"ICE38: Component installs to user profile" error for a specific component

Question

I am trying to write a Windows Installer script in WiX 3.6 with a per-machine and x64 architecture only setting. I have the following project structure (shortened):

<Directory Id="ProgramFiles64Folder" Name="PFiles">
    <Directory Id="APPLICATIONFOLDER" Name="My Company">
      <Directory Id="ProductFolder" Name="My Product">
        <Component Id="MainComponent" Guid="" Win64="yes" KeyPath="yes">
            ...
        </Component>
        <Directory Id="DataFolder" Name="Data">
          <Directory Id="Machine" Name="Machine" >
            <Directory Id="MachinesFolder" Name="Machines">
              <Component Id="Machine1" Guid="{74341536-72DF-48C3-95E8-2851D9FA8318}" Win64="yes" KeyPath="yes">
                        ...
              </Component>
            </Directory>
            <Directory Id="TemplateFolder" Name="Template">
              <Component Id="TemplateFiles" Guid="{A0D0C225-D604-4B84-971D-41687A30EC36}" Win64="yes" KeyPath="yes">
                <File Id="Template1.rsbak" Source="$(var.SolutionDir)bin\Release\File1.rsbak" />
                            ...
              </Component>
            </Directory>
          </Directory>
        </Directory>
      </Directory>
    </Directory>
</Directory>

The problem is that I receive the error ICE38: Component TemplateFiles installs to user profile. It must use a registry key under HKCU as its KeyPath, not a file for the TemplateFiles component when I compile. What confuses me is that I use a similar structure in another project (working), and have several components with the exact same setup in my project (not shown above). Why does this - and this only - component insist on installing to the user profile when all others get installed correctly, to Program Files?

Reproduce

Answer 1

Looks like there's significant difference for msi between Program Files and Users\UserName\Documents folders. The last is referenced in your example:

<Directory Id="DataFolder" Name="Data">

I came to the similar problem and found an answer in the blog post - https://robmensching.com/blog/posts/2007/4/27/how-to-create-an-uninstall-shortcut-and-pass-all-the/

In short you need to define RegistryKey on HKCU root as subelement to Component and add RemoveFolder element as subelement to Directory. See the link above for full example. In addition:

• Remove KeyPath attribute from Component element
• RemoveFolder possibly have to be defined for all folders. I used dummy component with no file inside for that

Inosculate

Thank you. Although my problem solved itself(!?) when we were forced to re-structure our folders, I believe your answer is the right way to do it. – Ufo

Pleasure. I had this same problem myself. So added a solution for the next guys that will have it. – Inosculate

That link was down for me today. I'm not sure if that's temporary, but here is an archive link in case not: web.archive.org/web/20190916230607/https://robmensching.com/… – Leelah