When I install my C# app in windows 7, UAC always shows. I'm not logged in as Administrator but I want my application to be installed without the UAC.
Can you give me ways on how to do it?
The UAC prompt shows for any number of reasons, none of which is "the code inside the exe calls function X or tries to write to place Y." These include:
the name contains setup, patch, update etc (eg setup21.exe) and there is no manifest
you embedded a manifest that asks for requireAdministrator. You would have done this on purpose in Visual Studio.
there is an external manifest (for NewApp.exe it would be NewApp.exe.manifest) in the same folder that asks for requireAdministrator. You would have done this on purpose too.
you have right-clicked the exe, and on the Properties Compatibility you have chosen to elevate it, or to run as XPSP2 which for 7 also elevates
someone in your company has applied a Group Policy that this installation app should run elevated (unlikely)
you once ran it, got a dialog from Windows saying "that may not have worked right" and agreed to try again with "recommended settings"
Do any of these seem likely? If so, correct them and see if the UAC prompt goes away.
Single Package Authoring link text
You'll want to use Windows Installer / Windows Installer XML to make this install behave the way you request.
If you want to install an app without UAC then you can only touch folders that the currently logged in user can write to. Google Chrome does this--it installs the entire application to the user's local application data folder.
It's very non-standard and I would argue MS should prohibit running code from this location, but it's a working solution to requiring administrator/UAC access to install applications.
Incidentally, Google Chrome more recently made a traditional installer available so one user can install it to be used by all users on the computer.
If you want your application to be installed without triggering the UAC, install to %APPDATA% (instead of installing to %ProgramFiles%) and write to the HKCU hive only in the registry (i.e. don't try to write to HKLM, HKCR, etc.)
Related
I have created a code, which compares XML files on the client side (in PC) with the XML file located on the FTP server; where once it detects that client is running older version of the program, it will download the latest build (so that user has always up to date program).
Here is the trick. Due to the fact, that I am overwriting files at run-time, I had to create an external console application which is being called from the main app if user wants to update. This way, first console application is executed and afterwards main app is closed, so that no files are locked by the system (application's .exe file would otherwise be locked and we could not replace it with the new one).
This process runs perfectly, if it is being installed somewhere else other than under the system folder (by that I mean e.g. C:\Program Files\ drive). If user has decided to install main application there, then suddenly my app crashes as it does not have admin privileges.
I am using Install Shield LE when disbursing this app, and users that are using this program are not administrators (which means that I go to every computer and type admin password when I/users install this program).
Is there a way, how to execute my updated console application with admin rights, or how to define via Install Shield that once this app has been executed, I always want it to be executed as admin?
Hope that my explanation has not been confusing. I am more than happy to share additional details if necessary, as I need to figure out how to solve this thing.
I imagine you don't have an AD configuration as Emmanuel suggest, because in this case you would push the updates without any problems and would not have to design an automatic updater.
I don't know if InstallShield has something like this, but Advanced Installer has the support to install a dedicated updater that runs as a service, thus it has all the permissions required to install an application under Program Files.
Of course this means you need to replace your updater with the one from Advanced Installer and also that the initial installation of the application on the end user machines will still require admin credentials. (future installs can install silently, without the user's intervention)
You'll need to add the following line to your app manifest:
<requestedExecutionLevel level="requireAdministrator" uiAccess="false" />
Documentation on the msdn is here.
I have created a windows forms application does some function. The problem is when I deploy the application:
If i deploy with ClickOnce then everything works fine. After installation the winforms application runs without asking for admin password.
If i deploy with Visual Studio Setup Project and create a MSI setup then after installing it requires administrator password every time it runs.
I want to deploy using Visual Studio Setup Project(MSI) , but don't want the software asking for elevated privileges.
The MSI installation does not ask for a password but the installed program does.
you need to work with
UAC elevated permission
. take a look at this Ms Documentation link
Also this project doing some R&D with UAC example
Hope this Helps
Basically you need to edit (or add, if you don't have one yet) an app.manifest file, then use the requestedExecutionLevel to order what is the execution context required.
