Setup Project
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I currently use Visual Studio Installer to create my setup projects and needless to say...it's crap. I have a complex solution and I have to recreate my setup project ever few weeks due to it becoming corrupted. I don't want to drop the 600.00+ for express Install Shield, so I was wondering if anybody knows of any free solutions for .net deployment. Thanks in advanced for your input.
I quite like WiX[^]. It's fairly easy to use.
*pre-emptive celebratory nipple tassle jiggle* - Sean Ewington
"Mind bleach! Send me mind bleach!" - Nagy Vilmos
CodeStash - Online Snippet Management | My blog | MoXAML PowerToys | Mole 2010 - debugging made easier
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I currently use Visual Studio Installer to create my setup projects and needless to say...it's crap. I have a complex solution and I have to recreate my setup project ever few weeks due to it becoming corrupted. I don't want to drop the 600.00+ for express Install Shield, so I was wondering if anybody knows of any free solutions for .net deployment. Thanks in advanced for your input.
And there is NSIS, http://nsis.sourceforge.net/Main_Page[^]
Why is common sense not common? Never argue with an idiot. They will drag you down to their level where they are an expert. Sometimes it takes a lot of work to be lazy Please stand in front of my pistol, smile and wait for the flash - JSOP 2012
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I currently use Visual Studio Installer to create my setup projects and needless to say...it's crap. I have a complex solution and I have to recreate my setup project ever few weeks due to it becoming corrupted. I don't want to drop the 600.00+ for express Install Shield, so I was wondering if anybody knows of any free solutions for .net deployment. Thanks in advanced for your input.
I never found anything that I liked that was both free and less of a pain than visual studio setup projects, especially when you get into more complex deployment scenarios. So if some of these other tools that have been suggested don't work out for you, here are some links to help you with the VS setup projects. Custom Actions to facilitate more complex installation tasks/scenarios: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/d9k65z2d(v=vs.100).aspx[^] Another thing that really helps in understanding the MSI's and fix any lingering issues is a tool delivered with the Microsoft SDK called Orca. This tool lets you view and manipulate MSI databases (helpful when you get into x86 and x64 mixing in the same setup): http://support.microsoft.com/kb/255905[^] Also, if you have dependencies that need to be checked/installed prior to setup, you'll need to create a bootstrap manifest with this tool: http://archive.msdn.microsoft.com/bmg[^] http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms165429.aspx[^]
Be The Noise
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I quite like WiX[^]. It's fairly easy to use.
*pre-emptive celebratory nipple tassle jiggle* - Sean Ewington
"Mind bleach! Send me mind bleach!" - Nagy Vilmos
CodeStash - Online Snippet Management | My blog | MoXAML PowerToys | Mole 2010 - debugging made easier
I have switched to WiX as well from the Visual Studio setup projects and I enjoy it.
Steve Maier
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I quite like WiX[^]. It's fairly easy to use.
*pre-emptive celebratory nipple tassle jiggle* - Sean Ewington
"Mind bleach! Send me mind bleach!" - Nagy Vilmos
CodeStash - Online Snippet Management | My blog | MoXAML PowerToys | Mole 2010 - debugging made easier
:thumbsup: WiX 3.6 is the most useful version I have used, as it has a bootstrapper built in. Actually building a UI for it is a little convoluted, but after a while it gets easier.
I think computer viruses should count as life. I think it says something about human nature that the only form of life we have created so far is purely destructive. We've created life in our own image. Stephen Hawking
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I never found anything that I liked that was both free and less of a pain than visual studio setup projects, especially when you get into more complex deployment scenarios. So if some of these other tools that have been suggested don't work out for you, here are some links to help you with the VS setup projects. Custom Actions to facilitate more complex installation tasks/scenarios: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/d9k65z2d(v=vs.100).aspx[^] Another thing that really helps in understanding the MSI's and fix any lingering issues is a tool delivered with the Microsoft SDK called Orca. This tool lets you view and manipulate MSI databases (helpful when you get into x86 and x64 mixing in the same setup): http://support.microsoft.com/kb/255905[^] Also, if you have dependencies that need to be checked/installed prior to setup, you'll need to create a bootstrap manifest with this tool: http://archive.msdn.microsoft.com/bmg[^] http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms165429.aspx[^]
Be The Noise
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Bear in mind Setup projects have been removed from Visual Studio 2012.
Software Kinetics - Dependable Software news
:wtf: :doh: I completely missed that memo...
Be The Noise
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I currently use Visual Studio Installer to create my setup projects and needless to say...it's crap. I have a complex solution and I have to recreate my setup project ever few weeks due to it becoming corrupted. I don't want to drop the 600.00+ for express Install Shield, so I was wondering if anybody knows of any free solutions for .net deployment. Thanks in advanced for your input.
I use the free version of Advanced Installer[^] for my free apps. The Pro version goes for $300. /ravi
My new year resolution: 2048 x 1536 Home | Articles | My .NET bits | Freeware ravib(at)ravib(dot)com
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Bear in mind Setup projects have been removed from Visual Studio 2012.
Software Kinetics - Dependable Software news
That is why I use WiX. (Well, it is one of the reasons!)
I think computer viruses should count as life. I think it says something about human nature that the only form of life we have created so far is purely destructive. We've created life in our own image. Stephen Hawking
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:wtf: :doh: I completely missed that memo...
Be The Noise
