ClickOnce publish needs front page extensions?

Question

I am trying to publish from a Windows XP machine (32 bit) to a Windows 2003 x64 Server.  I get the following error message:

Failed to connect to 'http://server/CSCWinClient/' with the following error: Unable to create the Web 'http://server/CSCWinClient/'.  The Web server does not appear to have the FrontPage server extensions installed.

Once I install front page extensions (and allow them) I get the following error:
Failed to connect to 'http://server/CSCWinClient/' with the following error: Unable to create the Web 'http://server/CSCWinClient/'.  The server sent a response which FrontPage could not parse.  If you are trying to connect to a Windows SharePoint Services server, check with the server's administrator to make sure Windows SharePoint Services is installed properly.

In addition I am unable to connect to the website on that sever.  If I remove the extensions I am then able to access the website again.

Anyone have any ideas?

Answer 1

Hi,

Try following method:

Run VS as an admin. To do this, you can right click on the shortcut to VS from the start menu and select Run as Administrator.

If you want to always run VS as admin, do the following:

• Go to devenv.exe in the C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 8\Common7\IDE directory.
• Right click and go to properties.
• Select the Compatibility tab.
• Check the box at the bottom that says Run this program as an administrator (see below).

The new security protections of UAC are there for a reason. You could just turn it off and you wouldn't have problems like this in the first place. I'd encourage you not to do that. Use it as a tool to teach you how to get your work done without admin privilege to the extent possible. So in this case I prefer to only run VS as an admin when I need to by doing the right click - Run as Administrator option instead of always enabling it, but you will have to make these productivity vs security decisions for yourself.
http://www.softinsight.com/bnoyes/PermaLink.aspx?guid=435524e7-340c-4b4b-933d-a1c38d27e8ea

 

Hope it helps

 

With Regards

 

Answer 2

I am unable to try this out since our company does not let individual users have the admin passwords for their machines.  We are however in the administrator role for our machines.

I would like to point out that we were able to successfully publish from a 32 bit XP machine to a 32 bit 2003 server.  So I really don't think running VS on the XP machine as administrator will help.

Any other suggestions?

Answer 3

This is a fresh install, so if there's anything you want me to try (including a re-install) I'll do it.

Answer 4

Ken,

I'm having very close to the same problem.  The differences is :  I'm running x64 Vista Enterprise as a System

and Domain Admin.  I am also trying to publish to a newly installed x64 Windows 2003 Application Server.  I have found references to a requirement that x86 Emulation needs to be enabled on the IIS Server in order for the x64 Front Page extinsions to operate properly, so I think your issue is not so much a matter of permissions, but one of server configuration.  I've still not found a solution to my problem, but I'm going to uninstall the server extensions and try again.  Since your post is rather old, I'm hoping you found a solution.  If so, please share !

 

Answer 5

I am also running into this issue.  Anybody come across a resolution yet?  I have not got too much hair left to lose!!

 

~Koding

 

Answer 6

I run VS as administrator but I have same problem. How to solve ?

P. S. With ClickOnce I have more problems than benefits...

Answer 7

You can't do a publish with HTTP to a Windows Server unless they have installed the Front Page Extensions.

Here are ways to fix this problem.

1) Install the Front Page extensions on the server.

2) Publish your application using FTP instead of HTTP. So they set up a folder and give you an ftp path and then give you a URL that points to that folder. You set the "publish file location" to something like FTP://myserver/somefolder/myappfolder/  and set the "installation url" to something like http://mycompanyname/myappfolder/ (whatever they give you).

3) Publish your application to disk, with the "installation url" set to whatever it's going to be. Zip it up and send it to the server support dudes and ask them to put it in place exactly as it's supposed to be.

Note: these are in ascending order of difficulty.

Good luck!

RobinS.
GoldMail.com

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Ts'i mahnu uterna ot twan ot geifur hingts uto.

Answer 8

Hi, RobinDotNet,
Thanks for the helpful suggestions as I am in a situation where I wish to publish to a server on which Frontpage Extensions cannot be mounted.
I am trying to use your proposed solution 3 - Publish to CD etc and have succeeded in creating the files in a local directory. My problem is I don't know which files to place where in my remote server.

In the local folder I have a sub-folder
Application Files. This contains
         2 files
               setup.exe (Application)
               MYApp.application (Application Manifest) and
and a sub-folder
               MyApp_1_0_0_0
with 4 files
                                    ProjectName.exe.deploy (DEPLOY file)
                                    MyApp.application (Application Manifest)
                                    MyApp.exe.deploy (DEPLOY File)
                                    MYApp.exe.manifest (MANIFEST File)

On the server I have created a folder (MyAppFolder) which I named in the Publish process in Visual Studio Express.


