Paulhatzar
03-10-2002, 08:18 AM
Hi there
Simple question; is it possible to have my application running straight from the CD rather than install it on the host computer?
Some programs we use in school require you to install an icon on the desk top. Is this the point where the relevant files the program needs are loaded and can I do this? Ideally I don't want to actually install anything in order to save my technician time. We don't have a server so she would have to load the application 53 times!
Thanks Paul
ChiefRedBull
03-10-2002, 08:31 AM
For a VB program to run, the VB runtime files (eg: MSVBVM60.DLL and a few others) must be installed and registered on the target computer.
If you run the Package and Deploy wizard, you can create a dependancy file that will tell you which files are necessary to run your program. It will also create a nice install for you that will only take a minute to run and install your program automatically on the target computer.
If the runtimes are installed on the machine - your program will run straight from the CD no problems at all.
I too want to run an application straight from a cd-rom. I've done it many times using VB3. The dependency file lists the following in addition to the application itself. Would it not work if I just put these files on the cd-rom?
Uses1=MSVBVM60.DLL
Uses2=OLEAUT32.DLL
Uses3=OLEPRO32.DLL
Uses4=ASYCFILT.DLL
Uses5=STDOLE2.TLB
Uses6=COMCAT.DLL
reboot
08-01-2002, 08:56 AM
It might, then again, it might not. VB wasn't intended to be used like this.
Nymble
08-01-2002, 09:20 AM
as i know vb check the current directory and the system system32..... directory
you can try it, you have nothing to loose anyway but i know it work for missing dll or ocx file that are suppose to be in the system32 directory.....
but that must probably depend on the OS...
Mikecrosoft
08-01-2002, 10:03 AM
I use the Fusion BitArts software to put all libraries that my program needs to run into the same exe file, I want currently the Demo version 3 of this program, but you can pay $199 to get the full version.
Flyguy
08-02-2002, 01:43 AM
I have used Fusion (http://www.bit-arts.com/fusion.html) from BitArts a lot and I think it's quite usefull to have programs running straight from CD.
BillSoo
08-02-2002, 02:23 AM
I've run simple VB programs straight from CD. By simple, I mean, NO extra OCXs, No ActiveX DLLs, No DB stuff. Just make it as simple as you can.
reboot
08-02-2002, 08:38 AM
I've done that also. Just included the vb runtime on the cd. Most of the time it works ok, however, I've had it fail to run, usually on older OSes. oleaut32 generally being the culprit. Because of this, on the rare occasions we need something that runs straight from a cd, we just use c to make it.
How can you test if your program will run direct from a CD-Rom? The computer you try it on may well already have the files installed from another application.
BillSoo
08-02-2002, 11:17 AM
The computer you try it on should have a clean install on it. We use "Ghost" type HD Image software to install windows on our test PC before we do these kinds of tests.
Robby
08-02-2002, 11:27 AM
I keep a couple of partitions Clean for testing.
You can allocate 500 Mb of your HDD for this.