Read more about it in MSDN
You'll need to create and embed an application manifest (UAC) in your application, as described here. If you don't want to do that, ClickOnce might be a solution.
MSDN has some useful information on this topic, specifically:
Impact to the user's computer. With Windows Installer deployment, applications often rely on shared components, with the potential for
versioning conflicts; with ClickOnce deployment, each application is
self-contained and cannot interfere with other applications.
Security permissions. Windows Installer deployment requires
administrative permissions and allows only limited user installation;
ClickOnce deployment enables non-administrative users to install and
grants only those Code Access Security permissions necessary for the
application.
Is there a way to tell "Setup Project" in Visual Studio 2010 to force installation of an application without asking for any kind of user input, like "destination directory", "finish" and "next" buttons, etc.
I would just like the user (or another program) to run "setup.exe" and the application would be installed. Without prompting or asking for information.
I think FileZilla Client has a feature like the one I just described. But then again they have a custom setup project...
Any help would be appreciated.
You can use silent installation feature of Windows Installer.
You may want to consider using a ClickOnce deployment instead. It provides the ability to auto-update the app from a UNC location, ftp server, CD/DVD, etc.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/t71a733d.aspx
Can I ask the user WHERE to install the application during install time?
Most setups prompt the user where to install the application, I'm sure you are familiar with it. How can I do this with the visual studio publisher? (If it cannot be done from the VS publisher could you reccommend a program that can do it? Or do I have to do it manually?
As per this MSDN post: "ClickOnce application are installed per user in the user application cache. These applications are managed by the ClickOnce service. If you want to install to a user specifed location such a Program Files... you should use MSI or some other installer technology."
The other deployment methodologies supported by Visual Studio are discussed here
No, you can't. ClickOnce install the application in a user's AppData folder it's not installed like a traditional application. If you want to have more control over stuff like this you need to write your own installer.
Not sure if it is changed, but ClickOnce applications are installed per user in the user application cache. You cant change that location. This means that if 2 different user share the same machine there are 2 different copies of your application.
I have found strange issue during execution of installatio file made by VS 2010. The installer should copy some files into App Data of current user. When I run installer on account with admin privileges, everything is ok. Problem appears while installing on guest account. For example I try to install app on guset account A. I must select run as option. I choose user B with admin privileges. After installation all files are copied into folder App Data of user B, not A as I expected... why? Is there any solution for this?
It is called deployment project and it is outdated and broken technology - I suggest using WIX. Those stupid proejcts should hnever have been in Visual Studio - they dont even adhere to the basics how MSI files should work.
One thing you can not nicely control is the elevation request needed for activating admin priviledges. WIX allows you full control over the MSI features.
I must select run as option. I choose user B with admin privileges. After installation all files
are copied into folder App Data of user B, not A as I expected... why?
Ah - logic? You install AS USER B - so surely the files go into User b's folder.
in general you need admin priviledges to install softawre. A gues can not do it. Point. Installation is a tricky high priviledge thing, not something for someone who has no rights on the computer.
The installer should copy some files into App Data of current user.
Invalid per definition. Point. A normal install run should not install anything into a user's app data - what is another user runs the software? The software can make copies when it starts (from shared app data), but a NORMAL install (not a per user install) should never put stuff into the users personal AppData folder. This is a violation of basic MSI principles.
Symantec has a good documentation on the only valid way to do that (and sorry, setup proejcts just dont support advanced features for MSI:
http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=HOWTO4840
As it reads:
In order to install files to each user's profile, a self-repair of the application must occur.
WIX has similar answers in a post:
http://windows-installer-xml-wix-toolset.687559.n2.nabble.com/installing-files-to-user-s-application-data-folder-td5377311.html
I assume you don'd o a per user install ;)
I also assume you don't set the registry key according to ICE38 (setup warning):
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa368961%28VS.85%29.aspx
In general: DO NOT DO IT. User AppData can / should happen when the user starts the app.