Setting the Installation Location for Desktop App (VS2008)

Question

I've been away from desktop app creation for some time. I'm having trouble figuring out how to set the target installation directory for an application. The Publish Wizard looks to be lacking essential options...
When I run the install produced by the Publish Wizard the install targets the C:\Documents and Settings\<user>\Local Settings\Apps\2.0\ _?_\ _?_\ _?_\ directory, where the question marks represent some strange alphanumeric encoding. I'd like the application to target the \Program Files\ directory.
Any help would be appreciated. My goal is to stay with MSVS2008 for the install, so solutions like WISE are off the table per the customer.

dom booth · Answer

No, I just want to be able to read in a config file for each separate user. All I am looking for is to be able to get an application that is installed at different locations using a setup disc to be able to look at one central place to see if there are any application updates that need to be downloaded. the config file will be set at the time of installation. The only reason I mention the config file is that if i use the publish tool )which does the checking for new versions i wanted) then i dont have a config file for each user on their machine. it appears to be looking on the server it downloaded the install from for the config settings (I assumes as i am unable to find a local copy after the install when using the publish tool)

Hirendra Sisodiya · Answer

you want to edit config file programmically?

dom booth · Answer

It would appear that the publish will take the config details from one location for all users. I want each user to have their own config file, so need it to be on the local machine.

Hirendra Sisodiya · Answer

Your application installed on some location(include Config file) right...... Now you want to need each time config file update on applicaion startup ? Am i right

dom booth · Answer

yes. In vb.Net

Hirendra Sisodiya · Answer

Is it Desktop application ?

dom booth · Answer

I can see the config file when i install from the setup, but when I install using the publish tool, it creates a menu item, which when double clicked it checks for updates, then opens the application, but if you open the shortcut with notepad you get http://xxx.xxx.co.uk/xxxx.yyy#dddd.application, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=0a7c3f260d02ea35, processorArchitecture=msil and not a location on the hysical machine. I assume from this that it is picking up the settings from the server. What I would idealy like to do would be to create a setup disc for the install, then have the exe look for updates from a published location. Is this possible?

Hirendra Sisodiya · Answer

You can see config file on physical path with the name [Application Name] .exe, you can open with notepad and can edit. if you want to edit programmically than you can edit same as xml file

dom booth · Answer

Yes. This is so that the user can change the database login details, name etc. There are also some other settings now, and potentially in the future that will be in there.

Hirendra Sisodiya · Answer

you need to edit config file....right..... thanks

dom booth · Answer

Hi Paul, When I published the application, it installed it under the users profile with some obscure name, and not in programme files. this meant i couldnt change the config file. The nice thing about the published method was that i could set the application to check for updates every time it started. I need to set the users database details in the config file, so this was no use to me. I then created a setup file which was great (except for not being able to register to GAC in windows 7). The application runs fine, it installes to programe files etc, but I cant now get it to checkf or updates every time it starts. This is something i really need. Thanks

Hirendra Sisodiya · Answer

Paul, can you give me more description about your problem...

dom booth · Answer

I've been having the same problems. I have created a setup application, but now I cant get it to check for updates. When I installed from the published setup, it would check every time it launched, but now with it having been installed from the setup application, it doesnt check. Any idea what I am missing here? Thanks

Hirendra Sisodiya · Answer

you can set installationm path of your application like this: Right click onyour setup project select view--> filesystem.than click on ApplicatioFolder of left panel and goto it' properties window and set default location.

Setting the Installation Location for Desktop App (VS2008)

Sakthikumar Thanavel