Using Visual Studio Installer For Deploying Windows Forms Project?
Feb 1, 2011
I'm trying to build a setup program using the built-in Visual Studio Installer. I'm using VS 2010 and working on VB.NET.For the most basic kind of program, I have an EXE file which works on a XML file (the XML file is treated like a database). So on a Windows 7 platform with UAC enabled, the best deployment is to install the EXE file in the Program Files folder, and the XML file in the application data folder, for security purposes of Windows. (Windows, now, does not allow creating/writing files inside the Program Files folder unless your application is running with administrative privileges).
So I have added VS Installer to my current project and have opened its File System Editor. So to create the above layout, I've added Primary Output to the Application Folder. Then I've added its shortcut to the User Desktop.Now I need to place my XML file to the application data folder. VS Installer gives the option of User's Application Data Folder, which is the %appdata% folder in the environment table. I need to access the All Users' Application Data Folder.
1) How do I access the All Users' Application Data Folder over here?
2) I tried using the User's Application Data Folder. It doesn't work. It doesn't create any folder in the %appdata% (e.g. C:UsersFarazAppDataRoaming). I tried to play around with various properties, like AlwaysCreate which is supposed to create a folder obligatorily. It doesn't create anything.
If I build a Windows Forms project in Visual Studio 2008, and start it with a Sub Main instead of a form, and for the time being, don't show any forms, is it considered a Console application? Will console.writeline work?
I'm suddenly having trouble with GetPrivateProfileSection in a Windows Forms project in Visual Studio 2008. The same code works when it's run as an aspx page in a website. Anyway, I define the WINAPI call thusly:
In my VS2010 VB project I have a lot of external references to DLLs, to the point that organization has become a major headache and I'm wondering if I am going about it the wrong way. My assembly references include common redistributables (SQL Server Compact 3.5 SP1, ReportViewer 2010 SP1, DataVisualization, as well as some useful 3rd party dlls from CodeProject and CodePlex.
Currently, I am copying each DLL into a 1st level folder (/dll_lib) under my named project folder (under the solution folder), and adding the reference from that path. However, I see that Visual Studio copies the DLLs to various other locations (/bin/debug or /bin/release) in my project when I build the project or solution, and some of the 3rd party DLLs come with instructions to copy them manually to /bin.
What is the "best practice" for where to put the DLLs? Can I just put all of them under /bin and let the build event copy to /bin/debug or /bin/release as required? Should I try to force a single reference path for the dlls in the project output?
What actually is required to consider something installed on a machine. What happens in the background? I know VB offers an installer but Im trying to build my own from scratch. What do I need to do to accomplish this?
Triying to use the built in Visual Studio 2010 to install a couple of files and after that is done to run another installer package (3rd Party Installation Wizard).
.NET developing and have a simple question, i've been stuck on this for a while and searched many forums first with no solution so i'm posting myself. In VB for excel i've used Screenupdating=false to disable the screen updating however now i'm creating a visual studio 2010 windows forms application and its not showing up as a property. Here's the code i've tried.
i would like to ask how am i going to add files with filenames that have non-English characters Also when i try to reinstall my application i get an error.Do i have to always change the version of the application in order to make an installation without errors ?
With several forms of mine, I occasionally run into the following issue: I edit the form using the designer (Visual Studio 2008, Windows Forms, .NET 2.0, VB.NET) to add components, only to find out later that some minor adjustments were made (e.g. the form's size is suddenly changed by a few pixels), and controls get deleted. This happens silently — event-handling methods automatically have their Handles suffix removed, too, so they never get called, and there's no compiler error. I only notice much later or not at all, because I'm working on a different area in the form.
As an example, I have a form with a SplitContainer containing an Infragistics UltraListView to the left, and an UltraTabControl to the right. I added a new tab, and controls within, and they worked fine. I later on found out that the list view's scrollbar was suddenly invisible, due to its size being off, and at least one control was removed from a different tab that I hadn't been working on.
Is this a known issue with the WinForms Designer, or with Infragistics? I use version control, of course, so I can compare the changes and merge the deleted code back in, but it's a tedious process that shouldn't be necessary. Are there ways to avoid this? Is there a good reason for this to occur?
One clue is that the control that was removed may have code (such as a Load event handler) that expects to be run in run time, not design time, and may be throwing an exception. Could this cause Visual Studio to remove the control?
i've been stuck on this for a while and searched many forums first with no solution so i'm posting myself. In VB for excel i've used Screenupdating= false to disable the screen updating however now i'm creating a visual studio 2010 windows forms application and its not showing up as a property. [code] And i get the error 'screenupdating is not a member of 'system.windows.forms.application'.
WebMatrix is a web development and deployment tool by Microsoft so how is this compared to Visual Studio? which Use C# Razor Syntax is that more better coding.
I have a MS Visual Studio .NET project created. I also went through the basic steps to add a setup project which created both an .MSI and a setup.exe file under the "Release" folder within the Debug folder. When I ran the setup.exe it installed the website on my http:localhost/Program/default.aspx which is fine and all..
