Best strategy for deploying .Net prerequisites?

[littleisharp]

Hi

 

The MS Bootstrapper doesn't install the other (operating system dependent) prerequisites for .Net. For example, Windows 2000 Sp4, Year 2000 Updates for Windows 98, Internet Explorer 6 Sp1).

 

What is the best policy for deploying to these OS's then? Many of my customers are still on 98 - my deployment project must install the Year 2K stuff for them if it's not there. The Bootstrapper doesn't do this.

 

What do you use?

 

My customers are not IT literate - I need my install to automatically check for everything it needs and install it itself. I am deploying by CD, so can include all the files on that.

 

Any help would be much appreciated,

 

Thanks

[littleisharp]

Surely I'm not the only one trying to deploy to windows 98 machines?

 

How are you doing it?

 

:)

[qex]

Did you ever have any luck with this. Everything I have found makes it look like you have to have internet access to install IE that there is not a redistributable file for setup apps to install IE 5.01 or greater on a system that doesn't have internet access.

[Robby]

End-users do not need all that you listed, read the following:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dnnetdep/html/vsredistdeploy.asp

 

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=262d25e3-f589-4842-8157-034d1e7cf3a3&displaylang=en

 

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;324733

[littleisharp]

There are an awful lot of prerequisites Robby. From the Microsoft doc you linked too:

 

Platform and Software Requirements

Minimum requirements

To install Dotnetfx.exe, you must have one of the following operating systems with Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.01 or later installed on your computer:

 

Microsoft Windows 98

Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition

Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition (Windows Me)

Microsoft Windows NT 4 (Workstation or Server) with Service Pack 6a

Microsoft Windows 2000 (Professional, Server, or Advanced Server) with the latest Windows service pack and critical updates available from the Microsoft Security Web site.

Microsoft Windows XP (Home or Professional)

Microsoft Windows Server 2003 family

 

It doesn't mention JET, MDAC, or the Year 2000 Updates for Windows 98. These are also necessary.

 

Most people I've spoken to are checking for these things in Launch Conditions, and simply prompting the user to run Windows Update if they're not there.

 

My client wants it to install everything automatically from my CD. I am still wokring on this, trying to use the following CodeProject app:

 

http://www.codeproject.com/dotnet/dotNetInstaller.asp?target=Installer

[Robby]

Just to mention; don't confuse the pre-reqs for the IDE with Pre-reqs for the Framework. I think one of the links mentions JET, MDAC, etc...

[qex]

My problem is there is a chance that the systems that my app will be installed on will be win98 that have never had internet access and so would not have IE 5.01 I have read the deployement articles and all they ever say is you need IE 5.01 is there a file like dotnetfx that you can distribute with a setup app that will install IE 5.01 without internet access

[Robby]

You can still find 5.5... http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/default.asp

[littleisharp]

Pre-requisites

 

Robby the list of prerequisites I posted comes from the MS doc you linked to. I'm not making it up!!!

 

Qex and I have a real problem here. Our users are on 98 and have never updated or patched. They don't have an internet connection.

 

In order to install and run a winforms app on their machine, they must first install:

 

- IE 5.01 or greater

- Year 2000 Update for 98 (1 of 2)

- Year 2000 Update for 98 (2 of 2)

- JET 4.0 sp7 or greater

- .Net framework (requries a restart)

- MDAC 2.7 or greater.

 

I am using the app I linked to on code project to include all these necessary pre-requisites on my CD, and install them for the user from that.

 

The only problem I have left is finding a standalone setup exe for IE that doesn't require access to the internet. I don't think there is one on the link you posted.

 

Seriously Robby, these really are the pre-requisites needed for running a .Net app on windows 98. I am not suprised Microsoft don't exactly shout it from the roof tops. It's painfully shocking and difficult to distribute to 98 if they have't kept uptodate with the patches.

 

I am sitting here surrounded by a half dozen test machines, all dual boot, so a dozen combinations of different operating systems and service pack levels. I can confirm that the MS published pre-requisites are correct, and that anything less won't work.

[AlexMesquita]

The only problem I have left is finding a standalone setup exe for IE that doesn't require access to the internet.

 

To download a full setup IE go to this site:http://www.compu-docs.com/ieadmininstall.htm , and follow the instructions.