Share via

Setup Packaging

  • Article

   

A setup executable distribution unit is a package that builds a setup (.exe) file. This file can be transferred to the user's computer, installed, and run there.

When packaging with setup files, you should understand:

  • Why to use a setup distribution unit.

  • Creating setup files.

  • Installing core components with setup files.

  • Installing components authored in Microsoft® Visual Basic®.

  • Using Setups to Install COM Components.

  • Using Web pages to distribute a setup file.

Why Use a Setup Distribution Unit?

Setup executable files you create with the Microsoft development environment provide a professional way to distribute your application.

A simple way to distribute your application is to create a setup program that, when run, will install your application on the user's computer. This is best used for conventional Windows applications — Web-based applications are better distributed as cabinet files, which the Microsoft development environment can also create for you.

The Microsoft development environment provides a setup distribution unit that creates the setup file for you. It creates a single executable that contains all the files that need to be installed, so it can be distributed on conventional media like floppy disks or CDs, over a network, or even from a Web page.

The files are stored in a compressed format in the setup file, so they take up as little disk space as possible, and reduce Web download times. The files are automatically uncompressed during the installation process.

The setup file also registers an uninstaller, so your application will be listed in the Add/Remove Programs dialog box in the Windows Control Panel, and can be uninstalled from this dialog box.

The setup file can be digitally signed so that users downloading the file from a Web page can be sure that you published the application and that it was not tampered with in any way.

Creating Setup Files

With the Microsoft development environment, you can create and customize setup files more easily than before.

  • You can package the outputs of a Visual J++ project. If the outputs of the project change, the setup file will be automatically rebuilt.

  • The setup file created is a professional, Windows logo-compliant installer, with a professional user interface and an uninstaller.

  • Any ActiveX components included in the package are automatically registered on the target machine.

For More Information   For step-by-step instructions, see Creating a Setup File.