When my application runs, it requires that Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 Redistributable Package (x86) is installed. How do I include it in my app setup?
I use the setup wizard of Visual Studio 2010 to create it.
Prerequisites Dialog Box
This dialog box specifies which prerequisite components are installed,
how they are installed, and which order the packages are installed.
To access this dialog box, select a project node in Solution Explorer,
and then, on the Project menu, click Properties. When the Project
Designer appears, click the Publish tab. On the Publish page, click
Prerequisites. For Setup projects, on the Project menu, click
Properties. When the Property Pages dialog box appears, click
Prerequisites.
it's all explained here, follow the suggested steps then add VC++ 2010 runtime as prerequisite. Done!
I would include the VC++ 2010 merge module into the setup project. Information on redistribution via merge module can be found in this MSDN article. General resitribution is available from the parent article.
Take a look at the following articles. They explain how to include requisite resources in a setup project.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms235317%28v=vs.90%29.aspx
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/k3bxs9z6.aspx
If you're using a deployment project, I would recommend using Merge Modules.
Redistributing By Using Merge Modules
Visual Studio installs several merge modules for each Visual C++
component that may be redistributed with your application. They may be
found in the Program Files\Common Files\Merge Modules folder. Each of
these merge modules may be used to deploy Visual C++ DLLs to the
target system.
Adding merge modules to your project is fairly straight forward.
To add a merge module to a deployment project
Select the deployment project in Solution Explorer.
On the Project menu, point to Add, and then click Merge Module.
In the resulting Add Modules dialog box, browse to the location of the
merge module that you want to add.
Related
I have installed Visual Basic Power packs package and want to reference the VisualBasic.PowerPacks dll but it is not visible. Using VS 2012 version.
Thanks
The DLL is located here:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Basic 2005 Power Packs\3.0
DLL Name: Microsoft.VisualBasic.PowerPacks.dll
Instructions to add reference:
Right-click References
Click Add Reference
Click Browse at the bottom
Select the DLL file.
Simple and easy way to reference a dll is:
In Solution Explorer, select the project.
On the Project menu, click Add Reference.
The Add Reference dialog box opens.
Select the tab indicating the type of component you want to reference. In your case, you will have to select COM tab.
An article on MSDN to include installed libraries.
Could someone please let me know where I might find resources for creating MSM files? While I am able to create MSI files using InstallShield, it seems that Visual Studio no longer supports Merge Module Projects, judging by the link below and the screenshot of my version of Visual Studio 2013 - http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/z6z02ts5(v=vs.80).aspx
To create a new merge module project:
On the File menu, point to Add, then click New Project.
In the resulting Add New Project dialog box, in the Project types pane, open the Other Project Types node and select Setup and Deployment Projects.
In the Templates pane, choose Merge Module Project.
For those still looking to use Merge Modules in Visual Studio; there is an official Microsoft extension for Visual Studio 2013 that lets you create Merge Module projects again.
Information on the extension, click here. The page leads to the Visual Studio Gallery where you can download the extension
Update 17 Sept 2015: an extension for VS2015 is also available here.
As discussed in the comments, Setup projects got removed from Visual Studio; a version of InstallShield was provided as their replacement. The standard alternative to InstallShield is WiX. WiX is somewhat arcane at first - it's a pretty thin layer over Windows Installer - but there are quite a few resources and examples out there.
Good resources for getting into WiX are http://wix.tramontana.co.hu/ and http://wixtoolset.org/documentation/manual/v3/. You can download the tooling from http://wixtoolset.org/
I'm building a software using .Net 3.5 (c#, WPF), My software need to user install .Net 3.5 and Media Player 11. I want to build an installer that automatically install this two component while user install main software. How i can fix that?
this components:
1- .Net 3.5
2- Media Player 11
Create a setup package using visual studios instructions (Updated Link). for vs2010:
On the File menu, point to Add, then click New Project.
In the resulting Add New Project dialog box, in the Project Types
pane, open the Other Project Types node, open Setup and Deployment
Projects, and select Visual Studio Installer.
In the Templates pane, choose Setup Project for a standard setup, or
Web Setup Project for a Web application.
I usually do this inside the solution i want an installer for. You will create a project like:
Note the detected dependancies folder. In here, make sure you have the relevant .net framework and media player modules. Building this wil produce a .msi and a .exe, and will also output an installer for the framework plus other compnents and assemblies. When the user runs the exe, they will be prompted to install the necessary dependencies.
Ofcousre there are other installer packages, but this one is visual studios integrated and i find it works great for many purposes.
Edit:
Adding dependencies:
Right click the installer project -> properties - > prerequisites, select the .net framework desired.
for all other dependencies right click the installer project -> add -> assemblies and either browse to the assembly you want or if it is .net, select it from the list
I have worked on a desktop application in .net and it uses crystal report for generating report in pdf/ms word. However, I am now trying to deploying this app with visual studio setup project. Now, finding a way to bundle the crystal report assemblies in some way so that they can also install automatically on a pc where crystal report isn't installed. How can I achieve this please?
Regards
There is a folder called Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\Crystal Reports\CRRedist\IA64 in your Programs folder. There you will find a redistributable package. Just add this file to your setup project - user defined actions - and install it.
edit: As you mentioned setupProject CustomActions only allows exe/dll files
I found another solution. Hope this ones satisfies your needs.
Add a mergeModul to your setupProject (right-click solution explorer on setupProject, add mergeModul). A folder called C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Merge Modules should automatically show up. There you may find a file called CrystallReportsRedistxxx.msm. Add this to your project and it should install too.
To find the right MergeModul for your version have a look at: BusinessObjects_CrystallReports
Adding MergeModul to setupProjects look at: SetupMergeModul
What kind of CrystalReport package to use, look at: MS CrystalReport I and MS CrystalReport II
hth
I have a DLL I need to deploy with my C# application. It's not currently included in the installation package when I hit "Publish" so how do I include it?
Would the process be any different if I had app.config and other files I wanted to deploy with my application?
If it's referenced it should be included automatically. I've deployed a couple of apps that require a 3rd party dll and they've published OK.
Is the dll referenced correctly in your project? That's the only thing I can think of at the moment that might be the problem, but if it wasn't your code wouldn't compile and/or link anyway.
To get the xls file to deploy all you need to do is add the file to the solution and then set the "Copy to Output Directory" property on the file.
I take it you are using Visual Studio?
If your using Visual Studio 2008 (I have no experience with Visual Studio 2005) under the Publish tab in your project properties click on the Application Files button. This will bring up a list of all dependencies assembalies required by your project. If you find that required dll is not being published by the Visual Studio publisher tool by default you can go into here and set the Publish Status of the offending dll to Include.
Sometimes in my more complicated projects, depending on the type of dependency, I have to go into this menu and force certain dll's to be included opposed to the default Prerequsite setting.
...but this is all under the assumption you have the assembly properly referenced in the required projects and everything is compiling fine.
Can't you add the dll as a resource to your installer project?