Writer Plugins can be installed and registered using one of two methods:

1. Copying the Plugin Assembly to the Plugins sub-directory of the Writer installation directory. Installers can detect the Writer installation directory by reading the “InstalDir” value from the following registry key:
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Live\Writer\
   
2. By writing the name and full path of the Plugin to the “PluginAssemblies” Registry key located at either:
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Windows Live\Writer\PluginAssemblies
   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Windows Live\Writer\PluginAssemblies
   For example, a plugin at the path “C:\Program Files\My Product\MyProduct.WriterPlugin.dll” could be registered by adding the following key/value pair to the PluginAssemblies key:
   Key = MyProduct.WriterPluginValue = C:\Program Files\My Product\MyProduct.WriterPlugin.dll
   

Note:
Beta One of Windows Live Writer supported only method 1 (copying the Plugin to the Plugins subdirectory) and also did not write the InstallDir value required for detection of its installation path.

 .NET Framework Versions

Writer supports plugins built against either the .NET 1.1 or .NET 2.0 Framework. However, the Writer application itself depends only the installation of the .NET 1.1 Framework (it can work with either version, if both are present it will run against the .NET 2.0 Framework).

Therefore, if you wish to build your plugin against the .NET 2.0 Framework (which will always be the case if you use Visual Studio.NET 2005) you need to ensure that users have a copy of the .NET 2.0 Framework installed in order for your plugin to load (it will silently fail to load if your plugin depends on .NET 2.0 and it is not installed).

You can accomplish this by providing your users a link to the .NET 2.0 download page or by creating an installer that uses the Visual Studio 2005 Bootstrapper (which provides automatic detection and download of the .NET 2.0 Framework).

Note:
If your plugin is built against the .NET 1.1 Framework then none of this discussion applies since the installation of Writer will not succeed unless the .NET 1.1 Framework (or higher) is already installed.

 See Also

Other Resources

Windows Live Writer Content Source Plugins