Deploying Office Solutions to End User Computers

Question

 

You can deploy Office solutions developed with Visual Studio Tools for Office in several ways. In this thread, find conceptual information to help you decide how to deploy your Office solutions and sample code that explains the steps.

The methods available to you depend on the versions of Visual Studio, Microsoft Office, and the .NET Framework that you are using. This post has information about deploying with Windows Installer (MSI) and ClickOnce. In addition, there is troubleshooting information about deploying the Office primary interop assemblies (PIAs).

 

=====================================================================================

 

Applicable  versions 

VSTO runtime	Visual Studio	Office	.NET Framework
VSTO 2010	Visual Studio 2010	2007	4
VSTO 2010	Visual Studio 2010	2010	4

ClickOnce: Use this method to create and install self-updating applications.

• Deploying multiple solutions in a single ClickOnce installer: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd465290.aspx

Windows Installer: Use this method to create additional registry keys and brand your installer.

• MSI deployment whitepaper: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/vsto/ff937654.aspx
• MSI deployment samples: http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/VSTO2010MSI
• Deploying to all users: http://blogs.msdn.com/vsto/archive/2010/03/08/deploying-your-vsto-add-ins-to-all-users-saurabh-bhatia.aspx
• Skipping the inclusion list, which is no longer required for Office solutions deployed with Windows Installer and .NET Framework 4: http://blogs.msdn.com/vsto/archive/2010/03/10/changes-in-the-security-model-for-office-solutions.aspx and http://blogs.msdn.com/vsto/archive/2010/04/23/why-should-i-upgrade-from-net-framework-3-5-to-net-framework-4.aspx.
• Registering add-ins on 64-bit: http://blogs.msdn.com/vsto/archive/2010/04/09/deploying-com-add-ins-for-64-bit-office-using-visual-studio-saaid-khan-for-nathan-halstead.aspx
• Not excluding the Utilities assemblies: http://blogs.msdn.com/vsto/archive/2010/05/05/deploying-the-utilities-assemblies-by-using-windows-installer.aspx

Office Primary Interop Assemblies

• The PIAs are no longer required for Office solutions that target .NET FX 4: http://blogs.msdn.com/mshneer/archive/2010/01/29/nopia-blog-posts.aspx

 

MSDN Library

• Securing Office Solutions
• Deploying Office Solutions

 

=====================================================================================

 

 

Applicable  versions 

VSTO runtime	Visual Studio	Office	.NET Framework
VSTO 2010	Visual Studio 2010	2007	3.5 SP1
VSTO 2010	Visual Studio 2010	2010	3.5 SP1

ClickOnce: Use this method to create and install self-updating applications.

• Deploying multiple solutions in a single ClickOnce installer: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff382205.aspx
• Performing additional actions after a ClickOnce installation: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd465291.aspx

Windows Installer: Use this method to create additional registry keys and brand your installer.

• Deploying to all users: http://blogs.msdn.com/vsto/archive/2010/03/08/deploying-your-vsto-add-ins-to-all-users-saurabh-bhatia.aspx

Office Primary Interop Assemblies

• The Microsoft Office 2007 PIAs are included with Visual Studio 2010.
• The Microsoft Office 2010 PIAs are not yet available.

MSDN Library

• Securing Office Solutions
• Deploying Office Solutions

 

 

=====================================================================================

 

 

Applicable  versions 

VSTO runtime	Visual Studio	Office	.NET Framework
VSTO 3.0	Visual Studio 2008	2007	3.5
VSTO 3.0 SP1	Visual Studio 2008 SP1	2007	3.5 SP1

ClickOnce: Use this method to create and install self-updating applications.

• To deploy your solution with ClickOnce, see Deploying Solutions for 2007 Office System with ClickOnce Using Visual Studio Tools for the Office System (3.0).
• To deploy to all users for Office 2007 and ClickOnce, see http://blogs.msdn.com/mshneer/archive/2008/04/24/deploying-your-vsto-add-in-to-all-users-part-iii.aspx demonstrates how.
• To deploy your Office solution to a SharePoint site, see How to: Deploy a Document-Level Office Solution to a SharePoint Server (2007 System).
• To deploy Office template solutions, see How to: Deploy Template Solutions That Run Code on a Network (2007 System).

