How can I create the .msi package for visual Basic 6.0. I tried to search internet, but found only how to create the installer package for .net. I want it for Visual basic 6.0.
Any help will be appreciated.
Inno Setup is a very good (free) installer for VB6, and if you must have an MSI you can find a converter to wrap an Inno EXE with an MSI wrapper.
I recently went through the same struggle as you. Your best option for VB6 is to purchase a third-party package to create the msi. A google search for "Windows Installer" or "MSI Installer" should get you started.
Here is a discussion on the various options:
What installation product to use? InstallShield, WiX, Wise, Advanced Installer, etc
Microsoft's native way of creating .msi files in VB6 was by using the Visual Studio Installer Add-in. That's what I used back in the day.
You might still be able to find it online somewhere. I googled around looking for a download for some time and wasn't able to find one.
The other option that might do in a pinch is the package and deployment wizard, although I always found it to be rather hard to work with. If you're not careful to avoid installing certain protected DLL's you can get caught in serious DLL Hell. I generally used the Installer add-in.
Jim Mack's solution is increasingly popular as support for VB6-specific tools wanes away into nothingness.
Related
I need to override the older version of installer form newer version.I am using installer for installing the windows services.
Visual Studio Installer 2015.
I change the installer with property "RemovePreviousVersion"= true, But in the installer getting error because service is not uninstalled and try to override this.
Error 1001. An exception occurred in the OnAfterInstall event handler of System.ServiceProcess.ServiceInstaller --CouslNot Star service on computer
enter image description here
Short Answer / Suggestion: Services must be stopped before install / uninstall / upgrade operations. There are mechanisms built into MSI to do so.
Hotlink to show how this is done using WiX (ServiceInstall
and ServiceControl elements).
Here is a proposed WiX quick start (with lots of link noise to
all kinds of WiX and MSI topics - it is an ad-hoc organically growing
link answer).
Hello WiX
Hello WiX Visual Studio Votive (maybe check markup at bottom first)
WiX: Use a proper deployment tool is the best advice, for example WiX. Visual Studio installer projects are known to be inflexible and have limitations for service installation among many other problems (shorter, list form).
Specifically in this case you need to use custom actions to start and stop services (unless there are new constructs in the latest Visual Studio installer projects that I am not familiar with - I don't think there are). Custom actions are complex and error prone. Proper MSI tools use built-in MSI constructs to make service installation more reliable.
Post-Processing: Some people post-process their MSI using Orca or equivalent tools to add constructs to the ServiceInstall, ServiceControl tables after building the MSIs with Visual Studio Installer Projects. Not rocket science, but a hassle and not recommended.
ServiceInstall & ServiceControl: Essentially you need to author the ServiceInstall and ServiceControl tables so that the service is installed, started, stopped and uninstalled in an operational manner. Only a few combinations here really make sense. Such as to stop on uninstall and stop and start on install.
How to install and start a Windows Service using WiX
WiX Samples: WiX quick start suggestions here and some WiX samples of service installation:
https://github.com/Robs79/How-to-create-a-Windows-Service-MSI-Installer-Using-WiX
https://github.com/iswix-llc/iswix-tutorials/tree/master/windows-service
Advanced Installer: And two links for commercial tool Advanced Installer on service installations. Don't underestimate commercial tools as relevant for you. "Some tools are free only if your time is worthless". WiX is great, but can be hard to learn and always takes time:
https://www.advancedinstaller.com/installing-windows-services.html
https://www.advancedinstaller.com/user-guide/qa-install-service.html
I want to create an installer MSI that will unload and move files I need for my plugin into the user's application folder. In my case the application is Cinema 4D, but this detail does not matter. I need to unload a .cyc file and place it in a specific subfolder under the application folder. In addition to that, I need to add a line of code to a .res file another subfolder of the application.
I want my installer to look nice
I have already looked at WIX, NSIS, Advanced Installer and Microsoft Visual Studio as possible options but do not know how to do what I have to do. I've seen installers that do exactly this - so how do I do this?
Most of the tools mentioned above should be able to help you get the job done, except Visual Studio (its support for building setup packages is quite limited).
Here is a step by step article explaining how to do this with Advanced Installer. You can download a trial version of Advanced Installer from the website, during trial you can access all the features.
Disclaimer: I work on the team building Advanced Installer.
I have an excel plugin that I want to distribute as a single installation package, preferably MSI. Is there an easy way of doing this?
I've created many office addin installers for customers and basically have it down to a template starting point. For pointers see my blog article:
VSTO 4 ( 2010 ) Lessons Learned
ClickOnce is still technically used but the |vstolocal tag is used to run from source and not deploy to the click once cache. Basically you get a per-machine MSI experience and a setup.exe that makes sure all of your prereqs are present.
The best way is to create an MSI installer from scratch, not try to wrap your ClickOnce package. Any MSI package, no matter the tool you use to build it, can install the addin, as long as it install the files and registry entries required, as documented in the following MSDN article.
If you are looking for a free tool and have some time on your hands to learn using it than WiX is the best.
I'm developing a Visual Studio application with WPF, but right now is the moment where I have to choose my installer.
I need my project to be able to write on the GAC and on registry, but I'm not sure if I should use Visual Studio installer or Wix... I can't find on Google information that says exactly the differences between both of them.
I found that Wix is more complete, but I can't find any article that specifies real differences between one or another...
Can anyone help me to find more specific information or to choose between both of them?
EDIT: Sorry, I specify:
I'm using Visual Studio 2010 professional.
The end product is the same, a windows installer msi.
It's just different how you get there. With the old vdproj there wasn't much other than setting up files to be copied and registry keys as far as I remember. Anything else and you would have to create a custom action in C++ or VBS, not a particularly easy task if you are .net developer.
However with the advent of Wix there are a lot more in-built custom actions which enable you to create a rich installation experience and if you need to create your own custom action you can use .net. Also it is much easier to create a bootstrapper which can install dependencies along with your msi as well as being able to create a front-end in WPF.
As #nvoigt said the old vdproj type is not supported in VS2012 and it also cannot be built by a build server without doing some nasty setup (you have to install VS).
All in all there really should be no question of what to use, Wix is the way forward.
Caveman_Dick wrote:
"Anything else and you would have to create a custom action".
And that in a nutshell is the difference. Visual Studio Deployment Projects heavily abstracts you from the underlying windows installer and seals away a great deal of it's ability. This goes against the very design of Windows Installer which is supposed to be a declarative, transactional programming model.
Take installing a Windows Service as an example? Windows Installer has the ServiceInstall table. VDPROJ fails to expose this so you are off writing brittle custom actions resulting in a less elegant and less robust installer.
WiX on the other hand is a very thin abstraction. It's all about XML XSD elements and attributes that represent the underlying Windows Installer table data. The build process simply transforms the XML to SQL tables. If MSI can do it, WiX can (99%) do it.
VDPROJ was a horrible mistake and Microsoft has finally owned up to it and killed it. Now WiX doesn't have UI designers ( I've written one on CodePlex though) so you might also want to consider InstallShield Limited Edition (FREE).
Using a combination of ISLE and WiX I can get the best of both worlds.
With Setup projects no longer shipped with current versions of Visual Studio, you might want to use Wix. Otherwise, you will have to write it again once you switch to a current version of Visual Studio.
Using VB6
I want to setup the Project, Last time I used VB 6 Package and Deployment wizard. It asks to modify some system file. I modified my system file, and then it worked. Now again I want to setup my new project, is asking to change the system file.
Once I set up the project, is asking to change the system file and crystal report files (like crystl32.ocx… etc)
Is showing error like, “out of stack space”, “out of system date” etc...
Why is always asking to change?
What is best way to setup a vb project? If there is any software is available for setup a project.
Always am getting a problem for setup a VB 6 project, please Can any one help to solve my problem?
I've been using Advanced Installer (for VB.NET projects, but that doesn't matter), the free version is very capable and easy to use.
But to answer your question, sounds like the package wizard has got itself in a bad state. I'd re-install VB6 in that case.
In my experience the VB6 Package and Deployment wizard is pretty useless. I recommend you look at commercial installation software like InstallShield or Wise.
If you have Visual Studio 2002 or above, you could also try hacking a .NET setup project to install your VB6 components. It is capable of self-registering COM binaries, creating Start menu shortcuts, etc.
Have a look at the answers to these questions
What is the best simple install system [for VB6 programs] on Windows XP and Vista
What is the best choice for building windows installers
Do you have a copy of Visual Studio? You can use that to create installers instead.
You may use some other thirdparty software like installshield to create the setups. As far as I see they are much flexible.
Wise installer is one of other similar products.
Microsoft is now offering a replacement for the Package and Deployment Wizard that may help you out. Visual Studio Installer