Visual Studio - Problem creating an installation package

Author

Problem creating an installation package

Who be dat?

2006-05-20, 7:03 pm

I've tried to post this multiple times but I don't see the other postings.
I hope this one makes it....

-----

I hope someone can help me out. I'm currently using Visual Studio .Net
2003.

Suppose I create a project which is a desktop application. Let's also say
this is a simple app (I click a button and a message box comes up, that's
all...). The project compiles and runs fine. I then proceed to add a setup
project to the current solution. The purpose of this project is to install
the app I just created. I am NOT using the wizard. This setup project will
be setup such a shortcut of the program will be placed in the startup menu
so people can start the program. I build the package fine. Upon building
the package, I double click the setup file to install the program which
appears to work fine. However, when I go to the start menu program and
click the shortcut (which is present...) to launch the program, I instead
get a prompt saying the program installation is beginning (or somethign like
that...) and a get a progress bar. Once the progress bar reaches 100%, the
program will launch. Upon subsequent clicks of the shortcut, I don't get
this dialog and progress bar, it goes straight to the program launch. If I
right click the shortcut in the start menu, the properties says it's going
to a setup program of some sort, not the program executable.

In summary: when I create a setup package, install it, it appears to go ok.
However, the first time I try to launch the newly installed program from the
start menu I get a dialog which seems to indicate the program is being
installed again (I don't get to select the path to install to, just a dialog
telling me it's happening along with a progress bar...). Subsequent
attempts to launch the program don't bring up this prompt, the program
immediately launches.

The above is happenign on my work machine. I never had this problem in the
past. It just seems to have started. I have a home machine with VS .Net
2003 installed on it. If I create a test program and a setup project on my
home machine just like I describe above, it works fine. I don't get the
install dialog upon the first attempt to launch the program, the program
simply launches like it should.

Any ideas why this is happening? Registry messed up or perhaps some odd
setting in VS .Net I'm not aware? Again, I didn't have this problem in the
past as I had created programs and install packages in teh past with no
problems. However, it has been a while since I did the last one. I'm not
sure what if anything has changed since the last time I created a program
then created an install package for it.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Chris Smith

Phil Wilson

2006-05-21, 7:07 pm

You've basically broken the installed product such that every time you
launch it with a shortcut it goes into repair mode and ends up re-installing
the product. If you've been building and installing the same product
multiple times, and versions of files change, or you do a Just me sometimes
and then an Everyone you can get to this point.

http://www.installsite.org/pages/en/msifaq/a/1037.htm
--
Phil Wilson
[Microsoft MVP-Windows Installer]
Definitive Guide to Windows Installer
http://apress.com/book/bookDisplay.html?bID=280

"Who be dat?" <email@dot.com> wrote in message
news:446f9d09$0$3695$6c569a94@news.wingnet.net...
> I've tried to post this multiple times but I don't see the other postings.
> I hope this one makes it....
>
> -----
>
> I hope someone can help me out. I'm currently using Visual Studio .Net
> 2003.
>
> Suppose I create a project which is a desktop application. Let's also say
> this is a simple app (I click a button and a message box comes up, that's
> all...). The project compiles and runs fine. I then proceed to add a
> setup
> project to the current solution. The purpose of this project is to
> install
> the app I just created. I am NOT using the wizard. This setup project
> will
> be setup such a shortcut of the program will be placed in the startup menu
> so people can start the program. I build the package fine. Upon building
> the package, I double click the setup file to install the program which
> appears to work fine. However, when I go to the start menu program and
> click the shortcut (which is present...) to launch the program, I instead
> get a prompt saying the program installation is beginning (or somethign
> like
> that...) and a get a progress bar. Once the progress bar reaches 100%,
> the
> program will launch. Upon subsequent clicks of the shortcut, I don't get
> this dialog and progress bar, it goes straight to the program launch. If
> I
> right click the shortcut in the start menu, the properties says it's going
> to a setup program of some sort, not the program executable.
>
> In summary: when I create a setup package, install it, it appears to go
> ok.
> However, the first time I try to launch the newly installed program from
> the
> start menu I get a dialog which seems to indicate the program is being
> installed again (I don't get to select the path to install to, just a
> dialog
> telling me it's happening along with a progress bar...). Subsequent
> attempts to launch the program don't bring up this prompt, the program
> immediately launches.
>
> The above is happenign on my work machine. I never had this problem in
> the
> past. It just seems to have started. I have a home machine with VS .Net
> 2003 installed on it. If I create a test program and a setup project on
> my
> home machine just like I describe above, it works fine. I don't get the
> install dialog upon the first attempt to launch the program, the program
> simply launches like it should.
>
> Any ideas why this is happening? Registry messed up or perhaps some odd
> setting in VS .Net I'm not aware? Again, I didn't have this problem in
> the
> past as I had created programs and install packages in teh past with no
> problems. However, it has been a while since I did the last one. I'm not
> sure what if anything has changed since the last time I created a program
> then created an install package for it.
>
> Any help is greatly appreciated.
>
> Thanks!
>
> Chris Smith
>
>
>
>

Who be dat?

2006-05-22, 7:10 pm

Thanks Phil! I'll have to remember this info. In my case, my program was
checking to see if a certain registry was present. If not, it would create
the key. In either case, the program would assign the key a value. The
install program was initially setup to not create the key upon program
installation. However, it would delete the key from the registry upon
uninstallation of the program. Looking through the event log, I saw two
warnings upon installation of the program. One of the warnings referenced
this registry key. The other referenced some GUID of which I have no idea
what it was. I redid my installation program to create the registry key
upon program installation. Everything works like a charm now. This was
very interesting and informative.

Thanks again!

Chris Smith

"Phil Wilson" <pdjwilson@nospam.cox.net> wrote in message
news:eHmZ9lQfGHA.2188@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
> You've basically broken the installed product such that every time you
> launch it with a shortcut it goes into repair mode and ends up
> re-installing the product. If you've been building and installing the same
> product multiple times, and versions of files change, or you do a Just me
> sometimes and then an Everyone you can get to this point.
>
> http://www.installsite.org/pages/en/msifaq/a/1037.htm
> --
> Phil Wilson
> [Microsoft MVP-Windows Installer]
> Definitive Guide to Windows Installer
> http://apress.com/book/bookDisplay.html?bID=280
>
> "Who be dat?" <email@dot.com> wrote in message
> news:446f9d09$0$3695$6c569a94@news.wingnet.net...
>
>

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