Deploying Visual Studio Tools For Office 3.0 Runtime (EXE) in an MSI Package without using a Bootstrapper

Question

I have created a Word Addin and created the MSI package to distribute it.

Using the information found in http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc563937.aspx ...

I have tested the Setup.exe and the Addin installs correctly.

The issue is when deploying the Addin over our network our system admin needs the file in an MSI rather than an exe. However when running the MSI a pre-requisite (VSTOR.EXE) needs to be installed first. This by default asks us to run the setup.exe (boostrapper) which installs the files.

If i can find an MSI of VSTOR.EXE (which unfortunately i can't) then we could push that out to all machines first therfore the pre-requisite would be met and the bootstrapper would not be called.

Any suggestions would be great???

Chris

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered Feb 06 '10 at 05:15

1

If you're using Visual Studio 2008 SP1, here is the VSTO run-time installation info:

Microsoft: VSTO Runtime 3.0, VSTO Runtime 3.0 SP1 (Both required)

Install VSTO 3.0, then SP1. Here is the silent install used by the bootstrapper:
[vstor.exe] /q:a /c:"install /q /l"

If you want to check some registry values before installing (to tell if already installed), look for these (3.0, then SP1):
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\VSTO Runtime Setup\v9.0.21022\Install
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\VSTO Runtime Setup\v9.0.30729\Install

answered Feb 06 '10 at 05:15

Michael Regan

1,568
16
17

Hi Mike, Thanks for the reply. I already have the VSTO.exe files but we cannot deploy .exe extensions around our organisation. Our systems administrator requires a .msi package. I am currently looking into using WIX and seeing if i can merge the VSTO install with the Addin project. – Chris Feb 08 '10 at 12:38

score 1 · Answer 2 · edited Sep 15 '11 at 07:35

Deploying vstor.exe (Visual Studio 2005 Tools for Office Second Edition Runtime) using Group Policy.

Copy vstor.exe to a share folder. Give the share folder read access to "Domain Users"
Create a GPO and apply it to appropiate Computers Organizational Unit (not Users OU).
In the OU, modify startup script (Computer Configuration --> Windows Settings --> Scripts --> Startup).
Make your GPO run the script below. Give a .vbs extension to the script (It's a vbscript). You might want to encrypt it into a .vbe file because the script contains a password.

This GPO and script have been tested successfully:

Option explicit
Dim oShell
Dim objFSO, strSourceFile, strTargetFile

strSourceFile = "\\servername\share_folder\vstor.exe"
strTargetFile = "c:\"

set oShell= Wscript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
Set objFSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")

On Error Resume Next
If objFSO.FileExists( strTargetFile) Then
 Endend
Else 
 objFSO.CopyFile strSourceFile, strTargetFile
End If

oShell.Run "RunAs /noprofile /user:your_domain\administrative_account ""C:\vstor.exe /q"""
WScript.Sleep 100
oShell.Sendkeys "password_of_the_administrative_account~"

Endend:
Wscript.Quit

Deploying Visual Studio Tools For Office 3.0 Runtime (EXE) in an MSI Package without using a Bootstrapper

2 Answers2