SQL Server CE 4 Clickonce deploy VS2013 - visual-studio-2013

Question

According to MS, SQL Server CE is being deprecated, but for now, I really can't think about migrating to SQL Server Express or LocalDB, so, on VS 2013, there is a exclamation with a text "Prerequisite could not be found for bootstrapping". Is there a way to workaround? When my program is deployed, SQL Server CE need to be installed automatically.
Thanks in advance

Answer 1

I had got the same problem. SQL Server Compact Edition 4.0 was not existed in my VS 2013 Prerequisite list in publish section of my project. To solve the same problem I've used next steps:
Download install files for Microsoft® SQL Server® Compact 4.0 SP1
Go to C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SDKs\Windows\v8.1A\Bootstrapper\Packages
Create SQL Server Compact Edition 4.0 folder in current location
Copy downloaded install files to created folder
Create product.xml file in created folder and copy next code in this file
product.xml:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Product xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/2004/01/bootstrapper" ProductCode="System.Data.SqlServerCe.4.0">
<InstallChecks>
<FileCheck Property="IsInstalled"
FileName="System.Data.SqlServerCe.dll" SearchPath="C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server Compact Edition\v4.0\Desktop" />
</InstallChecks>
<PackageFiles CopyAllPackageFiles="false">
<PackageFile
Name="SSCERuntime_x86-ENU.exe"
HomeSite="sqllocaldb_32" />
<PackageFile
Name="SSCERuntime_x64-ENU.exe"
HomeSite="sqllocaldb_64" />
</PackageFiles>
<Commands Reboot="Defer">
<Command PackageFile="SSCERuntime_x86-ENU.exe" Arguments="">
<InstallConditions>
<FailIf Property="AdminUser" Compare="ValueEqualTo" Value="false" String="AdminRequired" />
<BypassIf Property="ProcessorArchitecture" Compare="ValueNotEqualTo" Value="Intel" />
<BypassIf Property="IsInstalled" Compare="ValueExists" Value="0" />
</InstallConditions>
<ExitCodes>
<ExitCode Value="0" Result="Success" />
<ExitCode Value="1641" Result="SuccessReboot" />
<ExitCode Value="3010" Result="SuccessReboot" />
<DefaultExitCode Result="Fail" String="GeneralFailure" FormatMessageFromSystem="true" />
</ExitCodes>
</Command>
<Command PackageFile="SSCERuntime_x64-ENU.exe" Arguments="" >
<InstallConditions>
<BypassIf Property="ProcessorArchitecture" Compare="ValueNotEqualTo" Value="amd64" />
<BypassIf Property="IsInstalled" Compare="ValueExists" Value="0" />
</InstallConditions>
<ExitCodes>
<ExitCode Value="0" Result="Success" />
<ExitCode Value="1641" Result="SuccessReboot" />
<ExitCode Value="3010" Result="SuccessReboot" />
<DefaultExitCode Result="Fail" String="GeneralFailure" FormatMessageFromSystem="true" />
</ExitCodes>
</Command>
</Commands>
</Product>
Create en folder in created folder
In en folder create package.xml file and copy next code in this file:
package.xml:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<Package
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/2004/01/bootstrapper"
Name="DisplayName"
Culture="Culture">
<!-- Defines a localizable string table for error messages-->
<Strings>
<String Name="DisplayName">SQL Server Compact Edition 4.0</String>
<String Name="Culture">en</String>
<String Name="AdminRequired">Administrator permissions are required to install SQL Server Compact Edition 4.0. Contact your administrator.</String>
<String Name="GeneralFailure">A failure occurred attempting to install SQL Server Compact Edition 4.0.</String>
</Strings>
</Package>
Restart MS Visual Studio
And you can find SQL Server Compact Edition 4.0 in Prerequisite

Answer 2

If for one reason or another you can't (directly) apply the fix of Erik, then you can try the following workaround:
Get a hold on the SQL Server Compact Edition 4.0 bootstrap package, you might find it somewhere on your disk or you could get it from a colleague
Install that package in the C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SDKs\Windows\v8.1A\Bootstrapper\Packages folder, as this folder is used by VS2013 to look for bootstrap packages
Restart VS and the prerequisite warning should be gone

Answer 3

You can simply include the SQLCE dll files with your app, I have several blog posts on how to do this