What files do I place where? Sorry if this seems a basic question but I am a self learning amateur.

Thanks MattG

Answer 9

Hi MattG,

The local directory mimics the structure you will use when you put the deployment on your web server. It has setup.exe, yourapp.application, and if you create it, publish.htm. It also has a folder called Application Files with the subfolder that is versioned. This is just what you've mentioned above.

When you move it out to the server, you should put the files in the MyAppFolder just as they are structured.

So in the top level goes the setup.exe and the .application file (this is called the deployment manifest). The Application Files folder also goes in MyAppFolder, which the files below it in the same structure, i.e. MyApp_1_0_0_0 with the deployment files in it.

Then your installation URL needs to be http://yourserver.com/MyAppFolder/
And the installation URL for the user would be http://yourserver.com/MyAppFolder/setup.exe

When you publish subsequent versions, you will replace the files in the top folder with the new versions, and add the new version under the Application Files folder (MyApp_a_b_c_d, where a_b_c_d is the version).

So over time, you will end up with as many versions as you want to retain in a bunch of folders under Application Files. So here's your structure:

MyAppFolder
    MyApp.application
    setup.exe
    Application Files
        MyApp_1_0_0_0
            (your deployment files here for version 1.0.0.0)
        MyApp_1_1_0_0
            (your deployment files here for version 1.1.0.0)
        MyApp_1_2_0_0
            (your deployment files here for version 1.2.0.0)


RobinDotNet

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Click here to visit my ClickOnce blog!
Microsoft MVP, Client App Dev

Answer 10

Thanks for the prompt reply RobinDotNet.

Just thought I should mention that the server on which I want to host the app is a linux server.

While waiting I did what I thought was the logical thing and placed the structure generated by the Publish to CD routine in my online folder. I did this using a binary FTP transfer.

I have noticed the versions accumulating as you described.

I have an issue. When I run the setup.exe file from the web page it is generating an error, the gist of which is that the installer is trying to download the application file from the local machine (C:/etc) and not from the server.

I do not seem to be able to tell the installer (via the Pub;ish routine) to go look in the server.

The setup.exe runs and installs the application from my local drive if I run it from the local directory so the potential is ther for it to work. I just need to be able to change the source directive.

I have inspected most of the files to see if I could edit the path but have not been able to locate this.

I  seem to have tried every permutation in the Publisher to get the path recognised but to no avail.

regards MattG

Answer 11

Then your installation URL needs to be http://yourserver.com/MyAppFolder/
And the installation URL for the user would be http://yourserver.com/MyAppFolder/setup.exe
           

RobinDotNet,

Just a bit more on the error situation.

There are 2 paths I can enter in the Publish forms.
- Publishing Folder Location - can be file path or URL or FTP - I enter path to local publishing folder here.
- Installation URL - I enter URL of website where user would go to get app.

I then FTP the contents of my local publishing folder to my server location. Can see the structure got there.

When I enter the instalation URL in the browser I get a "Save the setup.exe" form and I save the setup.exe to a folder (say C:\Download) in my PC.

When I run the saved setup.exe from the Download folder I get an error
Cannot Start Application
 "Cannot download files, application is missing required files etc".

If I examine the error log there are errors relating to a failure to download files from C:\Download. Of course there are no files in Download other than the setup.exe I just put there! I am somehow failing to inform the setup.exe the path to the files it needs.

regards MattG

Answer 12

Hi MattG,

So you have the publishing location set to some local folder -- is it C:\Download or something else? Is this the same folder where you save the setup.exe on the client machine? If so, I'd make them different so you can figure out if it's something about the local machine or the deployment information.

It does sound like you have the links set up correctly:

Publishing file location -- c:\somefolder\
Installation url -- http://www.myserver.com/myappfolder/

If you're not actually writing to a CD, then just publish it to a file location instead of selecting "write to a CD".

Also, if you just ask to run the setup.exe, does the installation work?

Also, does the installation work if you try triggering the deployment manifest instead of setup.exe (assuming the client machine has the prerequisites installed), does it work?  Just put the URL in IE and try it out; http://www.myserver.com/myappfolder/myapp.application

RobinDotNet

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Click here to visit my ClickOnce blog!
Microsoft MVP, Client App Dev

Answer 13

RobinDotNet,
If I run the setup.exe from the local machine folder, to which I had published, the app installs and runs without error.

If I click the same setup.exe file name in my browser it gives me only a save option, no possibility to run.

If I save it in local machine it then gives me the errors I have been describing.

