Windows Installer Deployment

Windows Installer deployment enables you to create installer packages to be distributed to users; the user runs the setup file and steps through a wizard to install the application. This is accomplished by adding a Setup project to your solution. When built, the project creates a setup file that you distribute to users; the user runs the setup file and steps through a wizard to install the application.

Note

The Express Editions do not include Windows Installer technology. For information about the deployment technology used in the Express Editions, see ClickOnce Deployment.

The following topics will help you learn more about Windows Installer deployment.

In This Section

• Windows Installer Deployment Overview
  Discusses deployment alternatives, deployment through distributable media, setup projects, Web setup projects, CAB file projects, and so on.

• Windows Installer Deployment Concepts
  Discusses merge modules, deployment files and folders, and how to associate file name extensions with an application.

• Windows Installer Deployment Tasks
  Describes how to use the Visual Studio features to create a Windows Installer package.

• Windows Installer Deployment Walkthroughs
  Provides walkthroughs of various deployment tasks using Windows Installer.

• Windows Installer Deployment User Interface Elements
  Describes the Visual Studio wizards and other user interface elements pertaining to Windows Installer.

Related Sections

• Windows Installer Examples
  Provides Windows Installer examples for installation, upgrade, patching, localization, and more.

• .NET Framework Deployment Features
  Describes the features of .NET Framework deployment.

• .NET Framework Deployment Basics
  Describes the packaging and distributing of .NET Framework applications.

• ClickOnce Deployment for Windows Forms Applications
  Describes ClickOnce deployment, which enables you to publish self-updating Windows-based applications to a Web server or network file share for simplified installation.

• Deployment Scenarios for .NET Framework Applications
  Describes various deployment scenarios.

• How the Runtime Locates Assemblies
  Describes how the common language runtime locates and binds to the assemblies that make up your application.

• Redistributing the .NET Framework
  Describes how to use the redistributable installer, Dotnetfx.exe, that contains the common language runtime and .NET Framework components that are required to run .NET Framework applications.

• Choosing a Deployment Strategy
  Compares ClickOnce and Windows Installer deployment.

See Also

Other Resources

Deploying Applications and Components

Change History

Date	History	Reason
August 2008	Added information for Express Edition developers.	Customer feedback.
	Added links to Windows Installer examples.	Customer feedback.