How to install vcredist_x86.exe during .NET deployment setup

Question

Hello everyone,

I'm trying to install the "VC++ Redistributable 9.0" during my deployment but it always failed. The problem is that this exe (vcredist_x86.exe) is also an installation process and windows does not support nested installation (or I don't know how to make it support it). I'm using a .NET setup project with C#. There is no programming. So far, I just put the .exe file in the Install custom action but when the installation runs, it fail telling me this:

There is a problem with this Windows Installer package. A program rus as part of the setup did not finish as expected.

My question is what can I do to make this work? I need this setup done ASAP or like Jack Bauer would say: NOW!!!

Thanks!

Answer 1

You need to add the redistributable as a pre-requisite to your setup project. This can be done under Project -> Properties... by clicking on the Pre-requisites button.

The list shown should normally include VC++ Redistributable 9.0.

When installing, it is important to choose the generated setup.exe file and not the .msi file. Setup.exe is a so-called bootstrapper that will - prior to executing the .msi - install all the pre-requisites.