }
    }
}

but still it won't cover all cases.

What is the generic solution for all cases?

Answer 1

//i wrote this code, which is working in most of the cases :

//----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------          

            if (uninstallString.Contains("msiexec"))
                {
                uninstallString = uninstallString.Replace("\"", "");
                uninstallString = RegistryHandler.getCommandInCommaAndArgumentsOutside(uninstallString);
                }
                else
                {
                  if (uninstallString.StartsWith(@""""))
                     {
                     int indexOfLastComma = uninstallString.IndexOf("\"", 1) + 1;
                     procStartInfo.FileName = uninstallString.Substring(0, indexOfLastComma);
                     procStartInfo.Arguments = uninstallString.Substrin(indexOfLastComma,uninstallString.Length - indexOfLastComma));

                     }
                     else
                     {
                      procStartInfo.FileName = "cmd.exe";
                      procStartInfo.Arguments = "/c " + RegistryHandler.getCommandInCommaAndArgumentsOutsideByExe(uninstallString); 
                      }     
}

//----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


          public static string getCommandInCommaAndArgumentsOutsideByExe(string command)
                 {
                   int ind = 0;
                   string[] prms = command.Split(' ');

                   ind = prms[0].Length; //command.IndexOf(".exe") + 4;

                   int exeLocationIndex = command.IndexOf(".exe") + 4;
                   string cmd = command.Substring(0, exeLocationIndex);
                   string arguments = command.Substring(command.IndexOf(".exe") + 4, command.Length - exeLocationIndex);

                   return "\"" + cmd + "\"" + arguments;
                       }

Answer 2

Your second idea should, technically, work (for all programs using Windows Installer). However, you need to get the proper uninstall string. I suspect the problem is your Uninstall String is incorrect.

You should be able to query the registry for the Uninstall String by looking at:

HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Currentversion\Uninstall\{NameOfApplication}\UninstallString

The section above marked {NameOfApplication} should have an entry for all programs which can be uninstalled. For details, see the Uninstall Registry Key.

Answer 3

Here is my code, using the same way as Roy did，perhaps a litter simpler:

  private string SwitchCondition(string uninstallstring)
    {
        if (uninstallstring.Substring(0, 1).Equals("\"") |
            uninstallstring.ToLower().Contains("msiexec") |
            uninstallstring.Contains("~"))
        {
            Debug.WriteLine(uninstallstring);
        }
        else if (uninstallstring.ToLower().IndexOf(".exe") > 0)
        {
            uninstallstring = "\"" + uninstallstring.Insert(uninstallstring.ToLower().IndexOf(".exe") + 4, "\"");
            Debug.WriteLine("Contains .exe" + uninstallstring);
        }
        else
        {
            uninstallstring = "\"" + uninstallstring + "\"";
            Debug.WriteLine("Case end " + uninstallstring);
        }

        return uninstallstring;
    }