How do I deploy an application using ClickOnce so that users willdeploy from a network drive?

[BobRoyAce]

I am writing a WinForms application, using Visual Studio 2008. I
currently deploy it using ClickOnce, ultimately publishing it to a web
page that I have my client go to to install it from. This works fine.
However, it requires all users to install, and get updates, over the
web.

What I'd like to be able to do is publish the application to one of
the drives on their network, and have them install/update from there.
For example, suppose that they have a drive P: mapped to a particular
server/folder. I may want to create a folder there, say, P:\Publish.
However, when I'm actually publishing on my desktop, I have no access
to this P: drive. What I'd have to do is publish to my local machine
somewhere, like I do now, and then, via a Terminal Server connection,
with FTP, transfer the files up to this folder on their P: drive.

So, I'd imagine that I could leave the Publishing Folder Location as I
have it now, publishing to my local C: drive. I would also imagine
that I would need to change the Installation Folder URL setting, which
currently points to the folder on my website to which I currently
upload the publish files. So, perhaps I'd set it to P:\Publish\.

Am I on the right track? How do I accomplish this?

 

[CSharpner]

I recommend creating a folder on your local drive and doing a subst P:
to that folder and publish to your own "P:" drive. That'll get all
the references in all the files setup correctly for your clients LAN.
Then, just move the files to their internal share that they've all
mapped as their P: drive. Do the bit transfers in any way you're
comfortable with.

The ability to publish to one path and copy to another is a huge
problem with click-once deployment that's supposed to be fixed in
Visual Studio 2010 (at least, that's the rumor I heard about a year or
so ago).

Here's my blog post on this problem:
http://csharpner.blogspot.com/2009/03/deploying-click-once-app-to-multiple.html

HTH