A2003: Possible to create a downloadable EXE setup file?

[PW]

Hi,

I am using the Package Wizard that comes with Access 2003 Developer
Tools to distribute my application on a CD. It creates setup.exe
along with a couple other files and a folder. I'd like to be able to
put an EXE on our website that includes everything the setup program
needs so clients can download just one file. Believe it or not, many
of my clients are unfamiliar with something like WinZip and I have to
walk them through downloading it, installing it, and using it. If
there was one EXE file that would be fantastic!

Any ideas?

Thanks,

-paulw

[lyle fairfield]

I haven't done this myself but I believe that 7-Zip, a free utility
will
- compress all your files to one self-extracting exe file (I've done
this much)
- make use of a config.txt file to run an .exe or .cmd or .msi file
(this would be your setup file) when decompressing is complete. (This
involves using an sfx file; I haven't done this).

This may be a bit gnarly to get just right but it's free, super small
and super fast.

7-Zip is at www.7-Zip.org

On Dec 29, 1:27 pm, PW <paulremove_williamson...@removehotmail.com>
wrote:

[Tony Toews [MVP]]

PW <paulremove_w...@removehotmail.com> wrote:

Albert Kallal has suggested using Inno Setup in the past which is a free installer.
It works well.

Tony
--
Tony Toews, Microsoft Access MVP
Please respond only in the newsgroups so that others can
read the entire thread of messages.
Microsoft Access Links, Hints, Tips & Accounting Systems at
http://www.granite.ab.ca/accsmstr.htm
Tony's Microsoft Access Blog - http://msmvps.com/blogs/access/

[PW]

On Mon, 29 Dec 2008 20:17:33 GMT, "Tony Toews [MVP]"
<tto...@telusplanet.net> wrote:

>PW <paulremove_w...@removehotmail.com> wrote:
>
>>I am using the Package Wizard that comes with Access 2003 Developer
>>Tools to distribute my application on a CD. It creates setup.exe
>>along with a couple other files and a folder. I'd like to be able to
>>put an EXE on our website that includes everything the setup program
>>needs so clients can download just one file. Believe it or not, many
>>of my clients are unfamiliar with something like WinZip and I have to
>>walk them through downloading it, installing it, and using it. If
>>there was one EXE file that would be fantastic!
>
>Albert Kallal has suggested using Inno Setup in the past which is a free installer.
>It works well.
>
>Tony

That looks good Tony. But, I just had a Homer Simpson "Doh!" moment.
I just remembered that WinZip can create an EXE file. That may do
what I want.

Doh!

-paulw

[Albert D. Kallal]

Here is a sample inno script which "wraps" the package wizard install into a
single .exe

[Setup]
SourceDir=c:\RidesRunTime
AppName=Rides Runtime System
AppVerName= Rides 1.5
DefaultDirName=c:\RidesRunTime
Compression=lzma
SolidCompression=yes

DirExistsWarning=no
DisableDirPage=yes
DisableProgramGroupPage=yes
Uninstallable=no

[Files]
Source: "*"; DestDir: "{app}"
Source: "files\*"; DestDir: "{app}\files"
Source: "files\setup\*"; DestDir: "{app}\files\setup"
[Run]
FileName: {app}\setup.exe; Parameters: "/qb"

I as a rule highly recommend that you split your install into two packages.

One install is the application part, and the other install is the runtime.
That way, issuing updates is the SAME process as installing the front end
part. You can simply "send" users to the same web site over and over for
updates. In fact, I used use

application.FollowHyperlink "web site path name to .exe"
application.quit

Do the above means that I could update my software with 2 lines of code!!

(I don't use the above anymore..but, it great way to update your software).

By separating the installs, it is a "bit" more work for the end user, but
then for updates it is FAR easier (and, I issue frequent updates to my
software).

So, on your web site you just have:

step 1: install application click here

step 2: install runtime click here

You can put the whole thing into one install, but I recommend you don't.
Furthermore, if you setup an install for your application part in inno, you
avoid the problems of trying to update your software (the package wizard
really does not do this well at all). And, without the runtime, your updates
are VERY small indeed....usually less then a 10 second download on high
speed net.

I now use a custom ftp routine + an inno script for updates. here is a
series of screen shots in access as to how my customers now update their
software:

http://www.kallal.ca/ridestutorialp/upgrade.html

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

[Tony Toews [MVP]]

PW <paulremove_w...@removehotmail.com> wrote:

>That looks good Tony. But, I just had a Homer Simpson "Doh!" moment.
>I just remembered that WinZip can create an EXE file. That may do
>what I want.

