Best practice for deploying upgrades

8 Nov 2006 6:40 PM

redeagle

I have a Solution with a WinApp Project and a Setup Project. This has
already been deployed and installed on other users machines.

I have since added a very nifty CheckBox to add functionality to a form and
would to upgrade the current users.

What is the best way to do this?

John

8 Nov 2006 11:29 PM

Kevin

Are these on computers in just your office or are they on customer
computers in other areas?

I've searched a little bit in VB2005 and it seems most of the answers
involve the user clicking on something to download and make the
upgrade.

I don't know if it's the best way, but...

The main program we use in our office is constantly being
changed--they want stuff added or changed all the time. I have an
"Updates" folder on a network drive. When I do a "rebuild" of the
executable, I copy it to the Updates folder.

Installed on each user's computer is a program that appears as a
splash screen. This program checks the filedates of the executable on
the local drive and the executable in the Updates folder. If the
Updates folder contains a newer executable, it copies it to the local
drive. Then it runs the real program and exits out of this updater
program.

My way is seamless to the user. All they have to do is exit out of the
program and start it up again.

As long as you're not upgrading any DLLs or ActiveX controls, this
works fine.

On Wed, 8 Nov 2006 10:40:02 -0800, redeagle
<redea***@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

Show quoteHide quote

>I have a Solution with a WinApp Project and a Setup Project. This has
>already been deployed and installed on other users machines.
>
>I have since added a very nifty CheckBox to add functionality to a form and
>would to upgrade the current users.
>
>What is the best way to do this?
>
>John

10 Nov 2006 3:44 PM

redeagle

Hey Kevin-

Thanks for the reply.

These are just computers in the office but the question isn't necessarily
limited to that scenario. Your suggestion is very helpful. Thanks.

I was also hoping to get some info on .cab files .dll's ect, especially if I
find myself upgrading a class library in the future.

I don't really know anything about depolying other than the simple "Setup
Project" that creates an executable. I have to believe that at some point it
will be better to use .cab files, I just don't know how/when.

John

Show quoteHide quote

"Kevin" wrote:

> Are these on computers in just your office or are they on customer
> computers in other areas?
>
> I've searched a little bit in VB2005 and it seems most of the answers
> involve the user clicking on something to download and make the
> upgrade.
>
> I don't know if it's the best way, but...
>
> The main program we use in our office is constantly being
> changed--they want stuff added or changed all the time. I have an
> "Updates" folder on a network drive. When I do a "rebuild" of the
> executable, I copy it to the Updates folder.
>
> Installed on each user's computer is a program that appears as a
> splash screen. This program checks the filedates of the executable on
> the local drive and the executable in the Updates folder. If the
> Updates folder contains a newer executable, it copies it to the local
> drive. Then it runs the real program and exits out of this updater
> program.
>
> My way is seamless to the user. All they have to do is exit out of the
> program and start it up again.
>
> As long as you're not upgrading any DLLs or ActiveX controls, this
> works fine.
>
>
>
> On Wed, 8 Nov 2006 10:40:02 -0800, redeagle
> <redea***@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
>
> >I have a Solution with a WinApp Project and a Setup Project. This has
> >already been deployed and installed on other users machines.
> >
> >I have since added a very nifty CheckBox to add functionality to a form and
> >would to upgrade the current users.
> >
> >What is the best way to do this?
> >
> >John
>