Windows Installer: Use this method to create additional registry keys and brand your installer.

• For an overview about deploying Office 2007 solutions with a Setup project, see Deploying an Office Solution by Using Windows Installer (2007 System).

• To configure the development computer for deploying Office 2007 solutions, see Deploying a Visual Studio Tools for the Office System 3.0 Solution for the 2007 Microsoft Office System Using Windows Installer (Part 1 of 2). This includes prerequisites to include in your Setup project.
• To see examples on how to deploy Office 2007 solutions with a Setup project, Deploying a Visual Studio Tools for the Office System 3.0 Solution for the 2007 Microsoft Office System Using Windows Installer (Part 2 of 2) provides  and how to combine ClickOnce and Windows Installer.
• Download code samples for the Setup projects from http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/VSTO3MSI.

Office Primary Interop Assemblies

• For Visual Studio 2008 SP1 developers, the Office 2007 PIAs are included with Visual Studio 2008 SP1.

• For Visual Studio 2005 and 2008 developers, you can add the Office PIAs to your ClickOnce installer or Setup project. For more information, see http://blogs.msdn.com/vsto/archive/2008/05/08/adding-the-office-primary-interop-assemblies-as-a-prerequisite-in-your-clickonce-installer-mary-lee.aspx

• For troubleshooting PIA deployment problems, see http://blogs.msdn.com/vsto/archive/2008/05/20/common-pitfalls-during-pia-deployment-and-installation.aspx

 

MSDN Library

• Security in Office Solutions (VS2008)
• Deploying Office Solutions (VS2008)

 

 

=====================================================================================

 

 

Applicable  versions 

VSTO runtime	Visual Studio	Office	.NET Framework
VSTO 2005 SE	Visual Studio 2005	2003	2.0
VSTO 2005 SE	Visual Studio 2005	2007	2.0
VSTO 2005 SE	Visual Studio 2008	2003	2.0, 3.5
VSTO 2005 SE	Visual Studio 2010	2010 32-bit only	2.0, 3.5, 4

Windows Installer: Use this method to create additional registry keys and brand your installer.

• To configure the development computer for deployment, see Deploying Visual Studio 2005 Tools for Office Second Edition Solutions Using Windows Installer (Part 1 of 2). This includes downloading prerequisites to include in your Setup project.
• To see examples on how to configure a Setup project, Deploying Visual Studio 2005 Tools for Office Second Edition Solutions Using Windows Installer: Walkthroughs (Part 2 of 2).
• To deploy to All Users with VSTO 2005 SE, see http://blogs.msdn.com/mshneer/archive/2007/09/04/deploying-your-vsto-add-in-to-all-users-part-i.aspx and http://blogs.msdn.com/mshneer/archive/2007/09/05/deploying-your-vsto-add-in-to-all-users-part-ii.aspx.
• Download code samples for the Setup projects from http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/VSTO2005SEMSI.

Office Primary Interop Assemblies

• For Visual Studio 2005 and 2008 developers, you can add the Office PIAs to your ClickOnce installer or Setup project. For more information, see http://blogs.msdn.com/vsto/archive/2008/05/08/adding-the-office-primary-interop-assemblies-as-a-prerequisite-in-your-clickonce-installer-mary-lee.aspx
• For troubleshooting PIA deployment problems, see http://blogs.msdn.com/vsto/archive/2008/05/20/common-pitfalls-during-pia-deployment-and-installation.aspx

 

MSDN Library

• Security in Office Solutions (2003 System)
• Deploying Office Solutions (2003 System)

 

 

=====================================================================================

 

Blogs from the VSTO team

• Office Development with Visual Studio
• Misha Shneerson
• Hamed Ahmadi

Answer 1

Hi Mary R Lee

Your article is very help for me.

with regards

Kishore G

Answer 2

There is also a way of hosting a ClickOnce Installer On GitHub.

Answer 3

I assume this does not help for current versions of VS.

---

Sam Hobbs
SimpleSamples.Info