Program instalator in C#, Visual Studio

Add that dll from nuget 

Rajanikant.

Your suggestion seams to be OK, but when I try to add new item, then Installer class (which adds the line:

using System.Configuration.Install;), I receive the message "The reference 'System.Configuration.Install' couldn't be added to your project". Do you have an idea of what it means? Is it a matter of versions?

Sorry to disturb you, but the answer is almost here. Thank you again.

Check below article, they starting service after install setup and stopping service after uninstall setup, similerly you can do do override methos like Install, etc as below

using System;
using System.Collections;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.Configuration.Install;
using System.Linq;
using System.Threading.Tasks;

namespace WinformTest
{
    [RunInstaller(true)]
    public partial class Installer : System.Configuration.Install.Installer
    {
        public Installer()
        {
            InitializeComponent();
        }
        public override void Install(IDictionary stateSaver)
        {
            // Do whatever you want
            base.Install(stateSaver);
        }
        protected override void OnAfterInstall(IDictionary savedState)
        {
            // Do whatever you want
            base.OnAfterInstall(savedState);
        }
        public override void Commit(IDictionary savedState)
        {
            // Do whatever you want
            base.Commit(savedState);
        }
        
    }
}

The installer.cs class has many method to override you can use as per your need

#region Assembly System.Configuration.Install, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a
// C:\Program Files (x86)\Reference Assemblies\Microsoft\Framework\.NETFramework\v4.7.2\System.Configuration.Install.dll
#endregion

using System.Collections;
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.Configuration.Install;

namespace System.Configuration.Install
{
    //
    // Summary:
    //     Provides the foundation for custom installations.
    [DefaultEvent("AfterInstall")]
    public class Installer : Component
    {
        //
        // Summary:
        //     Initializes a new instance of the System.Configuration.Install.Installer class.
        public Installer();

        //
        // Summary:
        //     Gets or sets the installer containing the collection that this installer belongs
        //     to.
        //
        // Returns:
        //     An System.Configuration.Install.Installer containing the collection that this
        //     instance belongs to, or null if this instance does not belong to a collection.
        [Browsable(true)]
        [DesignerSerializationVisibility(DesignerSerializationVisibility.Hidden)]
        [ResDescriptionAttribute("Desc_Installer_Parent")]
        [TypeConverter(typeof(InstallerParentConverter))]
        public Installer Parent { get; set; }
        //
        // Summary:
        //     Gets the collection of installers that this installer contains.
        //
        // Returns:
        //     An System.Configuration.Install.InstallerCollection containing the collection
        //     of installers associated with this installer.
        [Browsable(false)]
        [DesignerSerializationVisibility(DesignerSerializationVisibility.Content)]
        public InstallerCollection Installers { get; }
        //
        // Summary:
        //     Gets the help text for all the installers in the installer collection.
        //
        // Returns:
        //     The help text for all the installers in the installer collection, including the
        //     description of what the installer does and the command line options for the installation
        //     executable, such as the InstallUtil.exe utility, that can be passed to and understood
        //     by this installer.
        //
        // Exceptions:
        //   T:System.NullReferenceException:
        //     One of the installers in the installer collection specifies a null reference
        //     instead of help text. A likely cause for this exception is that a field to contain
        //     the help text is defined but not initialized.
        [ResDescriptionAttribute("Desc_Installer_HelpText")]
        public virtual string HelpText { get; }
        //
        // Summary:
        //     Gets or sets information about the current installation.
        //
        // Returns:
        //     An System.Configuration.Install.InstallContext that contains information about
        //     the current installation.
        [Browsable(false)]
        [DesignerSerializationVisibility(DesignerSerializationVisibility.Hidden)]
        public InstallContext Context { get; set; }

        //
        // Summary:
        //     Occurs before the System.Configuration.Install.Installer.Install(System.Collections.IDictionary)
        //     method of each installer in the installer collection has run.
        public event InstallEventHandler BeforeInstall;
        //
        // Summary:
        //     Occurs before the installers in the System.Configuration.Install.Installer.Installers
        //     property committ their installations.
        public event InstallEventHandler Committing;
        //
        // Summary:
        //     Occurs after all the installers in the System.Configuration.Install.Installer.Installers
        //     property perform their uninstallation operations.
        public event InstallEventHandler AfterUninstall;
        //
        // Summary:
        //     Occurs after the installations of all the installers in the System.Configuration.Install.Installer.Installers
        //     property are rolled back.
        public event InstallEventHandler AfterRollback;
        //
        // Summary:
        //     Occurs after the System.Configuration.Install.Installer.Install(System.Collections.IDictionary)
        //     methods of all the installers in the System.Configuration.Install.Installer.Installers
        //     property have run.
        public event InstallEventHandler AfterInstall;
        //
        // Summary:
        //     Occurs after all the installers in the System.Configuration.Install.Installer.Installers
        //     property have committed their installations.
        public event InstallEventHandler Committed;
        //
        // Summary:
        //     Occurs before the installers in the System.Configuration.Install.Installer.Installers
        //     property are rolled back.
        public event InstallEventHandler BeforeRollback;
        //
        // Summary:
        //     Occurs before the installers in the System.Configuration.Install.Installer.Installers
        //     property perform their uninstall operations.
        public event InstallEventHandler BeforeUninstall;