Triggering the deployment manifest just takes me to a choice of "Open with" or Save. If I save it it does not run, just gives me the Windows cannot open this file....

regards MattG

Answer 14

Hi MattG,

Of course it's going to work if you run it from the folder where you published it. But you've set the installation URL to be a webserver, so it makes sense that it doesn't work right the way you're testing it. It's apples and oranges.

Can you deploy the files to the web server and THEN try it?

OR can you install IIS on your client machine and deploy to there and test it?

http://robindotnet.wordpress.com/2009/07/20/local-deployment-of-a-clickonce-application/

RobinDotNet

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Click here to visit my ClickOnce blog!
Microsoft MVP, Client App Dev

Answer 15

Hello again RobinDot Net,

Among the tests I have done is one where I try to run the setup.exe from the website.
I have been placing the files on the hosting company Apache web server using FTP and trying clicking the setup.exe in the browser and all I get is the "Do you want to save this file" message. It does not offer me the possibility to run the setup.exe. Why no chance to run the setup.exe there? Is because it is not IIS? I thought from what I have read that Clickonce would let me deploy to any server, just not so slickly if it lacked Frontpage Extensions.

As for installing IIS on the client machine I don't know. It's the webhosting company's server. They offered to transfer me to a Windows server but I would then be down the path of learning a new set of site management and development tools - plesk control panel etc.
I have more than one account on their servers and would rather not mix the server types.

MattG

Answer 16

Hi MattG,

You should definitely be able to use an Apache webserver. You should also be able to publish using http -- the Front Page Server Extensions are only required when you are publishing to a Windows Server. The server people have to actually give you the right permissions to do this, and I have found most of them are okay with FTP but not so much with HTTP.

I also wonder why you're not publishing directly to the server with FTP if you can FTP the files separately? Any particular reason for that? You can put ftp://www.myserver.com/MyAppFolder/  in the publishing file location and VS will FTP the files.  (This is irrelevant to your problem, I'm just letting you know because it makes it easier to publish your deployment.)

How are you running setup.exe from the website? Are you putting the installation url in the browser and appending "setup.exe" to it? Have you considered actually including the publish.htm page so you can bring that up and make sure the server addressing is working as expected? You can do this by going to the Publish tab and selecting Options. Under the Deployment options, you can put in publish.htm as the deployment web page, then check on "automatically generate deployment web page after publish". (If you click "open deployment web page after publish", it will open the publish page for you after it finishes publishing -- you might want to use this if you're pushing directly to the server, because it's a nice signal that the publish action has finished.

What version of what browser are you using?

Also, do they have the MIME types set up that you need in order to host a ClickOnce deployment ? This is probably part of your problem, if not all of it. Here they are:

.application  --> application/x-ms-application=
.manifest  --> application/x-ms-application
.deploy   --> application/octet stream

If you are deploying .Net 3.5 as a prerequisite, you need these as well:

.msp --> application/microsoftpatch
.msu --> application/microsoftupdate

If you have vsto apps, you need this one:

.vsto --> application/x-ms-vsto

RobinDotNet

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Click here to visit my ClickOnce blog!
Microsoft MVP, Client App Dev

Answer 17

Hi RobinDotNet

A sort of breakthrough - my default browser is Firefox. I tried the test using IE and it worked if not smoothly.

On clicking the setup.exe I got the Opportunity to Run the file. On doing so I get a similar result as when using Firefox - the "can't download the files" message.

I tried clicking the application file and was allowed to Run it. This time I got the same "Can't download the files message" and error report BUT the process seemed to complete and the application installed and ran fine.

Subsequent repeats of clicking the application file result in the application installing with no error messages. I guess I will have to find where the files have been placed and delete them to try a fresh test. I am so far unable to repeat the click-on-application test without it installing without error. Some progress at last!

MattG

Answer 18

Ok, that helps.

Firefox doesn't allow you to run the setup.exe "out of the box". You HAVE to save it and then double-click on it. It usually shows the files you've downloaded, and you can select it from there. But that might be a FF option; I don't know because I usually use IE.

.NET 3.5 SP-1 had an add-in that it installed in FF, but it probably only gets installed if you have FF already installed when you installed the framework. Firefox is supposed to handle ClickOnce, but I still have problems with it here and there. It's *so* dependent on what version of Firefox and .NET you have installed on the machine. You might do a *bing* search on "firefox clickonce add-on" -- someone's written one, and it will probably help. It was the only way you could get ClickOnce to work back when FF1.5 and even FF2 were the primary version(s) used.

