Building a Setup for a Windows Forms Application

This step by step article shows how to build a setup executable for a Windows Forms application using Visual Studio .NET.

This step by step tutorial guides you towards how to create a setp for a Windows Forms application using Visual Studio 2005.

 

Step 1: First of all, create a Windows Forms application. 

 

Step 2: Next add a setup project by clicking on File-> Add-> New Project.

By clicking here the window will open like this:

 

Figure 1:

Step 3: Select here Setup and Deployment in the left side bar in project types.



Figure 2:

Here we find three options as following:

1. Application Folder
2. User's Desktop
3. User's Program Menu

Step 4: These three options are the three places where we want to copy our setup fules during the installation process. From here we have to select one option. Suppose I select User's Desktop. Then Right click on User's Desktop option and select Add-> Project Output. The window will look like as.

Figure 3:

Step 5: After clicking on Project Output, a new window will open. Here we select first four options. Now click on OK.



Figure 4:

Step 6: After clicking on OK, Rebuild the Setup from Build option in Menu bar like as.



Figure 5:

Step 7: After this, let's test our setup by going right clicing on the setup project in Solution Explorer and click on Install menu item. 

 

Figure 6:

The setup process will start, which looks like this: 

Figure 7:

Step 8: After copmpleting the installation go on desktop there you will find all files you have included in the setup on the desktop.