6

I've developed a VB.NET console application and tried to use the Build | Publish menu option in Visual Studio 2008 to create a Setup. It works fine except two things: - when I run the Setup on a Windows 2003 Server, it installs the application in the C:\Winnt\profiles\\Local Settings\Apps\2.0 directory. How can I configure the setup so that it would prompt for a target directory for the application? - after the Setup is complete, it starts the application automatically. How can I suppress the auto-start?

user990423
  • 1,397
  • 2
  • 12
  • 32
user283897
  • 121
  • 1
  • 4
  • 9

1 Answers1

2

There are two options to deploy VB.NET applications:

  • ClickOnce: This is what you are currently doing with Build | Publish. It always installs into the user's profile directory and it provides very little customization options.

  • Windows Installer: This is what you create with File | New | Project | Other Project Types | Setup and Deployment | Setup Project. It allows full customization and installing to Program Files.

    UPDATE: Windows Installer Setup projects have been removed in Visual Studio 2012, but are available as an extension in Visual Studio 2013.

Letting the user choose a target directory is only possible with the latter option.

Related question: How do I dictate the destination folder of a clickOnce application?

Glorfindel
  • 21,988
  • 13
  • 81
  • 109
Heinzi
  • 167,459
  • 57
  • 363
  • 519
  • The second link, "Windows Installer", does not work for me. I'm unable to find ISLE anywhere in the project templates. – Brady Apr 11 '15 at 23:59
  • 1
    @Brady: Setup projects have been [removed in Visual Studio 2012](https://visualstudio.uservoice.com/forums/121579-visual-studio/suggestions/3041773-bring-back-the-basic-setup-and-deployment-project), but are available as [an extension in Visual Studio 2013](http://blogs.msdn.com/b/visualstudio/archive/2014/04/17/visual-studio-installer-projects-extension.aspx). – Heinzi Apr 12 '15 at 13:03