Installing support files in Vista

[dthomson]

I'm trying to make some new applications Vista compatible. I'm no expert on Vista, but one thing I'm doing is putting configuration and data files in different places than I used to. Apparently you can't write to files in C:\Program Files\My App, so I'm using C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\My App\Program (or its Vista equivalent) for config files and C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\My App\Data for data files.

So for one program, I want to have an additional config-type file in the new config folder, but with the Installation script (LV 8.2.1), I can't find a way to do that. When you build an executable, you have a lot of flexibility for determining the destination for each item, but with the Installer, you can only add destination folders that are sub-folders of the paths that are already known to the installer script. At least from what I can tell.

Does anyone know of a work-around so that I could include additional support files in the installer and have them go to a particular location? The best I can think of is to have the program copy the files to the desired location the first time it is run, probably from its own installation location, which the installer can access.

Thanks for any ideas,

DaveT

[Ton Plomp]

QUOTE (dthomson @ Apr 1 2008, 06:32 AM)

.... Vista compatible.

..... but with the Installation script (LV 8.2.1),

I think your at a loss here. I believe Vista is supported from 8.5 and up.

In 8.5 you have the following options:

http://lavag.org/old_files/monthly_04_2008/post-2399-1207034004.png' target="_blank">

Where the [CommonAppDataFolder]\yourprogram\yourfiles is what you need. Could you show what is available in 8.2?

I couldn't locate a help screen for the 8.2 installer.

Ton

[Norm Kirchner]

I attended a few sessions @ NI week regarding vista and where to put your files.

You DEFINITELY should find them on NI's site, and from the information that I can recall, it will give you exactly what you're looking for.

[Val Brown]

QUOTE (Norm Kirchner @ Apr 1 2008, 12:48 PM)

I attended a few sessions @ NI week regarding vista and where to put your files.

You DEFINITELY should find them on NI's site, and from the information that I can recall, it will give you exactly what you're looking for.

Yes, there were some good presentations and discussions there.

FWIW, I've taken a brute-force approach and just created my own APPPATH: viz, c:\companyname\... with subs under it including ..\common files where I post config info and such. It ain't "standard practice" but it definitely works and gives me the exact same location whether in Vista or XP.

[dthomson]

QUOTE (tcplomp @ Apr 1 2008, 01:18 AM)

I think your at a loss here. I believe Vista is supported from 8.5 and up.

In 8.5 you have the following options:

http://lavag.org/old_files/monthly_04_2008/post-2399-1207034004.png' target="_blank">

Where the [CommonAppDataFolder]\yourprogram\yourfiles is what you need. Could you show what is available in 8.2?

I couldn't locate a help screen for the 8.2 installer.

Ton

Ton,

Thanks for pointing that out. You are quite right - 8.5 handles the issue directly whereas 8.2 does not. I'll work on getting the customer to upgrade.

Dave