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Downloading MDAC Only If Needed - IShield Express


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scottwb_98

scottwb_98
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Posted 06 May 2004 - 03:28

I have an application developed in VB 6.0 with a Microsoft Access database accessed with ADO via ODBC. I am currently using InstallShield Express to create a setup program for the application. I have tweaked what's included and the settings with ISX as much as possible and the smallest I can get the Setup.exe down to is 16.3 MB, which is really too big considering I am trying to get as many people to try out the program as possible.

My sense is the biggest thing InstallShield Express is including in the Setup is MDAC 2.7, which is needed to provide ODBC and ADO support on the destination machine.

I created an "Internet Setup" with the Package and Deployment wizard that comes with Visual Studio 6.0 and got a 5.75 MB CAB file. The Package & Deployment Wizard does seem to have the ability to download missing components like the Visual Basic Virtual Machine on the fly. I am not sure if it can download MDAC on the fly: it didn't look like it detected the need for MDAC when it built the setup. The 5.75 MB size is much more in the neighborhood of what I'm looking for. But I don't think I can use the Pack & Deploy wizard because: 1) it's not flexible enough to show a license agreement and set registry settings; 2) I don't think it can detect MDAC at all and 3) I need to provide an .EXE file to users, not a CAB file. I mention Pack and Deploy though because it shows that my setup could be under 10 megs under the right conditions.

What would be the best way for me to reduce my setup size so the download time won't be so daunting to potential users of the software? At $1,000, I can't really afford the new vBuild setup compression software from InstallShield... Plus, I'm not even sure that would get the download size below 10 MB. Seems like leaving out MDAC is the key. I would appreciate any suggestions.

Stefan Krueger

Stefan Krueger

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Posted 06 May 2004 - 05:44

Which Express version are you using?

What you want to do would be possible with the new InstallShield X, but not with the current version of Express. (I guess they will will be a new version of Express within a few months that may also be able to do this, but I don't know for sure, and I don't know whether you can wait that long.)

scottwb_98

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Posted 07 May 2004 - 20:59

Steve,
Thanks for your reply. I am currently using Installshield Express 4.0 SP 1. I am thinking about trying a freeware install program called Q-Setup from Pantaray.com. Q-Setup has the ability to create a split install with a small stub EXE the user downloads, and then they retrieve the rest after running the program. It doesn't have the ability to conditionally download resources like MDAC but I'm thinking maybe I can write a small app to do that...

Thanks again

Scott