My only problem is that the website does not have some of the customized icons that should be displayed, some of the other files are also missing such as "filename.txt" found in the main directory of my program used for specific calculations. I guess my two questions are:How do I add "All" the files inside my project to the .MSI?? The Website works fine, but its missing some files.
My second question, what if I "Remove" the program? Will it delete all directories, even files manually added to some folders AFTER the installation? For example: Lets say that my website contains a folder called "Data" which gathers data for specific purposes. The "Data" folder is often changed to replace outdated "Data", so when I need to make an update to the program the "Data" should not be removed, my 'client' should be able to just Add/Remove the program to update the program but all the other files should remain unchanged.
I've written a program that works perfectly well when installed on my development PC, but when I use the wizard in "Build-> Publish" and install the software on another computer it complains it can't find the DLL that I've linked to.The DLL comes from a programmable board that I'm linking to, so I don't have access to the source code, and I've included it in my project using the following lines:
Declare Function InitMbee Lib "C:UsersMartin & CelinaDesktopVBminimb.dll" () As Boolean Declare Function SetOutputs Lib "C:UsersMartin & CelinaDesktopVBminimb.dll" (ByVal outputs As Integer) As Boolean
However I've not included the DLL in any other way, so I'm wondering if I have to add it to a list of items that need to be included with the installer, or if I've declared it in such as way that it needs to be in the same place for all installations.
I have created installer from Visual Studio Package and Deployment, but after successful installation, the installer files (like dlls, images and all supporting files) modified date or even creation date has been changed and all have the same date depends on the date of installation. Is there a way I can preserve or maintain it's original creation/modified date?
i want to create an installer of my program.but i want it to be with the aid of a wizardcould somebody tell me how to create it. i dun know how to create an installer.
I've decided to go with a Windows Installer (Setup Project) in VS Prof, rather than ClickOnce,I've added this project to my main project, and have right clicked and selected 'View -> Launch Conditions', it requires the .netframework 3.5.21022...
But I've created the installer project for .NET 2.0 framework, is this going to stop someone from installing the project without .NET framework 3/3.5?EDIT: I've found under the properties of that installer project, that .NET framework 3.5 and Windows Installer 3.1 was selected as a prerequisite, unchecked those, and checked .NET Framework 2.0, however the version under the launch condition .NET Framework is still 3.5, it should be 2.0
I am very new to Visual Studio Application Development. I'm mostly a DB guy. I used Visual Studio as a Report Designer, not much of an .Net guy though I can understand it. I am now asked to create a .net application and I'm trying to create a "Hello World" starter app. I opened my Visual Studio, click File-New Project and all I see is Business Intelligence Projects and Other Project Types. My step-by-step guide says choose Visual Basic, Windows Forms Application. But I can't see it as an option.
I want to use "OpenGL" in my project. Is it possible to associate it with "Visual Basic" application developed in Visual Studio 2010? If yes then how can we do it.
Well I used the Visual Studio 2010 installer to install my application and I want it to be able to change the version displayed in the in the Add/ Remove Programs (in the Control Panel). How can I do this without going through the install wizard again?
I have written a program in Visual Basic 10 and all is well. I have published it and have been burning the result to a cd and installed it on various computers, however it is the click once app, which has been fine till now. What I need to do now is to have the program install the .exe file and associated files (non click once app) to a specific drive on a computer or network computer. I have searched the net for instructions on how to initiate the windows installer and have failed. is there a program that you can select the source files then point to the installation folder tell it to go and an installation package gets made that I can burn to disk.
I have embedded the WMP control in my Visual Studio 2010 app which works on windows 7 (Framework 4.0), but installing the app on winXP, I get the following error:
System.IO.FileNotFoundException: Could not load file or assembly 'Interop.WMPLib, Version=1.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=null' or one of its dependencies. The system cannot find the file specified. File name: 'Interop.WMPLib, Version=1.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=null'
[code]....
WRN: Assembly binding logging is turned OFF.To enable assembly bind failure logging, set the registry value [HKLMSoftwareMicrosoftFusion!EnableLog] (DWORD) to 1.
Note: There is some performance penalty associated with assembly bind failure logging.To turn this feature off, remove the registry value [HKLMSoftwareMicrosoftFusion!EnableLog].
I guess this is a reference issue, but I have added references to WMP libraries (axinterop.wmplib.dll and interop.wmplib.dll). The WMP works on the XP machine, but not when called from my application.I have searched the web now for 5 days and changed references, and reinstalled the media player on the XP machine, but nothing works.
I want to start using Mercurial on a VB.Net project, but I'm not sure which files should I add. Do I include the Project.sln file, bin/ and obj/ folders?
I have a vb 6 project developed with VB6.0 on XP. I've installed Visual Studio (Professional Edition)2008 on a Windows 7 box. When I tried to convert the vb 6 project (.vbp file) using VB 2008's wizard, I got error messages that the "upgrade failed" because it could not "load the referenced components: msadodc.ocx (6.0.0) and msde.dll It is recommended you install VB6.0 with all referenced components......"I have the VB6.0 CD's and tried to install it on the Win7.0 box and got the message that VB6.0 was incompatible ?
