Deployment (How Do I in Visual Basic)
This page links to help on widely used Visual Basic deployment tasks. To view other categories of popular tasks covered in Help, see How Do I in Visual Basic.
In General
Choosing a Deployment Strategy
Compares ClickOnce and Windows Installer technology.Deploying 64-bit Applications
Describes general considerations for deploying a 64-bit application.Adding Custom Prerequisites
Describes how to install packages for shared components or system components that are prerequisite to running your application.Windows Installer Deployment Tasks
This section contains common Windows Installer deployment tasks.
Deploying with ClickOnce
How to: Publish a ClickOnce Application
Describes how to publish a ClickOnce application to a Web server, file share, or removable media.How to: Specify Which Files Are Published by ClickOnce
Describes how to publish certain files, or install certain files based on conditions.How to: Change the Publish Language for a ClickOnce Application
Describes how to establish the language and culture of your development computer. If you are publishing a localized application, you need to specify a language and culture to match the localized version.How to: Install Prerequisites with a ClickOnce Application
Describes how to choose a set of prerequisite components to be packaged along with your application.How to: Manage Updates for a ClickOnce Application
Describes specifying when and how update checks are performed, whether updates are mandatory, and where the application should check for updates.How to: Enable ClickOnce Security Settings
Describes how enable security settings in order to publish the application.How to: Sign Application and Deployment Manifests
Describes how to strong-name a manifest.How to: Deploy a 64-bit Application Using ClickOnce
Describes how to publish a 64-bit application with ClickOnce.Deploying COM Components with ClickOnce
Describes how to deploy legacy COM components either using the bootstrapper or using native component isolation (also known as registration-free COM).Building ClickOnce Applications from the Command Line
Describes how to build and deploy projects from the command line by using MSBuild.Debugging ClickOnce Applications That Use System.Deployment.Application
Describes how to use and customize advanced ClickOnce deployment features. This includes creating an "Update Now" option in your application, on-demand downloads of components, and integrated application updates.
Publishing Applications
How to: Publish a ClickOnce Application
Describes how to publish a ClickOnce application to a Web server, file share, or removable media.How to: Specify Which Files Are Published by ClickOnce
Describes how to publish certain files, or install certain files based on conditions.How to: Change the Publish Language for a ClickOnce Application
Describes how to establish the language and culture of your development computer. If you are publishing a localized application, you need to specify a language and culture to match the localized version.How to: Install Prerequisites with a ClickOnce Application
Describes how to choose a set of prerequisite components to be packaged along with your application.How to: Manage Updates for a ClickOnce Application
Describes specifying when and how update checks are performed, whether updates are mandatory, and where the application should check for updates.How to: Automatically Increment the ClickOnce Publish Version
Describes increments to the Revision number of the Publish Version when you publish an application.How to: Specify the ClickOnce Install Mode
Describes how to determine whether the application will be available offline or online.How to: Set Deployment Project Properties
Describes categories of deployment properties: general project properties and configuration-dependent properties.How to: Specify Per-user or Per-computer Installation
Describes how to specify whether you want the application to be installed for all users of the computer, or only for the user doing the installation.
Signing Manifests
How to: Sign Application and Deployment Manifests
Describes how to strong-name a manifest.How to: Delay Sign an Assembly (Visual Studio)
Describes how to use delayed or partial signing to provide the public key, deferring the addition of the private key until the assembly is handed off.
Deploying Secure Applications
- How to: Set a Security Zone for a ClickOnce Application
Describes how to start with a base set of permissions and add the permissions required by your application one at a time.
Deploying with Setup Projects (Windows Installer)
How to: Create or Add a Setup Project
Describes how to create Setup projects, which are used to create Windows Installer (.msi) files. There are two types of setup projects: Standard and Web.Walkthrough: Deploying a Windows-based Application
Provides instructions for creating an installer for a Windows application that sets up shortcuts and file associations, adds an entry to the registry, displays custom dialogs, and checks the version of Internet Explorer during installation.Walkthrough: Creating a Custom Action
Demonstrates the process of creating a DLL custom action to direct a user to a Web page at the end of an installation.How to: Create a Windows Installer for a 64-bit Platform
Describes creating installers for 64-bit applications and components.How to: Install Prerequisites in Windows Installer Deployment
Describes how to choose a set of prerequisite components to be packaged along with your application.
Other Deployment Projects
How to: Create or Add a Merge Module Project
Creates a merge module (.msm) file that includes all files, resources, registry entries, and setup logic for your component.How to: Create or Add a Cab Project
Creates cabinet (.cab) files that can be used to download components to a Web browser. This option should be used when you want code to run on a client computer instead of on a server.How to: Add Merge Modules to a Deployment Project
Creates your own merge modules using Visual Studio, or you can use existing merge modules that are available for many standard components from Microsoft as well as from third-party vendors.