Having said that, if FF is your default browser, and you use IE to install it, that's fine, but next time it tries to pick up updates, it will use your default browser to invoke the deployment manifest (myapp.application), and you may have issues again.

Did you ask the server people about the MIME types? If they aren't set up properly, you are spinning your wheels.

RobinDotNet

---

Click here to visit my ClickOnce blog!
Microsoft MVP, Client App Dev

Answer 19

Hi MattG,

You should definitely be able to use an Apache webserver. You should also be able to publish using http -- the Front Page Server Extensions are only required when you are publishing to a Windows Server. The server people have to actually give you the right permissions to do this, and I have found most of them are okay with FTP but not so much with HTTP.

I also wonder why you're not publishing directly to the server with FTP if you can FTP the files separately? Any particular reason for that? You can put ftp://www.myserver.com/MyAppFolder/   in the publishing file location and VS will FTP the files.  (This is irrelevant to your problem, I'm just letting you know because it makes it easier to publish your deployment.)

How are you running setup.exe from the website? Are you putting the installation url in the browser and appending "setup.exe" to it? Have you considered actually including the publish.htm page so you can bring that up and make sure the server addressing is working as expected? You can do this by going to the Publish tab and selecting Options. Under the Deployment options, you can put in publish.htm as the deployment web page, then check on "automatically generate deployment web page after publish". (If you click "open deployment web page after publish", it will open the publish page for you after it finishes publishing -- you might want to use this if you're pushing directly to the server, because it's a nice signal that the publish action has finished. 

Answer: I click on the setup.exe or app.application link in the directory view in browser. I have created the publish.htm successfully a few times but have not been including it normally.

What version of what browser are you using? 

Answer: Firefox 3.5.7 as default, I have IE 7 which has been giving better results.

Also I have tried other folks ClickOnce deployments via Firefox and they installed without any issues. Suggests to me the issues are on the server side.

Also, do they have the MIME types set up that you need in order to host a ClickOnce deployment ? This is probably part of your problem, if not all of it. Here they are:

Answer: I have access to creating MIME types and based on what I found in"Server and Client Issues in ClickOnce Deployments" I created different ones from your suggested list.

.application  --> application/x-ms-application=  (my version   application/x-ms-application)
.manifest  --> application/x-ms-application       (my version   application/x-ms-manifest)
.deploy   --> application/octet stream               (my version is same)

If you are deploying .Net 3.5 as a prerequisite, you need these as well:

.msp --> application/microsoftpatch
.msu --> application/microsoftupdate

If you have vsto apps, you need this one:

.vsto --> application/x-ms-vsto

RobinDotNet

---

Click here to visit my ClickOnce blog!
Microsoft MVP, Client App Dev

Hi RobinDotNet

Please see my markup within the quote. Thanks for tips about ftp publish. Will try this once I have beaten the deployment issue.
As you can see it is looking more like a server issue than client issue. I am able to install other folk's ClickOnce Applications via Firefox. (I have the controversial Microsoft .NET Framework Assistant Add-on, no specific Firefox ClickOnce Add-on).

Regarding the 2 differences in the MIME type entries. Should I change them to yours? Is the "=" at the end of the .application MIME expression  significant?

I will try your MIME types anyway and see how it goes. Thanks for all the input so far.

MattG

Ref: Server and Client Configuration Issues.....    http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms228998.aspx

Answer 20

Hello again RobinDotNet,

I tried the publish routine using your ftp transfer suggestion and , using the MIME settings

.application  --> application/x-ms-application
.manifest  --> application/x-ms-manifest      
.deploy   --> application/octet stream  

The transfer was smooth and putting the app.application file in the url it installed from Firefox. - Result!

Only difference I see from yesterday is the ftp publish method which really should not have solved the problem.

I am wondering if my MIME type changes took some time to be implemented on the server. Maybe its a batch job or part of some chrono job.

Thanks very much for the guidance. MattG

Answer 21

You're welcome.

FYI, all of the reference material I have says the manifest MIME type needs to be application/x-ms-application. If you set it [correctly], does everything work okay?

The FTP Publish method -- maybe it's just putting the files in differently, or maybe it did take some time for the MIME types to be implemented. Either way, glad it worked for you.

Another issue you need to be aware of with apache servers is that some providers cache the files. So some people doing ClickOnce find that they push an update, they can see the update, but the user doesn't get the update. Just mentioning it in case it pops up in the future for you.

RobinDotNet

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Click here to visit my ClickOnce blog!
Microsoft MVP, Client App Dev

Answer 22

I've been searching a long time for just this info.  The MSDN Library acknowledges this two step publish then deploy process, but I could not find anything that spelled out the deploy steps as you have.  Thanks!