.Net Framwork?

Im usign VB and know any person I send my software to requires the .Net Framework.

How would you recommend distributign this Framework (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=262D25E3-F589-4842-8157-034D1E7CF3A3&displaylang=en) to the user. A downlaod link, installed at same time as the software ?
It will be distributed electronically and on CD.

Has anybody here actually created software that will install the the .NET Framwork at same time as software? Is it easy?

Are you using VB.Net?

You can use Visual Studio.Net 2003 to create an install file to install both your program and the .Net framework if needed.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/dnnetdep/html/vsredistdeploy1_1.asp

However, by including the .Net framework into your project, it is bound to increase the overall size of your install file. Another option that I like to do, as you mentioned, is create a link at the end of the installation telling the user that the .Net framwork is required and you can download it at.....
Also you could (if you making a CD), also include the .Net framework on th same CD as you install file so the user would have easy access to it, but in this case, why not just include it in the same install file anyway.

I read the Microsoft document and followed it's instructions. Then after building the set-up file, it produced the following report.


------ Rebuild All started: Project: WHM, Configuration: Release .NET ------

Preparing resources...
Updating references...
Performing main compilation...
Building satellite assemblies...



------ Starting pre-build validation for project 'WebHostManager' ------
------ Pre-build validation for project 'WebHostManager' completed ------
------ Rebuild All started: Project: WebHostManager, Configuration: Release ------

Building file 'C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\My Documents\Visual Studio Projects\WebHostManager\Release\WebHostManager.msi'...
ERROR: dotNETFXRedist_x86_enu.msm must not be used to redistribute the .NET Framework. Please exclude this merge module.
Packaging file 'packages.txt'...
Packaging file 'Read Me.txt'...
Packaging file 'WHM.exe'...
Packaging file 'suspensionnotice.txt'...
Packaging file 'accountinformation.txt'...
Packaging file 'category.txt'...
Packaging file 'email.txt'...
Packaging file 'whm.ico'...
Packaging file 'paymentdue.txt'...
Packaging file 'company.txt'...



---------------------- Done ----------------------

Rebuild All: 1 succeeded, 1 failed, 0 skipped


The line:

ERROR: dotNETFXRedist_x86_enu.msm must not be used to redistribute the .NET Framework. Please exclude this merge module.

It does not let me have the framework installed at same time as my application.

I have the bootstrapper installed, I went to properties to ensure the settings are correct so any help would be appreciated ?