Val0014
InstallShield 2026
Project:
| • | Basic MSI |
| • | InstallScript MSI |
| • | QuickPatch |
Message 1(Error)
The component identified by ID [1] has been removed from the latest version of the setup. On a Major Upgrade the resources contained within these components will get uninstalled, possibly deleting resources necessary for your application to run.
[1] is the component code that identifies a component in the earlier installation.
Description
This validator performs this check only if the major upgrade is configured to install new files, then remove unneeded files. The issue this validator is designed to protect you against does not exist if the major upgrade is configured to uninstall the product first, then reinstall it.
When the target upgrade mode is selected, the installer achieves this functionality by relying on reference count components on the target machine. The reference count for a required component is incremented when the latest application is installed, and it is decremented when the earlier application is removed. However, since the reference count never reaches zero, the persistent components remain on the target machine.
The problem exists when you delete a component from the installation, and then add the resources from that component to a different component. Instead, you should perform the following:
| 1. | Install a new component with new resources. |
| 2. | Uninstall the old component with old resources. |
When the old component is uninstalled in step 2, it may remove registry entries, .ini file changes, environment variables, and so on if they were added by the new component in step 1.
Since components are referenced by a GUID, and a new component GUID is generated every time you add a new component to your installation project, even a simple deletion or addition of a component that already exists can cause this behavior.
This validator applies only to major upgrades.
To perform this validation test, the validation engine compares the latest installation to an earlier version of that installation.
Corrective Action
To correct this problem, you can either configure your upgrade to uninstall the application first and then reinstall it, or you can add a component with a GUID equal to the one specified in this error message. Even though the component is empty, its existence helps Windows Installer keep accurate reference counts, and it helps to prevent components from being prematurely uninstalled.