.Net Deployment w/Bootstrapper Setup.exe

[Richdef]

Hi,]
I developed an application which uses Microsoft's bootstrapper Setup.exe sample to supposedly install the .Net Framwork - if necessary.

I'm testing it on a machine which already has the .Net Framework and it errors out. I think its because I already have the framework installed. I think it failing here because I tried to install DotNetfx.exe on it own just to see what happens and I get an error saying it can't install the framework because it is already installed. So maybe the Setup bootstrapper is failing here as well??

Has anyone encountered any problems using the Bootstrapper sample to install the framework if necessaty?

Thanks,

Rich

[GedMead]

I've used the Bootstrapper sample downloaded from MS web site and it doesn't throw an error when I run the Setup.Exe/MyApp.msi combination on my development PC.

Did you set up the Settings.ini file that comes with the downloaded sample correctly? I missed that one first time round

[Richdef]

Thanks for replying GedMead,

I'm pretty sure I edited the setup.ini file correctly. When I run the setu.exe it runs for a good ~10-15 seconds and then it errors out. This leads me to believe it finding the necessary files ok.

[GedMead]

Hi,

Does it error out with a message that confirms that it's the Setup.exe and not your MSI file that's the problem?

BTW, I don't want to give the idea that I know any more about this than you do - I'm still struggling with my first dotNet deployment too but my problems are coming up after the deployment/installation has completed (and are the fault of the programmer's lack of knowledge .... me).

[Richdef]

Thats the crazy thing!! The error is so vague! I really don't know where its occuring. It could be in the .msi file - however when I run the .msi app on its own it installs fine.

I'll run the Setup.exe and then click 'ok' when it says to Install my app. A dialog box appears saying that Setup is working and it may take several minutes. Then a dialog box appears saying that 'Setup has failed. Please contact product support if problem persists.'

Strange!

This is my first .net deployment too!

[GedMead]

Hi Rich,

When I run the Setup.exe it briefly gives me a "Preparing to Install" message, then within a few seconds moves straight on to the opening screen of the MSI file.

I'm still only brainstorming here, but when I was struggling to get the darn thing to work initially I finally copied the dotnetfx.exe (and of course the setup.exe, settings.ini and the MSI file) all to the same folder - the Release folder. This cut out any possible probs of Setup.exe not finding any of the core files.

Worth a try if you haven't already.

Also, I notice that at some point "Settings.Ini" - the file you get with the download from MS, disappeared/was name changed to the more usual "Setup.Ini". And in my case, presumably because of the location of the files as described above, it only now has two lines:
[MSILoader]
MSIFileName=XTab.msi

and none of the commented out lines of the original.

(I didn't manually make those changes, so I'm guessing that at some stage the Setup.exe file did)

Don't know if any of that is helpful or significant, but it's about the sum of my current knowledge on this topic

Cheers
Ged

[bontyboy]

I had the same issues with the bootstrapper.exe where it would error out, so I just included the dotnetfx.exe resistributable with my install and it works fine.

I have the option to run it in silent mode to suppress the dotnetfx.exe user interfaces if I want.