When you install a ClickOnce application, the program runs after the install. Is it possible to install without running?
I know I can use a setup and deployment project and create an installer, but I'd prefer to use ClickOnce.
When you install a ClickOnce application, the program runs after the install. Is it possible to install without running?
I know I can use a setup and deployment project and create an installer, but I'd prefer to use ClickOnce.
I guess you could fake it. Introduce an "IsInstalled" boolean property, defaulted to false. Then in Program.cs, change your Main() method to look like this:
[STAThread]
static void Main()
{
Application.EnableVisualStyles();
Application.SetCompatibleTextRenderingDefault(false);
if (!Properties.Settings.Default.IsInstalled)
{
Properties.Settings.Default.IsInstalled = true;
Properties.Settings.Default.Save();
MessageBox.Show("Install Complete");
return;
}
Application.Run(new Form1());
}
So now when the app is first installed, it checks that property and simply displays a message to the user and then quits.
If you wanted to get tricky then you could look at parsing the Activation URI for the deployment and have a URI parameter which specifies whether the program should run when it's first installed or just close silently.
To disable the automatic start after install, you simply disable the URL activation as discussed in the MSDN article How to: Disable URL Activation of ClickOnce Applications (using the tool MageUI.exe).
To disable URL activation for your application
Select the Deployment Options tab.
Clear the Automatically run application after installing check box.
Save and sign the manifest.
You can do this by editing the application manifest in Mage. There is a checkbox to stop the application running after installation.
If you are not comfortable editing a manifest manually or with Mage then you can use the built-in deployment class to check whether this is the first time the application has run.
using System.Deployment.Application
[STAThread]
static void Main()
{
Application.EnableVisualStyles();
Application.SetCompatibleTextRenderingDefault(false);
if (ApplicationDeployment.CurrentDeployment.IsFirstRun)
{
MessageBox.Show("Install Complete");
return;
}
Application.Run(new Form1());
}