I am developing a Desktop application which we install on client machines but it requires .NET framework 3.5, is there any process that does not require framework installation and lets the installer install the application?
+1
A:
If what you are asking is if the .NET framework is necessary for running .NET applications, then YES, yes it is.
If you are asking if can be installed with an MSI, then the answer is, no, not quite.
An MSI cannot include the .NET framework, but if you have a look at the following link: Setup.exe bootstrapper sample you will see the Microsoft workaround.
This shows how to create a setup.exe that will install the .NET framework if it is missing and then install your application.
David Hall
2010-01-08 13:09:23
I think MSI does not have a .NET dependency. MSI "runner" i.e. Windows Installer Update or whatever it is called comes as a part of Windows Update.
A9S6
2010-01-08 13:14:37
Yes - I think you are right, after rereading the references I was looking at, I think the key thing is that the .NET framework cannnot be shipped directly with an MSI, hence the need for the bootstrapper.
David Hall
2010-01-08 13:18:25
The boostrapper (Setup.exe) is a separate application that MS recommends to include when there is a chance that .NET might not be installed on target system. It contains the .NET version checking and downloading code. If a valid version is found, Setup.exe runs the MSI.
A9S6
2010-01-08 13:23:32
A:
.NET 3.5 has a client profile option - "Client-only Framework Subset" option in Project Properties >> Application tab. I am not very sure about this but it might be useful in reducing the size by downloading just the required files and not the whole runtime.
A9S6
2010-01-08 13:16:54