Installing DirectX with application MSI - VS2008

Question

The application supports Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7 but need DirectX libraries in order to work properly. I have the DirectX 9.0C Redistributable package and want to include it in my MSI installer created with a Visual Studio 2008 setup project.

Two pronged question: How do I include the DirectX 9.0C package wiht my MSI? Will the DirectX 9.0C package ignore Vista and Windows 7 automatically?

Answer 1

Do not include it in your msi package but execute it as a custom action or before the installation starts. Installing it in Vista or Win7 won't cause any issues.

Answer 2

Generally, unless you are distributing your app using DVD/CD to people that may not have the runtime, distribute your app with the Web installer executed as custom action that will search for the more updated version of D3DX