Access 2013 Deployment Wizard

[Bob Darlington]

Has anyone used the Access 2013 Runtime Deployment Wizard?
How does it compare to something like SageKey (except for price).

[Albert D. Kallal]

"Bob Darlington" wrote in message
news:5514f75f$0$19899$c3e8da3$3388...@news.astraweb.com...

>Has anyone used the Access 2013 Runtime Deployment Wizard?
>How does it compare to something like SageKey (except for price).

The package deployment wizard had only one good feature: it was free.

For Access 2013, they dropped and removed the PW.

So the runtime remains as a free download, but the package wizard really was
quite poor. Since few used it, then likely even less people will notice the
feature been dropped.

In fact since access 97 days, all you had to do was:

install the runtime.

copy your mdb/accdb etc. to the target machine and click on the application
to launch. So how this works is really the same as the full edition of
Access.

However certainly one in some cases would want to setup a shortcut on the
users desktop etc. I been using the free Inno installer for about 10 years
now.

I explain the use of the package wizard, and quite much note that you really
don’t need it. And I also include a simple Inno script in this article of
mine:

Deploying updates to your software in a Runtime environment.

http://www.kallal.ca/RunTime/Index.html

so the PW is gone from Access 2013.

Regards,

--
Albert D. Kallal (Access MVP)
Edmonton, Alberta Canada
PleaseNoS...@msn.com

[Bob Darlington]

Thanks Albert.
I've previously used SageKey, but I'm checking about for alternatives.
Since my post, I've downloaded Inno (which I seem to recall you have
supported in the past) and it seems to be what I want.
The wizard seems simple enough, however, you might be able to answer a
question:
With SageKey, I could package the Runtime and all my files into one exe.
Is there anyway to package AccessRuntime_x86_en-us.exe with the Inno
setup as SageKeys did, or does that need to be a separate install? (I
haven't had any experience generating the type of scripts used by Inno)

Bob Darlington

[Albert D. Kallal]

"Bob Darlington" wrote in message

news:551ce703$0$41649$c3e8da3$5d8f...@news.astraweb.com...

>With SageKey, I could package the Runtime and all my files into one exe. Is
>there anyway to package AccessRuntime_x86_en-us.exe with the Inno setup as
>SageKeys did, or does that need to be a separate install? (I haven't had
>any experience generating the type of scripts used by Inno)
>
>Bob Darlington

Yes, you most certainly can do this. I tend to prefer separating out the
runtime as separate.

The reason being is the reslting setup file then becomes very small. And
then for updates the setup reamins a small file.

So once a user has runtime installed, then likely for several years of
updates to your software, the runtime not need be included.

Thus in inno a "test" for runtime should occur - and then give a message to
user to install runtime.

While previous versions of runtimes tended to be multiple files, 2010 and
2013 are a single file install package. (so you can include that package
inside of the inno package).

However, 2010 "really" needs the SP update included. And having to install +
include a separate sp udpate to the runtime is a pain.

As a result, I "include" the sp udpates into 2010 runtime package. I then
use inno to package it up into a single file.

Another soluion is to use Access 2013 install. It includes the udpates, and
is a single file download.

[Bob Darlington]

Thanks Albert.
I'm going to use Access 2013.
Using the Inno wizard, if I install all the files I need for my
application and add AccessRuntime_x86_en-us.exe (Access 2013) in the
Additional Files panel, I presume that I need to manually edit the
script to tell it to check to see if the runtime is needed and if
necessary, run it.
That is where I get stuck. Can you help me out or point me to a tutorial
covering it?
Bob Darlington

[Albert D. Kallal]

"Bob Darlington" wrote in message

news:5520888b$0$64303$c3e8da3$b280...@news.astraweb.com...

>Using the Inno wizard, if I install all the files I need for my application
>and add AccessRuntime_x86_en-us.exe (Access 2013) in the Additional Files
>panel, I presume that I need to manually edit the script to tell it to
>check to see if the runtime is needed and if necessary, run it.
>That is where I get stuck. Can you help me out or point me to a tutorial
>covering it?
>Bob Darlington

There nothing much on the internet specific to Access. However Inno allows
one to grab or check for registrery values.

So the REAL question is how to check if Access is installed.

This function will work:

Function Has2010() : Boolean;

Var

strRes : string;

begin

if RegQueryStringValue(HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE,
'SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\14.0\Access\InstallRoot\', 'path', strRes) then
result := True
else
result := False;
end;


So the above is a function that returns true or false if the 2010 access in
insalled (full or runtime).

And often I used this code:

[Code]

function InitializeSetup(): Boolean;


var
strRes: string;
begin

result := False
if RegQueryStringValue(HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE,
'SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\14.0\Access\InstallRoot\', 'path', strRes) then

result := True;

// ;HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Access\InstallRoot

if Result = False then
MsgBox('Rides support Files MUST be installed BEFORE' #13#13 'Installing
this Program. - setup will stop', mbInformation, MB_OK);
end;

Of course in above, I checking for 2003 runtime, and give the user a message
to install the runtime. As stated, since runtime is about 175 megs in size,
then your install file becomes rather large.

[Bob Darlington]

Thanks Albert,
I'll give that a go.

Bob Darlington