How to pack .Net infrastructure in a Visual Studio project?

Question

I created a C # / application. Net using visual studio. I also created an installer project that issues two files:

• Msi file
• Setup.exe file

In my installer project projects, I installed .Net 3.5 as a prerequisite.

I would like my installer to do the following:

• Place one file (MSI / exe / whatever), which also includes the .NET Framework prerequisites.
• The installer should check if the .Net infrastructure is installed on the target machine. If not, he should install it from his own attached copy.

Now my installer sends people to the Internet to receive .Net. This is not the user experience I want. I need to distribute my application on machines that may not be available on the network and may not have been saved up to date. Unfortunately, for a bloated world, my clients need a solution, not a lecture.

Thanks for your help.

-Raj

Answer 1

As far as I know, you cannot link the full installation of the .NET framework in an MSI application. If you have standalone clients, you must provide a full installation of 230 MB of .NET 3.5 sp1, which must be run before the installer of the client application. It is available here .

Answer 2

Setting up Inno can be helpful. See this article.