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Q272219: PRB: VFP App Installed with VSI Creates Foxuser Files on Desktop

Article: Q272219
Product(s): Microsoft FoxPro
Version(s): 1.0,1.1,5.0,6.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbAppSetup kbMiscTools kbvfp600fix kbGrpDSFox kbDSupport
Last Modified: 22-OCT-2000

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Visual FoxPro for Windows, versions 5.0, 6.0 
- Microsoft Visual Studio Installer, versions 1.0, 1.1 
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SYMPTOMS
========

When a user starts an executable file that was developed with Visual FoxPro
(VFP) from a desktop shortcut that was created by a Visual Studio Installer
(VSI) package, the user may see two new files on the desktop. The names of these
files may vary, but they are usually Foxuser.dbf and Foxuser.fpt.

CAUSE
=====

The Foxuser.dbf and Foxuser.fpt pair make up a resource file for the VFP
application, storing useful information such as window positions, Browse window
configurations, and label definitions. By default, a VFP application
automatically creates these two files on startup, unless configured otherwise
(see the "Resolution" section for more information). These files are usually
created in the same folder as the application, or in the START IN folder if the
application is started by means of a shortcut.

Installation packages that are created with Visual Studio Installer can create
shortcuts to applications that they install. However, it is not possible to
change the START IN property of these shortcuts from the VSI interface. As a
result, the START IN property is set by default to the folder that contains the
shortcut. The VFP application creates its Foxuser files in the START IN folder
of the shortcut, which in this case is the user's desktop.

RESOLUTION
==========

There are two ways to prevent this behavior:

- Configure the VFP application that you are are distributing with VSI to not
  create a resource file. To do this, include a Config.fpw file with the
  application and adding the following line of code to it:

  RESOURCE = OFF

-or-

- Use the Orca table editing tool, which is available in the Windows Installer
  Software Development Kit (SDK), to set the START IN property of the shortcuts
  that are contained in the .msi file. For information on installing Orca,
  click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge
  Base:

  Q255905 HOWTO: Use the Orca Database Editor to Edit Windows Installer Files

  After you have installed Orca, follow the steps below to change the START IN
  property of the shortcuts that your VSI package creates.

  NOTE: These steps assume that you have already built your VFP application
  installation package with VSI.

  1. Start Orca and from the main menu, select File and then select Open.

  2. Locate and select the .msi package that you created with VSI.

  3. With the .msi table open, scroll through the list on the left-hand side of
     the Orca window, locate the entry for "Shortcut", and click it.

  4. When you click the "Shortcut" entry, records appear in the right-hand pane
     of the Orca window, one for each shortcut that you created. In the
     right-hand pane, select each entry and replace the empty WkDir field with
     "TARGETDIR" (without the quotation marks).

  5. Save and close the .msi file, and then install your application. The
     Foxuser.* files should be created in the same folder as the EXE when it is
     started from the desktop shortcut.

IMPORTANT: You will need to do this each time that you rebuild your installation
package with VSI, because each rebuild sets the WkDir field to its default
state.

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

Steps to Reproduce Behavior
---------------------------

1. In Visual FoxPro, create a simple "Hello World" EXE. To force the creation of
  a resource file, include a Config.fpw file with the EXE that contains the
  following line:

  RESOURCE=ON

2. Use VSI to create an installation package (including the proper merge
  modules) and create a desktop shortcut using the File System window. For
  additional information on using VSI with VFP applications, see the
  "References" section below.

3. Install your VFP application using the VSI package that you created.

4. After the installation is complete, double-click the desktop shortcut to your
  application. You should see two new files, Foxuser.dbf and Foxuser.fpt, on
  the desktop.

REFERENCES
==========

For information on shortcuts and the Visual Studio Installer, see the following
article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  Q242586 INFO: Can't Change the 'Start in:' Property of a Shortcut in VSI

The Visual Studio Installer is available to registered users of Microsoft Visual
Studio or its component parts at the following Microsoft Developer Workshop
(MSDN) Web site:

  http://msdn.Microsoft.com/vstudio/downloads/vsi/default.asp

For more information on using Visual FoxPro with Visual Studio Installer, see the
Visual Studio Installer help file, as well as "Using Visual Studio Installer for
Distributing Visual FoxPro 6.0 Applications" at the following MSDN Web site:

  http://msdn.Microsoft.com/library/techart/usingvsi.htm
  (http://msdn.Microsoft.com/library/techart/usingvsi.htm)

(c) Microsoft Corporation 2000, All Rights Reserved. Contributions by Trevor
Hancock, Microsoft Corporation.


Additional query words:

======================================================================
Keywords          : kbAppSetup kbMiscTools kbvfp600fix kbGrpDSFox kbDSupport 
Technology        : kbVSsearch kbVFPsearch kbAudDeveloper kbVSI kbVSI100 kbVSI110 kbVFP500 kbVFP600
Version           : :1.0,1.1,5.0,6.0
Issue type        : kbprb

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