Launch Condition with version check not possible in msi project?

[simone3100]

Question

In my WiX 7.0.0 msi project I´m using a Launch Condition to check if a minimum required version of my prerequisite is already installed.

Therefore I read the version from registry and check that property in the Launch Condition:

<?define MinRequiredPrerequisiteVersion  = "1.4.2.0"?>
<Property Id="INSTALLEDPREREQUISITEVERSION">
  <RegistrySearch Id="PrerequInstalled" Root="HKLM" Key="Software\CompanyName\PrerequisiteName" Name="Version" Type="raw" />
</Property>
 <Launch Condition="Installed OR INSTALLEDPREREQUISITEVERSION &gt;= &quot;$(var.MinRequiredPrerequisiteVersion)&quot;" Message="!(loc.ERROR_PREREQUISITE)" />

Log:

MSI (c) (04:40) [09:29:28:838]: PROPERTY CHANGE: Adding INSTALLEDPREREQUISITEVERSION property. Its value is '1.10.1.6'....
MSI (c) (04:40) [09:29:29:324]: Doing action: LaunchConditions...
MSI (c) (04:40) [09:29:33:660]: Product: XXXX -- You must install Prerequisite Version 1.4.2.0 or newer before running this installer...
Action ended 09:29:33: Action ended 09:29:33: LaunchConditions. Return value 3...
Property(C): MinRequiredPrerequisiteVersion = 1.4.2.0

In this example the installed version is 1.10.1.6 (INSTALLEDPREREQUISITEVERSION), while MinRequiredPrerequisiteVersion is 1.4.2.0.
I assumed that the launch condition 'INSTALLEDPREREQUISITEVERSION 1.10.1.6 >= MinRequiredPrerequisiteVersion 1.4.2.0' would evaluate to true and installation proceeds, because 1.10.1.6. is larger version as required minimum version 1.4.2.0. But it seems that the condition is evaluated as string instead of version in the msi project. The condition evaluates to false.

With the Wix Bundle, however, the same condition evaluates to true in the DetectCondition of the ExePackage. It is checked as a version.

<util:RegistrySearch Id="PrerequisiteVersion" Result="value" Variable="PrerequisiteVersion" Root="HKLM" Key="Software\CompanyName\PrerequisiteName" Value="Version" Bitness="always64" />
<ExePackage Id="Prerequisite"
 			DisplayName="PrerequisiteName 1.4.2.0"
 			Description="PrerequisiteName 1.4.2.0"
 			SourceFile="$(var.PrereqPath)\Prerequisite.exe"
 			DetectCondition="(PrerequisiteVersion &gt;= v1.4.2.0)"
 			After="NET" />

Log:

[1184:0820][2026-06-09T11:23:32]i000: Setting string variable 'PrerequisiteVersion' to value '1.10.1.6'...
[1184:0820][2026-06-09T11:23:32]i052: Condition '(PrerequisiteVersion >= v1.4.2.0)' evaluates to true....

I also tested the "v" prefix in the MSI project to see if it would be interpreted as a version number, but without success.

Is there a way to check the LaunchCondition as a version in the MSI project as well?

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