Visual Studio Setup Project that upgrades an existing app

Is it possible to make a SETUP project in Visual Studio that *does not install* but upgrades开发者_开发知识库 an app that already exists on the user's disk ? Example: the user has version 1.1 of the product and we want to send em a SETUP / INSTALLER that upgrades 1.1 to 1.2 ?

Regards, MadSeb

Sure. First you create an installer for the new version.

If the old version was installed by a MSI package:

• find the old MSI UpgradeCode
• after building the new MSI open it with Orca
• go to "Property" table and set the UpgradeCode of the old MSI
• this way the new package should automatically uninstall the old one

If it was installed by a custom package:

• in you new package add a custom action which removes the old version (for example launches the old version uninstaller or manually deletes all application resources)
• make sure the custom action runs before "InstallInitialize" action in "InstallExecuteSequence" table (you can edit the action sequence with Orca)