Windows App Certification Kit Test Result : app didn't create the require registry entries

Question

I create an application installer using installshield 2009. This application is a 32-bit application. Now as the requirement from our client, our software must passed the Windows App Certification Kit test (WACK). Then I try to testing as a desktop application, but the result is failed.

The registry population test detected the following error:

App didn’t create the required registry entries.
Write appropriate Add/Remove Program values
Error Found: The registry population test detected the following error: app didn’t create the required registry entries.
A non-optional value 'DisplayName' is missing or invalid for program .
An optional value 'InstallLocation' is missing or invalid for program .
A non-optional value 'Publisher' is missing or invalid for program .
An optional value 'UninstallString' is missing or invalid for program .
A non-optional value 'VersionMajor' is missing or invalid for program .
A non-optional value 'VersionMinor' is missing or invalid for program .
A non-optional value 'MajorVersion' is missing or invalid for program .
A non-optional value 'MinorVersion' is missing or invalid for program .
An optional value 'InstallLocation' is missing or invalid for program .

I check with regedit onanother machine with installed.
The registry value is correct, none of the key stated above is empty or invalid

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall{9DAA8BAB-2DD2-4BD5-A3A2-ACB2A28B8041}]
"AuthorizedCDFPrefix"=""
"Comments"=""
"Contact"=""
"DisplayVersion"="9.1.0"
"HelpLink"=""
"HelpTelephone"="(123) 123-1234"
"InstallDate"="20140115"
"InstallLocation"="C:\Application Sample\"
"InstallSource"="C:\Install\"
"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,00,39,00,44,00,41,00,41,00,38,00,42,00,41,00,\ 42,00,2d,00,32,00,44,00,44,00,32,00,2d,00,34,00,42,00,44,00,35,00,2d,00,41,\ 00,33,00,41,00,32,00,2d,00,41,00,43,00,42,00,32,00,41,00,32,00,38,00,42,00,\ 38,00,30,00,34,00,31,00,7d,00,00,00
"NoModify"=dword:00000001
"NoRepair"=dword:00000001
"Publisher"="Sample Publisher"
"Readme"=""
"Size"=""
"EstimatedSize"=dword:0002861e
"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,00,39,00,44,00,41,00,41,00,38,00,42,00,41,\ 00,42,00,2d,00,32,00,44,00,44,00,32,00,2d,00,34,00,42,00,44,00,35,00,2d,00,\ 41,00,33,00,41,00,32,00,2d,00,41,00,43,00,42,00,32,00,41,00,32,00,38,00,42,\ 00,38,00,30,00,34,00,31,00,7d,00,00,00
"URLInfoAbout"="www.publisher.com"
"URLUpdateInfo"=""
"VersionMajor"=dword:00000009
"VersionMinor"=dword:00000001
"WindowsInstaller"=dword:00000001
"Version"=dword:09010000
"Language"=dword:00000409
"DisplayName"="Application Sample"

I'm also check with Microsoft KB related with WACK, it told that this error happened due to invalid registry values or the registry values was not created during installation.
Does anyone have the same experience with this? How to fix it?
I try to google it, but no one can give the exact solution how to fix this

Answer 1

I found the problem, this was caused because the installer create an installer and somehow installer was not removed during uninstall process. This shortcut also create some registry and give some parameter that related to the application installed.

To fix this, I review the shortcut creation process and give the proper uninstall process for the shorcut.

Answer 2

The registry entries you mentioned above are created automatically by Windows Installer, the MSI package should not create them. Do you have a EXE or and MSI as output from your IS project?

As you can see in the following MSDN article, point 5.5, Microsoft states the same, the MSI package installations automatically create the entries, as a result of Windows Installer registering your installer on the machine.

Answer 3

Before investing too much time in tweaking the installer I recommend to run the WACK first on another machine. I lost more than two days searching the net and "fixing" my MSI file just to find out that the same MSI passed the WACK tests on another machine!