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I am trying to publish my Windows Form Application using ClickOnce on the IIS of other Computer (in the network) as my computer do not have IIS installed.

But while publishing it gives me error

Failed to connect to 'http://10.11.41.12/test/' with the following error: Unable to create the Web site 'http://10.11.41.12/test'. The Web server does not appear to have FrontPage Server Extensions installed.

I installed front page extension on other computer, but it is still giving me the same error.

mandeep gill
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4 Answers4

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Dealing with the FPSE can be messy. We avoid it altogether and don't even install it on our servers on general principle. The less that's installed, the smaller the attack surface area. (I'm not saying that FPSE is insecure - the common knowledge that it is may not be entirely accurate - but why install it if you don't need it.)

Instead, we publish to a UNC path on the server, but configure the app to launch from the URL. Since you said you installed FPSE on the server, I assume that you have admin rights on the server and can do the same.

The screen shot below shows how it's set up in our "Publish" path. (Server and app names renamed to protect the innocent.)

ClickOnce configuration

David
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  • I don't have web server. It is just other computer on the network. And I am dealing with "Windows Form Application". May be my entire approach is wrong.. Sorry about that. – mandeep gill Nov 23 '11 at 20:33
  • OK. Mine is a WinForms applicaiton as well. ClickOnce apps can be installed from the network, a file, a CD, or a web server. If you're getting the message "The Web server does not appear to have FrontPage Server Extensions installed" then you're trying to publish to a web server. In my screenshot, you see the box that says "Installation Folder URL"? What value do you have in that when you pull up this property page in Visual Studio for your application? – David Nov 23 '11 at 20:39
  • Actually, you don't need to tell me. You just need to set that box's value to be wherever you want the ClickOnce application to be deployed to. – David Nov 23 '11 at 20:40
  • Also,l how would you have installed fromt page server extensions on the other computer if it doesn't have a web server? FPSE are an option that can only be installed if IIS is installed... – David Nov 23 '11 at 20:49
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When you publish it try using FTP:

Publishing file location:

ftp://10.11.41.12/test/

The installation url would then be something like:

http://10.11.41.12/test/setup.exe

This is an apparent workaround to the the FrontPage problem altogether.

KreepN
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In your other question you indicated you wanted to serve the application off of a shared drive. If that is true then you do not need IIS at all. Just set the installation folder URL to the UNC path to the shared drive, for example: \computer\shareddrive\MyApplication

Community
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Matt Cofer
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  • yes, I have to serve application on shared drive. But I need to allow automatic update of the application also. I was trying in the similar way but it was asking for "Installation folder URL". What should be that? – mandeep gill Nov 23 '11 at 20:30
  • I am pretty sure that automatic update will work fine if the clients can access that shared drive and the installation folder URL is set to the UNC path of the shared drive. – Matt Cofer Nov 23 '11 at 20:32
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Your comment on my previous answer indicates that I had some faulty assumptions. Based on the error you reported, and the wording of your quesiton, I (and the others who answered) assumed that you were publishing your WinForms applicaiton to a Web Server. This is a logical assumption, because the "Front Page Server Excensions" would only occur if you were attempting to deploy to a web server. You may not realize you were attempting to publish to a web server, but the message tells us that you are.

Your comment on my other answer indicates that this is not the case, but rather you're intending to deploy it elsewere. (Perhaps a file share, perhaps a CD.)

It sounds like you don't yet fully understand how to publish to each different location.

I strongly recommend this video: http://windowsclient.net/learn/video.aspx?v=14105

and this section of MSDN: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/748fh114(VS.80).aspx

but particularly, this article: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/31kztyey(VS.80).aspx which shows the proper way to publish to each of the valid targets.

David
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  • I'm keeping my old answer so that his comment on it makes sense when reading this one. Also, that answer may help someone else who really IS trying to publish to IIS via the Front Page Server Extensions. – David Nov 23 '11 at 20:48