Can I install prerequisites from the CD in a Setup project?
Visual Basic 2005 Professional:
I am using a Setup project to deploy my application. I would like to have the prerequisites installed from the CD instead of downloading them from a website because a user may not have internet access.
I was able to do this with ClickOnce, but, I do not see how to do it with a Setup project.
[343 byte] By [
furjaw] at [2007-12-24]
I haven't used Visual Basic, but in Studio 2005, when you right-click on your setup project and select Properties, you will see a Prerequisites button. Click on that. You'll see a list of available prerequisites for your app, including Dot Net 2.0, Windows Installer 3.1, etc. Select the ones you want to include in your setup project. When you go to install, it will automatically check for you, and any prerequisites not already installed will trigger the appropriate prerequisite installer. Very cool.
And the mechanism for installing prerequisites is extensible. Such projects are called Bootstrappers. You can make your own bootstrapper like I did to install the MSXML Parser. Search MSDN for the word "bootstrapper".
