WiX v7.0.0-rc.2 is here

A month after shipping WiX v7.0.0-rc.1, WiX v7.0.0-rc.2 is now out. We're a month out from WiX v7.0.0 shipping, so now's your chance: Download it, use it—it's an easy job to upgrade—and report any bugs you discover.

WiX v7.0.0-rc.2 is now available. It includes all the features from WiX v7.0.0-rc.1 and a number of important fixes.

Compatibility

Fix WiX v7 package dependencies, from @robmen addresses compatibility of WiX with both Visual Studio 2022 and 2026.

Documentation enhancements and fixes

Fixes for these issues address varied documentation bugs and omissions:

Document overridable, from @barnson
Compilation fails due to invalid attribute “Enabled” for element “FirewallException”, from @S1r0hub
Declare platform support for WiX v7, from @barnson
Document Plan() API change, from @barnson
Document new bundle variables, from @barnson

Configurable-scope bundles

Some of these address work I discovered while implementing configurable-scope bundles. The rest are work I knew about but couldn’t get into WiX v7.0.0-rc.1 without firing up the TARDIS for a bit of schedule-induced spacetime manipulation.

Bundles need to store scope when installing and restore it for maintenance, from @barnson,
Handle configurable-scope BundlePackages, from @barnson,
Implement configurability in WixStdBA, from @barnson,
Add scope selection to (select?) WixStdBA themes, from @barnson,
ScopeLock:tm: to prevent scope from changing during upgrade, from @barnson,
Report scope of MSI packages during Detect, from @barnson,

Get started

Get started with an SDK-style .wixproj project:

<Project Sdk="WixToolset.Sdk/7.0.0-rc.2">
</Project>

and a simple .wxs source file:

<Wix xmlns="http://wixtoolset.org/schemas/v4/wxs">
    <Package Id="Acme.HelloWorld" Name="HelloWorld" Version="7.0.0" Manufacturer="Acme">
        <Files Include="*" />
    </Package>
</Wix>

You can get the latest WiX MSBuild SDK, WiX .NET tool, or every last bit from the GitHub release.

Try using WiX v7.0.0-rc.2 in your existing projects and report any bugs so we have a chance to get them fixed before the release of WiX v7 on 6-April-2026. FireGiant customers: As always, ask any questions you have about WiX v7; you’re already supported.