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Q190150: HOWTO: Force Application Setup to Use the Default Directory

Article: Q190150
Product(s): Microsoft Visual Basic for Windows
Version(s): WINDOWS:4.0,5.0,6.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbwizard kbAppSetup kbVBp400 kbVBp500 kbVBp600 kbFAQ kbVBp600FAQ
Last Modified: 18-JUL-2001

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Visual Basic Professional Edition for Windows, versions 4.0, 5.0, 6.0 
- Microsoft Visual Basic Enterprise Edition for Windows, versions 4.0, 5.0, 6.0 
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SUMMARY
=======

Although it is not recommended, the Visual Basic Setup Toolkit provides a means
to disable the user interface for changing the default installation directory of
your application's setup routine. This forces the installation process to use
the default directory as the destination for the application's files.

MORE INFORMATION
================

It is recommended that you allow the user to choose the destination directory
for Windows applications setup processes. However, a Visual Basic application
that has a setup program created by the Visual Basic Setup Wizard on Visual
Basic versions 4.0 and 5.0 or the Package and Deployment Wizard (PDW) on Visual
Basic 6.0 does provide an option that allows the programmer to force the user to
use a specific destination directory.

The Setup.lst file is a standard Windows initialization file. It informs the
Setup.exe and Setup1.exe programs of the distribution set how to perform setup.
To force a user to use a specific destination directory, you must provide the
default directory name and add the keyword "ForceUseDefDir" to the Setup.lst
file.

Step-by-Step Example
--------------------

1. Run the Application Setup Wizard or PDW to create a distribution set for your
  application.

2. Open the Setup.lst file (found on disk #1 of the distribution set) in a text
  editor, such as Notepad.

3. Specify the default installation directory by modifying the "DefaultDir" key
  in the "Setup" section of the Setup.lst file. For example:
  "DefaultDir=C:\MyProgramDir" (without the quotation marks)

4. Insert the following line immediately after the "DefaultDir" line:

  "ForceUseDefDir=1" (without the quotation marks)

5. Save the Setup.lst file. Note that the Setup Wizard makes maximum usage of
  each disk. If you cannot save the file due to insufficient space on the
  diskette, delete one or more of the ";
  XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX" lines at the
  bottom of the Setup.lst file.

Additional query words:

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Keywords          : kbwizard kbAppSetup kbVBp400 kbVBp500 kbVBp600 kbFAQ kbVBp600FAQ 
Technology        : kbVBSearch kbAudDeveloper kbZNotKeyword6 kbZNotKeyword2 kbVB500Search kbVB600Search kbVB500 kbVB600 kbVB400Search kbVB400
Version           : WINDOWS:4.0,5.0,6.0
Issue type        : kbhowto

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