Running Visual c# windows application over LAN - c#

This is my first windows application. I have published my project and here are few questions.
Now I have two files - a Setup.exe file and a ClickOnce Application Deployment Manifest file. However both install my application in the machine. What is the right file I should be relying on while installing at the client's place? What is the difference between these two?
Should my application be installed at each client machine? Or would it work if I install my application in the server and try to access the shortcut from a client machine (through LAN)? Would it work? If it is running over LAN, should the client machine have .NET framework installed?
Any input is highly appreciated.

See your question contains some answers.
Ans 1. Setup.exe and ClickOnce Application Deployment Manifest file both will install your application but when u run setup.exe it will install all requirements that your app require.
Lets say your app uses .Net Framework 4.0 and Crystal Reports. Then in the setup project(i hope u r using Setup and deployment project of Visual Studio) rightclick on project and click on properties
Then click on prerequisites... It will show u list of prerequisites available. Check on .Net Framework 4.0 and Crystal Reports and compile your project.
Now when u run setup.exe it will first search for .Net 4.0 Framework and crystal report. If not found it will install them and then proceed for your software installation
OR
if already installed then will directly jump for your software installation.
This will not happen if you directly install your software from ClickOnce Application Deployment Manifest file.
Ans 2. U have to install your software on each client for if there is not framework. it will not run your app.

If you are deploying using ClickOnce you will be installing it on each client machine (this is fine) and the relevant .NET framework(s) installed on each client - these can be installed as a pre-requisite of the application install by configuring the ClickOnce settings.
For ClickOnce the main setup file is setup.exe but it relies on the other files in the deploy package, so asking which specific file is most important isn't really relevant.
If there is a reason you don't want to install the application on each client then you may want to look into developing an IIS (web) application or using a product like Citrix to enable access to the application from the server.

i have a same type of windows application.
currently this application is in use.
if you don't want to install with client PC now you do not have to create the windows application you have to create web application because in windows application you have to install your setup.exe in each client PC.You can not access windows application without install in client PC.

Related

"Reference package not found. Device Connectivity Component" when delopying C# program to Windows Mobile 6.5 device

I'm working on a C# project for windows mobile 6.5 and as of this morning I'm getting "Reference package not found. Device Connectivity Component" whenever I try to deploy.
It builds without errors and was working up until today. I did a bit of looking around and only found dead ends online. As far as I can see there are no clues about that component or package this is a reference to. I think it may be related to Windows CE SQL Compact but that's based on nothing. I've rolled back to an earlier version of my code and cleaned a few times. I'm stumped.
I would greatly appreciate any help even diagnosing this a bit further. I'm using Visual Studio 2008 3.5 SP1
Update: When I disable "Deploy latest version of the .NET Compact Framework (including Service Packs)" it does deploy but then throws errors related to the SQL database which worked previously. assumedly because it doesn't have access to the correct SQL packages.
Update: I also get the same error with the emulator, it builds, the emulator starts but can't deploy, giving the same error.
Update: I think this might have something to do with it. Note the double slashes in the path. I keep removing them. It keeps coming back.
Update/Correction: I can now deploy to the emulator, I had a problem before but it seems to be ok now. I still can't beploy to the device, same error.
For anyone who was pulling their hair out like me. I couldn't figure out what was wrong although I still suspect it was something to do with the .NET compact package. Eventually I created a new project, set up the references and copied and pasted the code over. It's not a nice solution but it worked after days of being stuck.
HA! I found it! This may not be your solution, but this was how I did it.
See this REF: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa983326(v=vs.90).aspx
Since Microsoft is bad about deleting their old info, I'm going to post it here, too. But basically, if you select a Private Deployment, then Microsoft Updates will not influence your project or update your 3.5 databases to ...whatever the newest stuff from Microsoft is.
How to: Deploy a SQL Server Compact 3.5 Database with an Application
You have two deployment options for applications that contain SQL Server Compact 3.5 databases. The method of deployment you choose depends on the servicing requirements of your application and whether your users will need administrative credentials on the computer on which the application will be installed.
Following are the deployment options for SQL Server Compact 3.5 databases:
Traditional Microsoft Windows Installer (Microsoft setup technology)
Users need administrative credentials to install the application.
SQL Server Compact 3.5 will be serviced by Microsoft Update.
Can use ClickOnce deployment.
-or-
Private file–based deployment (deploying the SQL Server Compact 3.5 DLLs as part of the project)
Users do not need administrative credentials to install the application.
SQL Server Compact 3.5 will not be serviced by Microsoft Update.
Can also use ClickOnce deployment.
Traditional Windows Installer
Traditional Windows Installer technology is used in both standard Setup and Deployment projects and in ClickOnce deployment. When you deploy a SQL Server Compact 3.5 database, ClickOnce deployment provides an option that automatically installs SQL Server Compact 3.5 if it is not detected on the target computer. For this reason, ClickOnce is the preferred method of deployment for applications that include SQL Server Compact 3.5 databases (as opposed to creating a custom action in a Setup and Deployment project).
ClickOnce deployment has been updated so that it automatically includes the SQL Server Compact 3.5 runtime as a prerequisite for applications that include SQL Server Compact 3.5 databases. It also recognizes .sdf files as data files and sets these to the correct publish status.
Creating a ClickOnce deployment for an application that contains a SQL Server Compact 3.5 database consists of configuring the proper publish information in the Project Designer.
To use Windows Installer technology for ClickOnce deployment of an application that contains a SQL Server Compact 3.5 database
To open the Project Designer, in Solution Explorer/Database Explorer, double-click My Project if you are working on a Visual Basic project (or Properties if you are working on a C# project).
Click the Publish tab.
Click Application Files and set the .sdf file to Data File (Auto). (This setting notifies the installer to treat this as a local data file and to put it in the Data Directory.)
Click Prerequisites and select SQL Server Compact 3.5. (This setting notifies the installer to check whether the SQL Server Compact 3.5 runtime exists and to install it from the Internet if it is not found.)
Creating the Installer After the publish information is configured, create the installer.
To create the installer
In the Publishing Location box, type the Web site, FTP server, or file path to publish the installer to.
Click Publish Now to create the installer.
The application is ready to be installed. Go to the location you published to, and install the application to verify.
Private File-Based Deployment
Private file–based deployment refers to the process of including the required SQL Server Compact 3.5 DLLs as files in the project (as opposed to a reference to DLLs already on the target computer). If you include the necessary DLLs with the application, the requirement to install SQL Server Compact 3.5 is removed. Therefore, the administrative credentials are no longer needed.
You can use ClickOnce deployment technology for private file–based deployment. If you do, you must remember to clear the SQL Server Compact 3.5 prerequisite so that the Setup program does not install it.
To deploy a SQL Server Compact 3.5 database by using private file–based deployment
To open the Project Designer, in Solution Explorer/Database Explorer, double-click My Project if you are working on a Visual Basic project (or Properties if you are working on a C# project).
Click the Publish tab.
Click Prerequisites and then clear the check box for SQL Server Compact 3.5.
Close the Project Designer.
Go to the directory that contains the SQL Server Compact 3.5 DLLs. These are located in C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server Compact Edition\v3.5.
Select the seven SQL Server Compact 3.5 DLLs and copy them:
sqlceca35.dll
sqlcecompact35.dll
sqlceer35EN.dll
sqlceme35.dll
sqlceoledb35.dll
sqlceqp35.dll
sqlcese35.dll
Paste the DLLs into the project in Solution Explorer/Database Explorer.
Select all seven DLLs in Solution Explorer/Database Explorer and open the Properties window.
Set the Copy to Output Directory property to Copy if newer. (This will replace any earlier DLLs in an existing application with the newer ones if the application is updated.)
Click the Show All Files button in Solution Explorer/Database Explorer.
Expand the References node.
Select System.Data.SqlServerCe.
Set the Copy Local property to True. (Because your development computer has the SqlServerCe DLLs in the global assembly cache, you must configure the application to use the DLLs in the output directory.)
Right-click the project in Solution Explorer/Database Explorer and select Publish to open the Publish Wizard.
Complete the wizard to publish the application.
The application is ready to be installed. Go to the location you published to, and install the application to verify.
I had the same problem. I got it to work by closing visual studio, renaming the directory:
C:\Documents and Settings\\Local Settings\Application
Data\Microsoft\CoreCon
Then reopening visual studio and the deploy worked.

