Launching EXE in Deployment Project

[Guest]

I have created a Setup and Deployment project in Visual Studio.NET 2003.
After my installation has completed running I'd like to launch the EXE that I
just
installed. I've found how to launch the EXE in the Custom Actions area of
the Setup and Deployment project. Unfortunately when the EXE is launched
it causes the setup program to stay open until the EXE has been exited.
Anyone have any ideas how to launch the EXE and get the setup program to
continue to the "Finish" dialog?

In addition, my EXE is currently launching before the user gets to the
"Finish" dialog. I'd really like to get the EXE to launch after the user
clicks the Close
button on the "Finish" dialog. This would solve my problem about getting the
setup program to exit. Anyone have any idea how to launch my EXE when the
Close button has been clicked or after the setup program has exited?

Thanks for any help.
Dan

 

[Matthew.Gertz]

Dan,
Thanks for the question. Just to clarify:

(1) I'm assuming that you've created a second EXE whose sole purpose is to launch the actual EXE -- is that correct? It's not the actual end-product EXE that's supporting the custom action, right?
(2) Does that second EXE live in the "Install" custom actions or "Commit" customer actions?

Ideally, the custom action would be placed in the Commit phase, and would simply spawn the actual installed executable and not block on doing so (plus do whatever other prep work you wanted to do) -- then the installer would not be blocked from shutting down.

--Matt Gertz--*
VB Compiler Dev Lead

-----Original Message-----
From: dhussong
Posted At: Monday, November 21, 2005 6:39 AM
Posted To: microsoft.public.dotnet.languages.vb
Conversation: Launching EXE in Deployment Project
Subject: Launching EXE in Deployment Project


I have created a Setup and Deployment project in Visual Studio.NET 2003.
After my installation has completed running I'd like to launch the EXE that I
just
installed. I've found how to launch the EXE in the Custom Actions area of
the Setup and Deployment project. Unfortunately when the EXE is launched
it causes the setup program to stay open until the EXE has been exited.
Anyone have any ideas how to launch the EXE and get the setup program to
continue to the "Finish" dialog?

In addition, my EXE is currently launching before the user gets to the
"Finish" dialog. I'd really like to get the EXE to launch after the user
clicks the Close
button on the "Finish" dialog. This would solve my problem about getting the
setup program to exit. Anyone have any idea how to launch my EXE when the
Close button has been clicked or after the setup program has exited?

Thanks for any help.
Dan

 

[Guest]

I do not have a second EXE. The custom action I have is currently in the
Commit section and it is trying to launch the actual end-product EXE. I think
the only way to accomplish this is to create a second EXE which would just
launch my end-product EXE. Then the second EXE would end and the installer
would end. Is that what you're suggesting?

Thanks,
Dan

 

[Matthew.Gertz]

Yup, that's what I mean. As you currently have it set up, the Installer is waiting for the app running the commit to exit, which won't happen. You need that intermediate "fire and forget" custom action.

--Matt--*

-----Original Message-----
From: dhussong
Posted At: Monday, November 21, 2005 12:17 PM
Posted To: microsoft.public.dotnet.languages.vb
Conversation: Launching EXE in Deployment Project
Subject: re: Launching EXE in Deployment Project


I do not have a second EXE. The custom action I have is currently in the
Commit section and it is trying to launch the actual end-product EXE. I think
the only way to accomplish this is to create a second EXE which would just
launch my end-product EXE. Then the second EXE would end and the installer
would end. Is that what you're suggesting?

Thanks,
Dan

 

[Guest]

OK. Thanks for your help.

Dan

Yup, that's what I mean. As you currently have it set up, the Installer is waiting for the app running the commit to exit, which won't happen. You need that intermediate "fire and forget" custom action.

--Matt--*

-----Original Message-----
From: dhussong
Posted At: Monday, November 21, 2005 12:17 PM
Posted To: microsoft.public.dotnet.languages.vb
Conversation: Launching EXE in Deployment Project
Subject: re: Launching EXE in Deployment Project


I do not have a second EXE. The custom action I have is currently in the
Commit section and it is trying to launch the actual end-product EXE. I think
the only way to accomplish this is to create a second EXE which would just
launch my end-product EXE. Then the second EXE would end and the installer
would end. Is that what you're suggesting?

Thanks,
Dan

 

[Guest]

Do you know if it is possible to put a checkbox on the Final dialog of the
installer to allow the user to choose whether or not to launch the EXE?

Thanks again,
Dan

 

[Matthew.Gertz]

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[Matthew.Gertz]

Hmm, that post got mangled, didn't it?

Any, the gist of my failed post is that you need to go to the User Interface editor, remove the "finished" dialog from the User Install tree, and replace it with a checkbox dialog (right-click and choose "Add Dialog"). (The checkbox dialogs are all the same, so doesn't matter which one you pick -- you can only use each one once, though, due to arcane WMI rules.)

Then, select that dialog after adding it, go to the property grid, and set the visibility of the check boxes, check box text, the banner information for the dialog, etc. the way you want it to be. (Press F1 on that editor for more information about adding dialogs.)

--Matt--*

-----Original Message-----
From: (e-mail address removed)
Posted At: Monday, November 21, 2005 2:32 PM
Posted To: microsoft.public.dotnet.languages.vb
Conversation: Launching EXE in Deployment Project
Subject: re: Launching EXE in Deployment Project


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