How To Use AppSearch in .NET Deployment (307369)

SUMMARY

You can use AppSearch to search for files, registry keys, directories, or Microsoft Windows Installer components during the installation of your .msi package. If AppSearch finds the item that you are searching for, it returns the search results as a property. You can then evaluate this property in a condition, such as a launch condition.

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How to Use AppSearch

The following steps demonstrate how you can use AppSearch to locate a file during the installation of your .msi package.

1. In Solution Explorer, select your setup solution.For additional information on how to generate a setup solution for your application, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   307353 How To Create a Setup Package by Using Visual Studio. NET

2. In Solution Explorer, click Launch Conditions. Use the Launch Conditions Editor that appears to specify the conditions that are required for installation on a target computer.
3. In the Launch Conditions window, select the Search Target Machine node. On the Action menu, click Add File Search.
4. Select a file search under the Search Target Machine node. To view the Properties window for that file search, click Properties on the View menu (or press F4).
5. In this Properties window, change the AppSearch properties, such as the search file name to search for a specific file.
6. On the Build menu, click Build to build your deployment solution.

You can use the AppSearch property to set other property values through the use of a custom action or to determine launch conditions. For additional information, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: back to the top

REFERENCES

For more information on AppSearch, see the following Microsoft Web page: back to the top