Publish issue in WPF

I published my WPF project on IIS on server computer, and install the application on client over the network, every thing was fine, but now I have licence file for each computer, I used UUID to generate a licence file (dll file).
Now If I published with server licence when I install the application on client, the application will not work with server licence.
So, my question is can I install specific file on each computer instead of the other when I install the application over IIS?
Hope this clear.

Creating Single EXE File which includes Multiple EXE Files

I'am Working On windows forms application now i want to create single EXE File that includes my application EXE and also the prerequisites for my application.
i.e
my application has .net framework and sql sever express 2008 as prerequisites.now i want to install .net framework followed by sql sever followed by my application all the exe's need to package in single EXE file(sql server need to install only after successful instalation of .net framework).
please help how can i achieve this.
thanks
I have used this in the past to install my prerequisites.
http://dblock.github.io/dotnetinstaller/

Deploying a C#/.NET application without an installer nor ClickOnce

I am looking for a solution to:
I don't have authorisation for installing an application on a client computer. That's why I need to deploy the application without an installer. Just like a portable application or a standalone application - something like that.
The client computer also has a limitation in its Internet connection, so ClickOnce will not work either.
I'm using Visual Studio Express 2010. I saw WiX could solve my limitation in setting-up my application. But still, I can't install the application.
In your solution, set CopyLocal to true for all projects. This will ensure that the ..\Bin folder contains all the necessary assemblies for your program. Then just zip up the ..\Bin folder, get it onto the client machine, and then unzip it.

VS 2010 Setup Project requirements

I need to check these things before i procedure with an installation:
Does target machine(tm) has installed .NET 3.5?
Does tm has installed IIS 6 (win xp) or IIS7 (win 7)?
To check which OP is installed the tm... If it is XP, i need to check does it have service pack 3 and is in both cases (xp or win7), is it 32bit or 64bit op?
Thanks in advance.
Use ClickOnce to Deploy your application
Goto Project Properties
Click on the Publish Tab
Add the PreRequisites like .Net 3.5,Sql Server etc
Publish Now
Else if you are using Setup Deployment Project, you need to write some script to know all these information.
If you are using ClickOnce you can develop small class to know the Service Pack etc

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