Automate MSDE can it be done,

hey, well just like the subject says, is there a way to automate MSDE, maybe
a script,... because MSDE is going to be distributed along with my software,
and if the client does not have MSDE installed, i would like to have a script
that automatically sets up MSDE... either before or after doesn't matter but
CAN this be done?
regards, Matt... thanks ahead for any help.
Are you using VS.NET? Have you checked out the MSDE Deployment Toolkit?
I've heard mixed reviews on it and have not tried it myself but that is one
option. It seems to be a bit buggy and AFAIK has not yet had a final
release. Check out The MSDE Deployment Toolkit (RC) in Action for more
information:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/de.../msdedepl.asp.
I've seen recommendations for dotNetInstaller - Setup Bootstrapper for .NET
Application (http://www.devage.com/dotNetInstalle...Installer.html).
This seems like a better, more robust option. Looks like you should be able
to have it install MSDE if not present on the destination machine, and then
run a .SQL file to do the needed setup.
Terri Morton
MVP - ASP/ASP.NET
"Matt" <matt_brunet@.hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:18D31209-33D8-44BC-A1DE-A7816318226C@.microsoft.com...
> hey, well just like the subject says, is there a way to automate MSDE,
> maybe
> a script,... because MSDE is going to be distributed along with my
> software,
> and if the client does not have MSDE installed, i would like to have a
> script
> that automatically sets up MSDE... either before or after doesn't matter
> but
> CAN this be done?
> regards, Matt... thanks ahead for any help.
|||Hi Matt -
This may not be the officially recommended approach, but I've (so far) had
success with NOT embedding MSDE setup in my app installation. Instead, when
my app is run, I check to see what's installed. If MSDE is not installed, I
run the MSDE setup from my VB.NET app.
Note that I distribute the MSDE files with my install and simply copy them
to a specified directory. But I don't run setup until my app is running.
- Jeff
"Matt" <matt_brunet@.hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:18D31209-33D8-44BC-A1DE-A7816318226C@.microsoft.com...
> hey, well just like the subject says, is there a way to automate MSDE,
maybe
> a script,... because MSDE is going to be distributed along with my
software,
> and if the client does not have MSDE installed, i would like to have a
script
> that automatically sets up MSDE... either before or after doesn't matter
but
> CAN this be done?
> regards, Matt... thanks ahead for any help.