PowerToys fail to run after silent update installation, asks for PowerToysBootstrappedInstaller-0.3X.X.0.msi

[Wayfarer-es]

ℹ Computer information

• PowerToys version: v0.31.2 x64, v0.33.1 x64
• PowerToy Utility: PowerToysSetup-0.XX.X-x64.exe
• Running PowerToys as Admin:
• Windows build number: [run "winver"] 19042.804

📝 Provide detailed reproduction steps (if any)

1. Computer with PowerToys already installed and running
2. Run silent installation remotely through Comodo/ITarian Endpoint Manager:
   Command line: PowerToysSetup-0.XX.X-x64.exe --silent
   Run as user: nt authority\system
3. PowerToys instance running stops
4. The updated version appears installed in appwiz.cpl.

✔️ Expected result

PowerToys should run at the next startup or when manually launched from the Start menu

❌ Actual result

a. PowerToys does not run at the next startup.
b. When v0.33.1 is manually launched from the Start menu, Windows Installer starts and then it asks for the installation package "PowerToysBootstrappedInstaller-0.33.1.0.msi", which cannot be found. Windows Installer end with the message "Fatal error during installation". See the first five screenshots below.
c. Same issue happens with the previous version v0.31.2, only the requested package name is different: "PowerToysBootstrappedInstaller-0.31.2.0.msi"
d. Uninstalling PowerToys and reinstalling it again using the --silent switch leads to the same error.
e. Uninstalling PowerToys and reinstalling it again through the Setup Wizard seems to fix the issue.
f. With PowerToys 0.33.1 x64 already installed, running the PowerToysSetup-0.33.1-x64.exe installer shows the error "A newer version is already installed" and the Setup Wizard does not even start. See the last screenshot below.
g. Issue has been found with both v0.31.2 x64, v0.33.1 x64; the last known good version without this issue was v0.29.3 x64.

📷 Screenshots

Error sequence when PowerToys v0.33.1 is manually launched from the Start menu after a silent update:

Error message when trying to run the PowerToysSetup-0.33.1-x64.exe installer once PowerToys 0.33.1 x64 is already installed:

[crutkas]

betting this is related to #9720. @enricogior?

[crutkas]

@enricogior, same issue, no?

[enricogior]

@crutkas
the problem reported in #9720 was not introduced in 0.31, not sure why some users saw the problem only in 0.31.
This issue also says the problem was not present in 0.29.
Looking at the commit history it's not clear which commit may have introduced this problem.

[enricogior]

After further investigation, it turned out the problem was caused by a commit done in January, and it's the same problem as #9720.
The fix bill be released in 0.35.

[TheAndyMac]

Back with me in 0.37.0.2 :-( and completely stuck! How to do a forced/manual uninstall?
[UPDATE] It was stuck on 0.37.0.0 and downloading the installer for 0.37.0.0 and extracting the MSI allowed me to uninstall it.

[crutkas]

@yuyoyuppe can you help out here and update the desc for #9720 to include and where is the new tracking issue for this.?

@dedavis6797 as fyi

[TheAndyMac]

@yuyoyuppe can you help out here and update the desc for #9720 to include and where is the new tracking issue for this.?

@dedavis6797 as fyi

I've just updated my original comment as I had reported the wrong version (it was 0.37.0.0) and also found a way to force uninstall it.

[yuyoyuppe]

As I understand, the issue is ultimately caused by HKCU entries in the installer which we currently don't know how to tackle. Looks like #10126 is an appropriate place to track it.