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walkthrough-creating-a-custom-installer-for-a-clickonce-application.md

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title Create custom installer for ClickOnce application
description Explore the process for a custom installer to silently install and update a ClickOnce application based on an .exe file.
ms.date 11/04/2016
ms.topic how-to
dev_langs
VB
CSharp
C++
helpviewer_keywords
ClickOnce deployment, custom installer
installer [ClickOnce], custom
deploying applications [ClickOnce], custom installer
InPlaceHostingManager [ClickOnce], custom installer
custom installer [ClickOnce]
author mikejo5000
ms.author mikejo
ms.subservice deployment

Walkthrough: Create a custom installer for a ClickOnce application

Any ClickOnce application based on an .exe file can be silently installed and updated by a custom installer. A custom installer can implement custom user experience during installation, including custom dialog boxes for security and maintenance operations. To perform installation operations, the custom installer uses the xref:System.Deployment.Application.InPlaceHostingManager class. This walkthrough demonstrates how to create a custom installer that silently installs a ClickOnce application.

[!INCLUDEndptecclick]

Prerequisites

To create a custom ClickOnce application installer

  1. In your ClickOnce application, add references to System.Deployment and System.Windows.Forms.

  2. Add a new class to your application and specify any name. This walkthrough uses the name MyInstaller.

  3. Add the following Imports or using directives to the top of your new class.

    C#

    using System.Deployment.Application;
using System.Windows.Forms;

    VB

    Imports System.Deployment.Application
Imports System.Windows.Forms

  4. Add the following methods to your class.

    These methods call xref:System.Deployment.Application.InPlaceHostingManager methods to download the deployment manifest, assert appropriate permissions, ask the user for permission to install, and then download and install the application into the ClickOnce cache. A custom installer can specify that a ClickOnce application is pre-trusted, or can defer the trust decision to the xref:System.Deployment.Application.InPlaceHostingManager.AssertApplicationRequirements%2A method call. This code pre-trusts the application.

    [!NOTE] Permissions assigned by pre-trusting cannot exceed the permissions of the custom installer code.

    C#

    :::code language="csharp" source="../snippets/csharp/VS_Snippets_Winforms/System.Deployment.Application.InPlaceHostingManager/CS/Form1.cs" id="Snippet1":::

    VB

    :::code language="vb" source="../snippets/visualbasic/VS_Snippets_Winforms/System.Deployment.Application.InPlaceHostingManager/VB/Form1.vb" id="Snippet1":::

  5. To attempt installation from your code, call the InstallApplication method. For example, if you named your class MyInstaller, you might call InstallApplication in the following way.

    C#

    MyInstaller installer = new MyInstaller();
installer.InstallApplication(@"\\myServer\myShare\myApp.application");
MessageBox.Show("Installer object created.");

    VB

    Dim installer As New MyInstaller()
installer.InstallApplication("\\myServer\myShare\myApp.application")
MessageBox.Show("Installer object created.")

Next steps

A ClickOnce application can also add custom update logic, including a custom user interface to show during the update process. For more information, see xref:System.Deployment.Application.UpdateCheckInfo. A ClickOnce application can also suppress the standard Start menu entry, shortcut, and Add or Remove Programs entry by using a <customUX> element. For more information, see <entryPoint> element and xref:System.Deployment.Application.DownloadApplicationCompletedEventArgs.ShortcutAppId%2A.

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