PRB: Visual Studio Setup program may include Office OLB files in setup list (249843)

SYMPTOMS

You can run Setup Wizard in Microsoft Visual Studio .NET, or you can run Package and Deployment Wizard in Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0 to create a setup package for an application that automates Microsoft Office. When you do this, you may notice that one or more of the following files may be added to your Setup program:

   Excel8.olb    Msacc8.olb    Mso9.dll       Msoutl9.olb    Msword9.olb
   Excel9.olb    Msacc9.olb    Mso97.dll      Msppt8.olb     Xl5en32.olb
   Graph8.olb    Msbdr8.olb    Msoutl8.olb    Msppt9.olb
   Graph9.olb    Msbdr9.olb    Msoutl85.olb   Msword8.olb
   Msacc.olb     Graph.olb     Mso.dll        Msppt.olb      Msword.olb
   Excel.exe     Msoutl.olb    Fm20.dll       Vbe6ext.olb

Visual Studio .NET may add these files to your setup package if you have a reference set to them in the current project. However, these files are not redistributable and must not be deployed to a system that already has Microsoft Office 97, Office 2000, Office XP, or Office 2003 installed.

MORE INFORMATION

Applications that automate Microsoft Office do not need to redistribute any of the files listed in the previous section.

Visual Studio .NET developers who are building a Setup package for an application or for a component that automates Office must be aware of the following items:

The Package and Deployment Wizard does not recognize the *.olb file extension as a type library and incorrectly assumes it to be a binary executable. However, an .olb file (like a TLB) contains type information only. It is used to provide binding information to Visual Basic at compile time and does not need to be redistributed. The implementation of the type information (that is, the code) is in the Office executable itself.
The type library for the Microsoft Office Object library is stored inside Mso.dll (or Mso9.dll, or Mso97.dll), which the wizard recognizes as a valid dependency. However, the MSO library is not redistributable, and should not be included in your setup. The correct version of the library (including any service packs) has already been installed on the client system by Office setup. Clients are discouraged from installing another copy, which can inadvertently effect Office functionality.

These files must be excluded from your setup package. The client system is supposed to already have the correct files when Office is installed.