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Now I have a completed program, that needs to be deployed with some files. I would like to ask, if it is possible to deploy the program without the use of ClickOnce or other external tools, with the minimum amount of required files?

The program will run on a server, and will be updated locally, but since the program is installed per user, does that mean if I log in to the server with my user, a person that uses the direct path to the program will not find it? It also makes maintaining the program slightly more annoying, because when changes come, the current maintainer will have to always navigate to the xyz folder to edit one config file. How do I publish the program without ClickOnce or other tools?

EInherjar
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2 Answers2

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Your options include:

  • Click once (which you don't want)
  • Visual Studio installer Projects
  • WiX Toolset
  • Other installers ...
  • Write an installer on your own (wouldn't recommend)
  • Just put the exe (and other needed files) in some directory and launch the program
  • Put the exe on a shared location and launch from there
Romano Zumbé
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  • If ClickOnce is used, to install it to a remote machine (server), will the users, who have the permission to access the server/folder, will be able to start the program? – EInherjar Jun 01 '17 at 09:26
  • @EInherjar If the user has the rights to execute applications on his machine and also has the privileges to perform whatever your application does, then yes. You can just imagine it as if the user would have the application on his own machine – Romano Zumbé Jun 01 '17 at 09:36
  • I was just confused about ClickOnce specifically, since it states that they install the program on a user basis, meaning if I have two users on one pc, and only one installs the program, only one will be able to run it, or am I misunderstanding this? – EInherjar Jun 01 '17 at 09:48
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You can redistribute as a set of files. However I would not recommend this approach. You force the person who deploys your program :

  1. Choose location for the files
  2. Remember this location when time to uninstall comes.
  3. Handle updates and version management
  4. Restore program functionality if any of the required files will get damaged.

You can use VS Setup project template, here's tutorial

Alternatively you can use free Wix installer, it has a bit of a learning curve but provides much more power to the developer.

You can do perMachine install both with VS setup project and with wix.

Vlad
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  • So there is no way to just put the whole program with dependencies, .dll files in one .exe file, with an app.conifg file and nothing else? I mean, so that the end user only has his .exe file and a hidden app.config file. – EInherjar Jun 01 '17 at 09:47
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    [You can](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/10137937/merge-dll-into-exe) – Vlad Jun 02 '17 at 02:23