Comments on: Visual Studio 2008 Setup Project Frustrations

By: Garth

Garth — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 21:28:47 +0000

Thanks All!

I also have had problems getting the install to work right and have had to start over from scratch many times.

By: sandip

sandip — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 20:45:27 +0000

Thanks, it saved lots of time

By: Renga

Renga — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 05:05:23 +0000

Let me also add to these posts – the VS2008 is a monster and no one knows or can predict what problem you will face next. The VS2008 is like a spider’s web and once you are caught you will be sucked in full and you will end up as a dried up & burnt programmer.

The installer is the last straw in the VS2008. Mine is a simple app – with one database and it took me a month to battle all over to find out how to use the dataset designer to create a multi-table datagridview and even now there are things that do not work in full. With the Installer you get all things right but at the end the short cut you get will not show the Icon ! And the icon is the symbol of what all you create in your app !

For all the tall talk of .net – it is a time waster for all… Technically superior but you need to a full R&D in the app for each and every command till you get struck with the simple snippet you create because this works..

VB6 may be old but it is safe and productive…I do not know when Microsoft will realise that people and not doctorates has to use their stuff..they should make the VS2008 more human…Less of MSDN mumbo Jumbo and may be a Text Book of VS2008 within say 300 pages which can tell it all..otherwise break the whole app into smaller segments..

VS2008 will create endless confusion..it is as of now a nightmare for me..

God Save Microsoft and their Brainy Development teams..

Renga

By: Erik

Erik — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 21:37:48 +0000

Joel, So sorry to hear….for now I think it will just have to be an embarrassing readme…..Microsoft must be getting too much money from Installshield/Acresso to care about their own problems….But even more embarrassing is the fact that they even to pretend to try….

By: Joel

Joel — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 14:06:32 +0000

Hi Erik,

I have no answers for you, but after yesterday’s events I can positively say we will be investing in a real Installer Builder soon.

I had a similar issue yesterday: an updated install kept the original desktop icon AND added the new one, but both of them pointed to the old version (which was supposed to be replaced). Long story short, I had to find and uninstall the “previous version” and then the new icon worked correctly.

I’m just tired of messing with it. It seems OK for simple first time installs, but anything more complicated and it is one big FAIL.

By: Erik

Erik — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 23:51:20 +0000

Well….final report for the day….I found out how to get it to screw up….regardless of icons….in the installer….when they ask you to specify to install for everyone or just me…..If you select everyone then it will work fine and if you select just me it does the weird install thing…..If someone has any clue why I would greatly appreciate it.

By: Erik

Erik — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 22:48:52 +0000

My shortcuts actually install things…..Not sure if anyone else has seen this but my shortcuts actually install the component that they are supposed to be a shortcut for….Now this is not to say that the components were not originally installed by the installer themselves…they were…the shortcut installs the component into the installation folder within a folder named after my deployment project file…This is the weirdest thing I have ever seen….And I have isolated the case so that it only happens when I attach homemade icons to the shortcuts….I am so lost…..Anyways Visual Studio sucks….I would be impressed if someone could get this kind of shortcut activity if they were trying to make it happen on purpose….All I know is this is PITIFUL!!!!! Help if you dare…

By: Erik

Erik — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 21:28:49 +0000

The deployment projects are pitiful…..this workaround is fine it just sucked that it took a while to figure out…..Anyways…I am curious if anyone has seen there shortcuts act funny….I am testing an install and the shortcuts I create are somehow linked to my installer….they always try to begin the installation and then crash….I have created these shortcuts in every way possible besides doing any command line things….but pitiful is my only explanation….any thoughts?

By: Mark

Mark — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 00:32:14 +0000

Thanks….. The “Right-pane” suggestion did it for me!

By: Asder43

Asder43 — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 17:38:21 +0000

Thanks guys,
this forum was really helpful for me. I was
stuck at the ‘create shortcut’.