ClickOnce application on terminal server

[Guest]

I have a ClickOnce application that I have successfully deployed to user's
desktops. I have attempted to install the application on Terminal Services.
The application appears to install on the terminal server, but the data
folder with configuration settings and a xml data file are not being created
in the C:\Documents and Settings\username\Local Settings\Apps\2.0\Data\
folder.

Any ideas on how to resolve this?

 

[Linda Liu [MSFT]]

Hi,

I have a few questions.

1. What's the configuration settings you have mentioned? Is it the
configuration file of the application with the name of appname.exe.config?

The configuration file of a ClickOnce application, i.e appname.exe.config
will reside in the Application directory after the application is installed
on a client pc. This directory is where the application's executable (.exe)
files and assemblies reside. You have mentioned that the "configuration
settings" is in data folder, which is not the normal place for the
configuration file.

2. What is the 'Publish Status' of the xml data file have you set?

If you set the 'Publish Status' of the xml data file to "Data File", this
file will reside in the Data directory in the end user's Local Settings
folder after installation. If you set the 'Publish Status' of the xml data
file to "Include", the file will be output to the Application directory.

To set the 'Publish Status' of an xml data file, you should set the 'Build
Action' of the xml file to 'Content' first (to do this, right-click the xml
file in Solution Explorer and select Properties, set the 'Build Action'
property in the Properties window). Then right-click the project in
Solution Explorer and choose Properties. In Project Designer, switch to
'Publish' tab and click 'Application Files' button. In the Application
Files window, you can set the 'Publish Status' of the xml file.

3. Do you mean that you can deploy the same ClickOnce successfully
including the configuration file and an xml data file to a user's desktop,
while you couldn't do this on a terminal server? If so, could you tell me
what the OS is on the terminal server and what software you have installed
on it?

I look forward to your reply.


Sincerely,
Linda Liu
Microsoft Online Community Support

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[Guest]

Hi Linda, thanks for the reply

1. Yes the configuration settings is the appname.exe.config. All
application based settings go into this file where the application is
installed. But the user based settings are deployed to the data directory as
user.config. This is missing.

2. For my xml file, I have set it as "Content" and I set the publish status
as "Data". I could set the publish status to "Include" but this still would
not solve the problem in question 1.

3. Yes I am able to deploy the ClickOnce application successfully to user's
desktops including the configuration file and xml data file. I cannot
successfully deploy this on my terminal server.

Terminal Server
Windows Server 2000 Advanced
Citrix Metraframe 1.8 for Windows 2000
Citrix Metaframe 1.8 Service Pack 2

 

[Linda Liu [MSFT]]

Hi BParker,

Thank you for your prompt response.

appname.exe.config file contains the values of all application-scoped
settings and default values of the all user-scoped settings in the project.
And user.config file contains the current values of user-scoped settings
which are different from the default values. user.config resides in the
current user's profile path, e.g. c:\Documents and
Settings\username\Application Data\MS\appname.guid\version\.

When we publish the application, the user.config file couldn't be packed
into the ClickOnce package like appname.exe.config, which means the
user.config file won't be deployed to the user's desktop.

After the application is deployed to a user's desktop via ClickOnce and the
user changes and saves the value of the user-scoped setting, a user.config
file is generated to contain the new value in the Data folder.

As for the terminal server, could you tell how you intall the application
via ClickOnce on the terminal sever? Do you connect to the terminal server
on a terminal client and then install the application via ClickOnce from a
url or UNC path on the terminal client?

I am researching on deploy application via ClickOnce on a terminal server
and will get it back to you ASAP. If I have any misunderstanding, please
point them out.


Sincerely,
Linda Liu
Microsoft Online Community Support

 

[Guest]

Yes I am connecting to the terminal server on a terminal client and
installing via a url. As you perform your research, could you please include
a data file in your deployment package and see if this goes to the data
location.

Thanks for your help

 

[Linda Liu [MSFT]]

Hi BParker,

I set up a Windows application project containing app.config and an xml
data files. I use Windows XP Remote Desktop Connection to connect to a
terminal server (Windows 2003 Server) and log on the terminal server as an
administrator. Then I install the application via ClickOnce using a url on
the terminal server.

The result of my test is as follows.The appname.exe.config file always
resides in the application folder where the executable application resides.
As for the xml data file, when I set the Publish Status of the xml file to
'Data File', the xml file resides in the data folder. When I set the
Publish Status of the xml file to 'Include', the xml file resides in the
application folder.

What kind of terminal service do you use to connect to the terminal server?
(You could get Windows XP Remote Desktop Connection software at
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=80111F21-D48D-426E-
96C2-08AA2BD23A49&displaylang=en. However, it requires that the terminal
server runs Windows XP with Remote Desktop enabled .)

What kind of user you log on the terminal server as? Is the user a normal
user or an administrator?

You may have a try log on the terminal server as an administrator to see if
the problem still exists.

Hope this helps and I look forward to your reply.



Sincerely,
Linda Liu
Microsoft Online Community Support

 

[Guest]

Sorry about not getting back sooner, I have been teaching some technical
classes to some developers in my group.

I am not getting the same results as you. One thing I did notice is since
the terminal server is running Citrix, Drive C has been remapped to M. Maybe
this is the issue?

I am remoting into the server on my XP based system using Remote Desktop
Connection.

 

[Linda Liu [MSFT]]

Hi BParker,

Thank you for your update.

I suggest that you remove the drive mapping for Drive C, uninstall the
ClickOnce deployed application on the terminal server and lauch the
application again to see if the problem still exists.

You may also have a try installing the application via ClickOnce on another
terminal server to see if the problem exists on the new terminal server.

Please try my suggestion and let me know the result.


Sincerely,
Linda Liu
Microsoft Online Community Support