Yes, that works however you can have troubles when you go to uninstall the Access
runtime. For some reason it looks to the original install place for files or
something wierd like that. I don't recall the details now but I decided that was too
bizarre of a problem for users to deal with.

[PW]

On Wed, 31 Dec 2008 20:50:24 GMT, "Tony Toews [MVP]"
<tto...@telusplanet.net> wrote:

>PW <paulremove_w...@removehotmail.com> wrote:
>
>>That looks good Tony. But, I just had a Homer Simpson "Doh!" moment.
>>I just remembered that WinZip can create an EXE file. That may do
>>what I want.
>
>Yes, that works however you can have troubles when you go to uninstall the Access
>runtime. For some reason it looks to the original install place for files or
>something wierd like that. I don't recall the details now but I decided that was too
>bizarre of a problem for users to deal with.
>
>Tony

Thanks for the heads up Tony! I presently have our software installed
in C:\Program Files\Lodge-ical (in XP, hardly seems to be the same
place more than once in Vista!). Hmmm.. what to d...?

Thanks again,

-paulw

[Tony Toews [MVP]]

PW <paulremove_w...@removehotmail.com> wrote:

>Thanks for the heads up Tony! I presently have our software installed
>in C:\Program Files\Lodge-ical (in XP, hardly seems to be the same
>place more than once in Vista!). Hmmm.. what to d...?

I now install the FE MDE and associated files in the users Application Data folder.
If it's a stand alone product then the backend and associated files is storied in My
Documents.

By using Program Files for the Access MDE/MDBs the user either has to run as
adminstrator, run your app as an administrator or grant permissions for the user to
update that particular folder in Program Files. I did not want to subject my users
to any of that.

Now the runtime can get installed where it wants to as that has to be installed by an
administrator anyhow.

[PW]

On Fri, 02 Jan 2009 04:28:31 GMT, "Tony Toews [MVP]"
<tto...@telusplanet.net> wrote:

>PW <paulremove_w...@removehotmail.com> wrote:
>
>>Thanks for the heads up Tony! I presently have our software installed
>>in C:\Program Files\Lodge-ical (in XP, hardly seems to be the same
>>place more than once in Vista!). Hmmm.. what to d...?
>
>I now install the FE MDE and associated files in the users Application Data folder.
>If it's a stand alone product then the backend and associated files is storied in My
>Documents.

Most of the time the data.mdb gets moved by the user out of the
installation folder and onto their server or another PC and I have a
utility to relink the tables. What do you mean by "user's application
data folder"

Thanks Tony!

-paul w

[Tony Toews [MVP]]

PW <paulremove_w...@removehotmail.com> wrote:

>>>Thanks for the heads up Tony! I presently have our software installed
>>>in C:\Program Files\Lodge-ical (in XP, hardly seems to be the same
>>>place more than once in Vista!). Hmmm.. what to d...?
>>
>>I now install the FE MDE and associated files in the users Application Data folder.
>>If it's a stand alone product then the backend and associated files is storied in My
>>Documents.
>
>Most of the time the data.mdb gets moved by the user out of the
>installation folder and onto their server or another PC

Exactly. I tell the users to grab the Granite Fleet Mgr folder out of their My
Documents and move it to the server. And then relink the tables.

>and I have a utility to relink the tables.

As do I. See http://www.granite.ab.ca/access/relinkingtables.htm although I now have
a Simple tab and a Network tab. What you see there would exist on the Network tab.

The Simple tab only shows the BE MDB's in the users Application Data folder\Granite
Fleet Mgr, which are only the demo MDB, and in the users My Documents\Granite Fleet
Mgr folder which is the data MDB.

>What do you mean by "user's application data folder"

There are a bunch of normall hidden folders that the user never sees with default
Windows Explorer settings. In my Win XP system they're
C:\Documents and Settings\ttoews\Application Data.
There is an API call with CSIDL parm to locate that folder name.

That's where the more static files which generally don't need to be backed up reside.
Excellent location for Access FEs, demo MDBs and other demo files.

If you want to see an example of such just download the Granite Fleet Manager setup
from my website. You can delete it when done with no ill effects on your system.
http://www.granitefleet.com/download.htm