Installer dependecies on msvcr90.dll, mfc90.dll due usage of external module

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Our installer uses a dll of our own to validate licenses. This dll was moved
from VC6 to VS2008 (VC9, compilation only) and depends on both msvcr90.dll,
mfc90.dll because the dll itself includes dialogs . Unlike mfc90.dll,
msvcr90.dll is shared and is required

The application that being installed also requires these and other VC9 dlls
at run time, but we don't have problem with application run time because we
do manage to install the VS2008 redistributable SP1 package at during the
setup execution as merge module and this is ok. The problem is at the stage
before the setup execution starts.

So this is the scenario simplified:
(1) Welcome Dialog =>(2) License Validation Dialog (launch external dll)
=>(3) Next Specify Directory Dialog (4) Next Dialog execute installation +
Installing VS2008 redistributable SP1 package as merge module.

At stage (2) our license validation dll requires both dlls and cannot wait
until the installation finishes to have vcredist installed :(

Any idea what is the best way solve this issue following the best practices
for Windows Installer?

Here are some considerations

1.. Are these both free redistributable (outside the vcredist package)?
2.. If yes, what is the best way for our dll at run-time to find them. We
should these dlls be placed before the setup execution starts. Just to note
that these files are not copied to any windows system folder but needed for
validation only and can be removed immediatly afterwards.
3.. Using InstallShield we can run the vcredist as pre-requisite before
the Welcom dialog, but we think think the full package is not needed at this
stage, and also the user might cancel the setup before at validation stage,
Another problem that InstallSchield allows us to install the pre-requisite
from setup.exe and not from the msi. So if the msi file is clicked error
will be raised.

Thanks for help

[Phil Wilson]

1) Well sort of, but it's too easy to get wrong because you could break the
proper sharing rules, and an unstall of one product could remove the one
being used by everyone else.

2) If you have a bootstrapper that installs prereqs prior to this and you
need it for other code in your product then get this to install the VC
Runtime, but typically what people do is bind their C++ statically to the
runtime so it doesn't need installing.

Phil Wilson

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