Package and deployment using vb.net

[SarahNcl]

I would love to do this :/

However my boss, feels that everything should be rolled into one easy package so that the user only has to point and click rather than have to visit windows sites, also we are having to allow for the user not having an Internet Connection.

The solution I have suggested is the only one i can think of without having to write my own bootstrapper, which would involve me learning c++, which i am not sure i can do.

Sarah

[Fat_N_Furry]

You're saying you want to make an installer like most every program has? Try this:

http://www.installshield.com/

[SarahNcl]

Hi I used to use installshield, however my boss will not buy the licence for it :/

Would the method proposed in the first post work?

http://www.vbforums.com/showthread.p...hreadid=205899

Thanks in advance

Sarah

[Fat_N_Furry]

Yes, using the Package and Deployment Wizard would work, (you ARE talking about using the Package and Deployment Wizard, right?) but you have to be careful.

My uncle use to use in until once it crashed a Windows 95 machine because it repaced an older file with a Windows XP one. It wouldn't even boot! Then he had to go scraping around trying to find a 95 that had that file so as to put it back.

But if you can get it to work, go for it!

[SarahNcl]

i am talking about the deployment wizard that comes with Visual Studio.net.

Will this still work?

Thanks

Sarah

[Fat_N_Furry]

Yeah - it should.

[SarahNcl]

Tried testing it out and found using that i could not get it to work. The only way i can see of doing an installation is:

Install IE
Install the .NET framework using the MS Bootstrapper
Then install your software

To be honest, i dont think this method is satisfactory at all.

It requires the user to reboot before they have even installed the software itself. Which does not look good

If anyone has any more suggestions that would be great

Thanks

Sarah

[J Staniforth]

The need to get the .NET framework onto machines has got to be the main issue with .NET apps. Did you say that you need also to install IE?

[SarahNcl]

.NET Framwork will not work with at least version five of internet explorer.

Therefore to account for every situation, you must accomodate for the installatin of this component.

In the bootstrapper supplied by MS, they do not and if IE5 or greater is not installed, then the user is given a msg box telling them to install it.

It would be nice if there was an automated method of working this all out. However there is not, which is going to annoy users something rotten

sarah

[longshot_zero]

Originally posted by SarahNcl
In the bootstrapper supplied by MS, they do not and if IE5 or greater is not installed, then the user is given a msg box telling them to install it.

It would be nice if there was an automated method of working this all out. However there is not, which is going to annoy users something rotten

sarah

Yeah i agree with you there, it does suck...

But you have to think that by now, everyone should have at least IE 5... and if they don't, it's time for an upgrade!

[SarahNcl]

it is fair enough that everyone *should* have IE5 - but in a lot of cases they dont - esp in businesses where they do not use the Internet to surf.

I am disappointed with MS, and have resorted to buying Installshield - which my boss was not impressed with.

I am really hoping ms release a service pack soon which fixes the problems

sarah

[longshot_zero]

what benefits do you get with using install shield?

Can you set it up so that it will prompt and install all required stuff? (ie5,.net framework etc)?

[SarahNcl]

i believe the benefit of installshield, is that it will allow us to automate the installation of IE and the .NET framework, so that hopefully the following will be achieved

1. we will be able to install these components when we want in the installation

2. we will be able to suppress any reboots that would occur from the installation of IE etc

3. we will be able to start the installation on the client machine without having to have IE5 or the framework installed.

I am not 100% sure that this will happen, but i used installshield for previous VB6 applications that we chose to write and it was a very powerful tool

Sarah

[longshot_zero]

wow, that sounds great... would you be able to post up the details when you get it/find out what it can do?

Would be much appreciated.

Cheers
Longy

[SarahNcl]

no problems

I am looking into buying the developer version of the software.

This can be found at

www.installshield.com

I hope that this helps

Sarah

[longshot_zero]

thanks for that

looks like it will make life very much easier... ill wait to hear what you have to say about it after using it though hehehe

[J Staniforth]

I wonder if you could estimate how long does it takes (approx!!) to install all this stuff on a typical user's machine. I wonder whether it will be seen as practical?

[SarahNcl]

to install using the microsoft deployment method that comes with the Visual Studio Software .... i would say about 7-10 minutes because you need to account for ie6. This is based on a pentium 400. so is a slow machine.

sarah

[SarahNcl]

ok, so installshield 8 has now arrived

Had a play about with it for a few hours and i am very happy with the results.

You can nest the installation of IE6 and the .NET Framework inside the installation itself so you only need to reboot once at the end

Hope that this helps someone

Personally i would definately recommend Installshield 8 Developer

Sarah

[longshot_zero]

Wow thats great!

Thanks for that sarah, much appreciated

[MrGTI]

I personally prefer the version Wise made; Wise for Visual Studio .NET

[Lunatic3]

One Final Hint :

'Never upgrade IE 4 (default Win98 client) to IE6 without first upgrading to IE5.x since it loses some functionalities like FTP folder view.'

This is my experience and dont know if i am 100% right but i have faced this problem without a wrok around for it.