INFO: Support for Third-Party Installers

The following installation tools are supported by Microsoft for the distribution of Visual Basic applications:

• Package and Deployment Wizard (PDW) - Visual Basic 6.0 only
• Visual Basic Application Setup Wizard - Visual Basic 4.0 and 5.0 only
• Windows/Visual Studio Installer - Visual Basic 6.0 only

Support for other installation programs is provided by the vendor of the product. However, some information must be provided to an installer program in order to ensure a successful installation regardless of the tool that is used. The installer needs to know which files need to be distributed, and that only those files are distributed. The purpose of this article is to explain the recommended method of gathering this information.

When packaging an application for distribution, there are five main considerations:

1. What files are required by the application?Do these files require any other files?Where should each individual file be installed?Which of these files need to registered?Do any of these files require special handling, such as reboot after install or run to install?
2. Do these files require any other files?Where should each individual file be installed?Which of these files need to registered?Do any of these files require special handling, such as reboot after install or run to install?
3. Where should each individual file be installed?Which of these files need to registered?Do any of these files require special handling, such as reboot after install or run to install?
4. Which of these files need to registered?Do any of these files require special handling, such as reboot after install or run to install?
5. Do any of these files require special handling, such as reboot after install or run to install?

Because the PDW and the Setup Wizard are designed specifically to aid the distribution of Visual Basic applications, they are the best tools to use to answer these questions, even if you do not intend to use them as your final installer.

At startup, the PDW/Setup Wizard asks which type of package you want to create. There are two options, a Dependency List and a Standard Setup Package. Either one can be used for this purpose, and each has its advantages and disadvantages.

When you select Dependency List, the wizard creates a dependency file (ProjectName.dep) that lists the files that are needed by your application, along with additional information about each specific file. This includes the destination folder, the type of COM registration needed, and a list of dependencies. The advantage of this method is that the dependency file is all that is created: the setup script, .cab files, and so forth are not created.

When you select Standard Setup Package, the wizard creates a complete setup package. The disadvantage of this option is that you create files that you might never use. The advantage is that the setup instructions for the program are also created. This set of instructions, contained in the file Setup.lst, is a complete chronicle of the steps you need to follow when you install the application. This list provides information that is above and beyond what is available in the dependency file. Perhaps the most important information is about which files require a system reboot. The method you use is a matter of preference, although with a complex application containing many components, it is good practice to generate both the dependency list and the standard setup package.

The Setup Wizard and PDW rely heavily on dependency files. Microsoft ships dependency files for all of the Visual Basic controls and components. For example, Msdatgrd.dep is the dependency file for Msdatgrd.ocx, the Microsoft DataGrid control. There should be a dependency file (Filename.dep) for each of the files you include in your installation package. If so, the PDW picks up the information in these files and includes it in the dependency file and/or the Setup.lst for your application.

If one of the components that you need to distribute does not have a .dep file, you can use the Dependency Walker (Depends) utility from the Platform SDK to gather the necessary information. Depends provides you with two main pieces of information:

1. A list of the files that your file needs in order to function properly.An answer to the question of whether the file in question is a COM component that requires registration.
2. An answer to the question of whether the file in question is a COM component that requires registration.

Depends.exe also lists all of the functions that are exported by the component. Look in the Function window to determine if one of the RegisterServer functions is listed. If it is, then this is a file that needs to be registered. For more information on Depends, consult the Depends Help File and the "Useful Tools for Package and Deployment Issues" in the "References" section of this article. Depends.exe is shipped with Visual Basic 6.0, and it is located on your CD in the folder: Once you have gathered this information, you can proceed with building your installation package.

One additional troubleshooting step is worth trying. If you have problems installing the application with another tool, try packaging and installing the application with the PDW/Setup Wizard. If the application runs successfully, it provides a starting point for working with the vendor of your distribution tool.

You can download the Platform Software Development Kit (SDK) from the following Microsoft Web site: For additional information about the structure of Setup.lst and Dependency files, click the article numbers below to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: