How do I set the default install path with a windows installer? - c#

How do I set the default install path when deploying a program using a windows installer.

In a Visual Studio Setup project, you control the default install path by setting the DefaultLocation property of the Application Folder folder, within the File System Editor.
This, in turn, as you've found, defaults to [ProgramFilesFolder][Manufacturer][ProductName]. You can either replace this property entirely (you should keep [ProgramFilesFolder], at the very least though), or you can modify these properties.
[ProgramFilesFolder] is built in, and correctly leads to the Program Files directory on the target machine, no matter how customized the setup of Window is. The other two properties are properties of the setup project (select the Setup project in Solution Explorer, and examine the properties grid to find them). These default to the company name you supplied when installing Visual Studio, and the name of the Setup project.

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Is it possible to conditionally set the default virtual directory in a Visual Studio Web Setup/Installer Project?

I'm working on a C# app in Visual Studio 2022 and I have added a Visual Studio Web Setup/Installer project. Once I added the project, I right-clicked it and selected View > File System. In the File System window, I right-clicked the Web Application Folder and selected Properties. In the Properties window, I scrolled to the bottom and entered the name of my virtual directory that I have configured/associated with the application under Default Website in IIS.
This will work fine for my development/test environment when I install the .msi, but once the app gets deployed to the production environment (i.e. the .msi is installed), the virtual directory/application is different (not by choice, especially my choice) and I'd like to have the virtual directory value on the setup wizard to default based on the environment. In other words, if the .msi is installed on the development/test environment, I'd like for the virtual directory on the setup wizard to MyAppTest, while production should have a virtual directory in the setup wizard set to MyAppProd.
I'm able to manually type in the value, but I'd like to have it default because I may not be the person installing it and people don't always read instructions.
Is there something that can be done to make this work in IIS or maybe with a custom installer class? I have seen another post about using Orca, but that's a bit more involved and I was hoping to keep it fairly simple. Also, Wix really isn't an option, for what it's worth.
Just some extra info, I'm using "Textboxes (A)" in the User Interface for the setup project. All of the "Edit" items are hidden and I have set the first one, Edit1, to populate TARGETAPPPOOL. I tried setting the second one to TARGETVDIR, which appears to set the value, but it's not conditional based on environment.
Thanks!

How to set the short-cut icon generated by installation of an .msi using a VS2017 Deployment Project

I have been tasked to change the Icons associated with a WPF VS2017 application that I did not create. I am trying to change the desktop short-cut icon that is automatically loaded on installation of the app's .msi.
This solution uses a Visual Studio Installer Project to generate the deployment .msi.
I have tried to change the file reference in the deployment project, but it seems to hang on to the original icon.
I have even gone to the extent of renaming the new .ico file with the original .ico filename and putting it into the directory where the original was located, but the .msi continues to load the old icon to the desktop on the application's installation.
Is there user documentation (not tutorials) on the Visual Studio Installer add-on?
More directly, how is the desktop short-cut icon specified in the deployment project?
Extensive web searching and experimentation have not presented an answer.
The installer project has a "file system" view.
Click round on your files under setup and it should appear in your code editing area.
Under File system on target machine will be folders.
These might have been configured to explicitly add a specific icon for the shortcut.
Click users desktop in the left panel.
You will have a shortcut in the right.
Select this and take a look at properties.
There's an Icon property which is probably set. Click the icon, browse and choose the one you want. This should be in the list of setup files.
If not, check your main entry point project has an icon set.
Choose it's properties > Application
In there under Icon and Manifest set the ico file.
Then try again.

How to create an installer project for visual studio 2015 which will install into a directory of the same name as the main project?

When running the installer created, the installer would say "Welcome to the [ProjectName]Setup Setup Wizard". It should just be "Welcome to the [ProjectName] Setup Wizard". It looks like the installer project is being installed, instead of the main project. Not very professional. And I cannot change the installer project name to [ProjectName] because Visual Studio 2015 wont allow different projects to have the same name. A picture is worth a thousand words, so here is the situation:
At the risk of stating the obvious, it says that because the ProductName (in the setup project's properties window) is defined to be "CateringManagerSetup". So the easiest thing to do is delete that extra "Setup" from your product name.
It says "setup" in the Application Folder name probably because it's been added. The default location is [ProgramFilesFolder][Manufacturer][ProductName] so it appears again that a "setup" folder has been added to the Application Folder, as defined in the properties window of the Application Folder, or by adding a "Setup" folder to the Application Folder in the File System view in the project's IDE.
Property windows show when the item is selected and you click F4.

Using a Windows Forms Application out of Visual Studio

I am just wondering if there is a somewhat simple way to use a Windows Forms Application program outside of Visual Studios. If so could someone elaborate on it?
When you have compiled the files simply navigate to the
Debug/Release folder
and run the executable. Any dependencies can be configured to be output to that folder in
Project properties (Build Tab, Output path)
You can also set references to Copy local in the Property Window within Visual Studio, which ensures references are copied to Debug/Release folder depending on which configuration you have Visual studio in.
Or build an installer as Brian describes.
Yes. The steps to do this can be found here.
In a nutshell:
Add a new install project to your solution.
Add targets from all of the projects you want to be installed.
Configure pre-requisites and choose the location from where missing components must be installed (if applicable).
Configure your installer settings - company name, version...
Build the project and you are good-to-go.
Run the installer (setup.exe) or right-click the setup project in the solution explorer and select "Install", then run it from the install folder like any other app. (thank you, retailcoder)
It can be as simple or complex as you would like it to be.

Changing Application Name in Windows Installer

I have created a setup project for a Windows Application developed using Visual Stduio 2008(C#).
In the portion of installation screen where it says, this installer will guide you through the steps required to install ABC on your computer
I want this changed to this installer will guide you through the steps required to install XYZ on your computer
How can I change the word ABC to XYZ?
Follow these steps to change your application's name:
Ensure that your setup project is open in Visual Studio.
Click on the project's root-level icon in the Solution Explorer.
In the Properties Window, change the ProductName property to "XYZ" or whatever you want the installer to display as your application's name.
Rebuild the setup project.
Now, if your right-click on the project icon in the Solution Explorer and click "Install", the setup program will start and you can verify that the application name that it displays is correct.
It's also worth investigating the other deployment properties that are available for setup projects to make sure that these are set appropriately for your application.
To change the name that appears on Welcome Screen, you would need to edit as follow.
Right click on Installer Project name > View > User Interface.
From there, edit the properties of Welcome under Start.

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