Click here to Skip to main content
Licence CPOL
First Posted 21 Aug 2005
Views 135,988
Bookmarked 75 times

Add an uninstall start menu item to your .NET deployment project

By | 21 Aug 2005 | Article
The simple way to add an uninstall menu item to your .NET deployment project

Introduction

It's super easy to add this to your deployment project.

  1. Select your deployment project and go to the file system editor, user programs menu.
  2. Add an additional shortcut to your primary output project and name it Uninstall Application.
  3. Set the Arguments property to /u=[ProductCode].
  4. Add the following code to your project's Main() sub or startup form's New() sub just before the call to InitializeComponent().
    Dim arguments As String() = Environment.GetCommandLineArgs()
    Dim argument As String
    For Each argument In arguments
        If argument.Split("=")(0).ToLower = "/u" Then
            Dim guid As String = argument.Split("=")(1)
            Dim path As String = _
               Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.System)
            Dim si As New ProcessStartInfo(path & _
                      "\msiexec.exe", "/i " & guid)
            Process.Start(si)
            Close()
            Application.Exit()
            End
        End If
    Next

That's is! The Deployment project will replace [ProductCode] in the Arguments property with the actual installer project's ProductCode GUID value. Your program will see the /u={Actual ProductCode} argument and pass it to msiexec.exe before exiting.

The installer is run in repair/remove mode for your application. The user is allowed to select repair or remove, and continue. If you want the product to remove only, replace the "/i " with "/x ".

License

This article, along with any associated source code and files, is licensed under The Code Project Open License (CPOL)

About the Author

mjmeans

Systems Engineer
Mark J Means Consulting
United States United States

Member

I have been a software consultant since 1985 working on everything from the Commodore VIC-20 & RadioShack CoCo games to 8051 Embedded USB Microcontrollers to Windows Vista database applications. I have written over a half million lines of code since 2004. Please see my DataConnectionDialog control at http://mjmeans.com/dcd.aspx.

Sign Up to vote   Poor Excellent
Add a reason or comment to your vote: x
Votes of 3 or less require a comment

Comments and Discussions

 
You must Sign In to use this message board. (secure sign-in)
 
Search this forum  
 FAQ
    Noise  Layout  Per page   
  Refresh
QuestionWorked but getting an error in some machines PinmemberVaidehi P20:21 16 May '11  
AnswerRe: Worked but getting an error in some machines Pinmembermjmeans11:00 17 May '11  
GeneralVerifying The Link... [modified] Pinmemberjp2code12:04 15 Sep '10  
GeneralCondensed C# Code PinmemberGeo24213:01 27 May '10  
GeneralCode in C# PinmemberNitin Sawant15:53 3 Dec '09  
QuestionWhere should I put these codes? Pinmemberqiux0:51 4 Sep '09  
AnswerRe: Where should I put these codes? Pinmembermjmeans23:01 5 Sep '09  
QuestionHow to Show Product Name while confirming the Unistallation? Pinmemberoops.uvj20:45 19 Aug '09  
AnswerRe: How to Show Product Name while confirming the Unistallation? Pinmembermjmeans7:22 20 Aug '09  
AnswerRe: How to Show Product Name while confirming the Unistallation? Pinmemberstratokazik19:45 17 Aug '10  
GeneralThank you PinmemberSintre11:14 8 Jun '09  
GeneralOne Problem [modified] PinmemberthirstyDev18:43 26 Nov '08  
GeneralRe: One Problem Pinmembermjmeans7:37 27 Nov '08  
GeneralRe: One Problem PinmemberthirstyDev17:46 27 Nov '08  
GeneralEven easier solution PinmemberVyacheslav Trubarov14:28 3 Nov '07  
I've found even easier solution for uninstall menu item:
 
1. Create new shortcut in you system (NOT in VS Project, just in Windows).
2. In the location field type "msiexec".
3. Name the shortcut, for example, "Uninstall".
4. Now open its properties. Windows automatically used relative path to target: "%windir%\system32\msiexec.exe".
5. Add to the target "/x {ProductCode}". Here, you must specify the REAL ProductCode of you application (see it in your Deployment Project Properties -> ProductCode). The final target should look, for example, like this: "%windir%\system32\msiexec.exe /x {1CAD0188-B15F-4C31-8146-A267FDA507CB}".
6. Now you need to add this file to your Deployment Project. But here was the problem - u can't add shortcuts as files to your project. To bypass this restriction, you need just to rename your shortcut to have different extension. You can't do this in Windows Explorer, so use any file manager (Far, Total Commander, NDN, etc). Find and rename the shortcut we've created earlier from "Uninstall.lnk" to, for example, "Uninstall.lnk.foo".
7. Add this renamed shortcut to your Deployment Project (Add -> File...).
8. Open Properties of the added file and set TargetName back to initial name Smile | :) . (e.g. "Uninstall.lnk").
9. Move this file inside the Deployment Project to the folder your shortcuts would deploy.
 
That's all, now you will have the shortcut to uninstall your program without any additional files in your project (e.g. .bat files, etc)!
 
This could sound a bit complicated - but I've given so many steps only to explain the process very detailed. Actually, there is not so much to do. The only disadvantage of this method is, that you need to change ProductCode in the uninstall shortcut manually every time you change it in your deployment project.
This solution worked just well for me (i tested it on WinXP, but other versions could work as well, just maybe with some differences in the system pathes), so I think it could suit others as well Smile | :) .

NewsRe: Even easier solution PinmemberBilal Haider Asi8:46 13 Mar '08  
GeneralNo Code Solution VS2005 Pinmembercode@controlbox.co.uk5:52 9 Aug '07  
GeneralRe: No Code Solution VS2005 Pinmembermjmeans7:26 9 Aug '07  
GeneralRe: No Code Solution VS2005 Pinmembercedear5:50 19 May '08  
GeneralRe: No Code Solution VS2005 Pinmembernnans0:07 29 Oct '08  
GeneralRe: No Code Solution VS2005 Pinmembermjmeans6:16 29 Oct '08  
GeneralRe: No Code Solution VS2005 Pinmembernnans17:07 29 Oct '08  
GeneralRe: No Code Solution VS2005 Pinmembermjmeans2:08 30 Oct '08  
Generala better alternative PinPopularmemberJujiswa12:51 25 Feb '07  
GeneralRe: a better alternative Pinmemberlogan13377:46 28 Jul '07  

General General    News News    Suggestion Suggestion    Question Question    Bug Bug    Answer Answer    Joke Joke    Rant Rant    Admin Admin   

Use Ctrl+Left/Right to switch messages, Ctrl+Up/Down to switch threads, Ctrl+Shift+Left/Right to switch pages.

Permalink | Advertise | Privacy | Mobile
Web01 | 2.5.120529.1 | Last Updated 21 Aug 2005
Article Copyright 2005 by mjmeans
Everything else Copyright © CodeProject, 1999-2012
Terms of Use
Layout: fixed | fluid