Pro WPF in C# 2010: Windows Presentation Foundation in .NET 4

33.1. Understanding Application Deployment

Although it's technically possible to move a .NET application from one computer to another just by copying the folder that contains it, professional applications often require a few more frills. For example, you might need to add multiple shortcuts to the Start menu, add registry settings, and set up additional resources (such as a custom event log or a database). To get these features, you need to create a custom setup program.

You have many options for creating a setup program. You can use a retail product like InstallShield, or you can create an MSI setup using the Setup Project template in Visual Studio. Traditional setup programs give you a familiar setup wizard, with plenty of features for transferring ...