I have a Visual Studio 2010 project that references a dll from another project.
I've also successfully created a service to start this app.
To create the service I simply ran a batch file that called the installutil.exe from the .net4 area and pointed it at the .exe in the Release folder of my VS project. The Release folder also contains a copy of the referenced dll.
With this arrangement everything works fine - I can access the dll through the service.
However, if I try to create the service from anywhere other than the Release folder it doesn't work.
To explain:
I copied all the files from the VS Release folder into another unrelated folder and modified the paths in my install script. The service was created successfully and does start up. Unfortunately I cannot access the dll through the service when the service is created in this way. Why?
I'm curious if the current working directory was the Release folder when it worked. Perhaps it's because the working directory is not where the .dll file is in your broken scenario. Have you tried changing directories first, before calling the .exe?
Related
I have written a WPF application, which uses a third-party API (as .dll) as a project dependency, in Visual Studio 2022. I'm able to publish the application both to a local folder and with ClickOnce, however, with the former, the application file does not run and with the latter, the application does not run after installation either. The application file in my bin\Release and bin\Debug folders both work, however.
I've tried the following:
Unload Project and Reload Project with Dependencies
Defining the Starting object
I would like to publish the project with ClickOnce, but I'm not sure what the problem could be. Thank you for your help in advance.
Project properties
Project properties (continued)
So currently I have a project in Visual Studio that runs perfectly. When I build the project and create the .exe build in my Debug folder I can run it without any problems. However, when I try to share my .exe build with other co-workers the project doesn't run and crashes. At first the project described that the dependencies weren't able to be located. I then added the dependencies to the folder where the .exe program was located and it still doesn't work.
So what is the best way to create a .exe program that I can hand out to people? And is there a way to test the program in an "outside" environment on my computer? Is there a way to create a .exe program that's not located in my debug folder?
Give them the whole debug folder with the exe. It should work. To have less files and optimization from the compiler use release instead of debug mode. Give them the release folder in this case.
If you want even less files install the nuget package fody costura which will pack all .dll into the exe
If you want to create an installer, check out click once deployment.
I have a Windows service I created and have the Setup project for it as well. Within that setup project I do have the installation path configured in the properties.
[ProgramFilesFolder]Company123\ServicesMonitor
When I install the service through Visual Studio it works as intended, it installs to the correct place (C:\Program Files (x86)\Company123\ServicesMonitor). But when I install it using the Setup project's actual .exe or .msi found in the Setup project's release folder, it just installs the service to my root E:\ drive.
Does anyone know why this is? Thanks.
Don't go to projects release folder, go to Setup project release/debug folder and search for .exe or .msi file.
I have a Visual Studio 2010 solution that contains 3 projects: a dll project, an executable project, and the Installer project.
I am working on the dll and the executable concurrently. The executable is simply a front end for the library. While developing the two in Visual Studio I simply added a reference to the dll project from within the executable and it works fine.
What I'm having trouble with is the deployment. Ideally the dll would be compiled and installed in a subdirectory of the executable. Using the "Visual Studio Installer - Setup Wizard" project template for my installer doesn't seem to be giving me the options I need.
Am I going about this wrong by developing my backend and frontend in different projects? What steps should I take to deploy the compiled dll along with the executable? I may be going about this all wrong, so please help me understand a better methodology if this seems backwards. For all the programming I learned in college, no one ever went over what I do when I actually want to deploy my software.
Since the DLL project is explicitly referenced from the EXE project, it is automatically copied in the EXE's build folder (i.e. bin\Debug or bin\Release) and is considered part of EXE project's "primary output". As a consequence, you only need to reference the EXE from your setup project.
The installed DLL will be in the same folder as EXE. Why would you want to install the DLL in a different folder on the user's machine if it is not there on the development machine? If you are loading it dynamically and using reflection, then don't reference it from EXE, but do reference it from the setup project, which then gives you the power to set whatever target folder you want.
This is what you need to do.
On your Solution create new Project > Other project Types > Click Setup and Deployment
On The Application Folder > right click > Then Add your front end Application > Build.
Check this
Regards
I programmed an hour-sheet application and now I would like to publish it so people can install and run it.
I've tried the publish function of visual studio 2008 but this gives me a clickOnce application/installer that's really confusing, but it works when I run it, but when I export the installer to another pc it installs it crashes at the end of the install.
so I tried just coping the installed files but then the program crashes at startup.
Is there a simple way to compile the application to a simple standalone executable or maybe containing a separate folder containing the resources (images/classes)?
You can copy the executable from bin\Release and it should work.
If it uses any DLLs that are not part of the .Net framework itself, you'll also need to copy those. (Set Copy Local to true in the properties for each reference)
If it uses any other files, you'll need to copy them to the right place or embed them in the EXE or a DLL.
I would add Setup Project to your solution which will create a setup.exe.
Here's some of the links:
http://www.dreamincode.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=58021
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms235317.aspx
This will make sure that the dlls and assemblies are deployed to appropriate place when you install your software. It will also make sure that it gets rids of files when you uninstall it.
you can find your .exe here Projectpath\bin\Debug you have to give .config file too