        //
        // Summary:
        //     When overridden in a derived class, completes the install transaction.
        //
        // Parameters:
        //   savedState:
        //     An System.Collections.IDictionary that contains the state of the computer after
        //     all the installers in the collection have run.
        //
        // Exceptions:
        //   T:System.ArgumentException:
        //     The savedState parameter is null.-or- The saved-state System.Collections.IDictionary
        //     might have been corrupted.
        //
        //   T:System.Configuration.Install.InstallException:
        //     An exception occurred during the System.Configuration.Install.Installer.Commit(System.Collections.IDictionary)
        //     phase of the installation. This exception is ignored and the installation continues.
        //     However, the application might not function correctly after the installation
        //     is complete.
        public virtual void Commit(IDictionary savedState);
        //
        // Summary:
        //     When overridden in a derived class, performs the installation.
        //
        // Parameters:
        //   stateSaver:
        //     An System.Collections.IDictionary used to save information needed to perform
        //     a commit, rollback, or uninstall operation.
        //
        // Exceptions:
        //   T:System.ArgumentException:
        //     The stateSaver parameter is null.
        //
        //   T:System.Exception:
        //     An exception occurred in the System.Configuration.Install.Installer.BeforeInstall
        //     event handler of one of the installers in the collection.-or- An exception occurred
        //     in the System.Configuration.Install.Installer.AfterInstall event handler of one
        //     of the installers in the collection.
        public virtual void Install(IDictionary stateSaver);
        //
        // Summary:
        //     When overridden in a derived class, restores the pre-installation state of the
        //     computer.
        //
        // Parameters:
        //   savedState:
        //     An System.Collections.IDictionary that contains the pre-installation state of
        //     the computer.
        //
        // Exceptions:
        //   T:System.ArgumentException:
        //     The savedState parameter is null.-or- The saved-state System.Collections.IDictionary
        //     might have been corrupted.
        //
        //   T:System.Configuration.Install.InstallException:
        //     An exception occurred during the System.Configuration.Install.Installer.Rollback(System.Collections.IDictionary)
        //     phase of the installation. This exception is ignored and the rollback continues.
        //     However, the computer might not be fully reverted to its initial state after
        //     the rollback completes.
        public virtual void Rollback(IDictionary savedState);
        //
        // Summary:
        //     When overridden in a derived class, removes an installation.
        //
        // Parameters:
        //   savedState:
        //     An System.Collections.IDictionary that contains the state of the computer after
        //     the installation was complete.
        //
        // Exceptions:
        //   T:System.ArgumentException:
        //     The saved-state System.Collections.IDictionary might have been corrupted.
        //
        //   T:System.Configuration.Install.InstallException:
        //     An exception occurred while uninstalling. This exception is ignored and the uninstall
        //     continues. However, the application might not be fully uninstalled after the
        //     uninstallation completes.
        public virtual void Uninstall(IDictionary savedState);
        //
        // Summary:
        //     Raises the System.Configuration.Install.Installer.AfterInstall event.
        //
        // Parameters:
        //   savedState:
        //     An System.Collections.IDictionary that contains the state of the computer after
        //     all the installers contained in the System.Configuration.Install.Installer.Installers
        //     property have completed their installations.
        protected virtual void OnAfterInstall(IDictionary savedState);
        //
        // Summary:
        //     Raises the System.Configuration.Install.Installer.AfterRollback event.
        //
        // Parameters:
        //   savedState:
        //     An System.Collections.IDictionary that contains the state of the computer after
        //     the installers contained in the System.Configuration.Install.Installer.Installers
        //     property are rolled back.
        protected virtual void OnAfterRollback(IDictionary savedState);
        //
        // Summary:
        //     Raises the System.Configuration.Install.Installer.AfterUninstall event.
        //
        // Parameters:
        //   savedState:
        //     An System.Collections.IDictionary that contains the state of the computer after
        //     all the installers contained in the System.Configuration.Install.Installer.Installers
        //     property are uninstalled.
        protected virtual void OnAfterUninstall(IDictionary savedState);
        //
        // Summary:
        //     Raises the System.Configuration.Install.Installer.BeforeInstall event.
        //
        // Parameters:
        //   savedState:
        //     An System.Collections.IDictionary that contains the state of the computer before
        //     the installers in the System.Configuration.Install.Installer.Installers property
        //     are installed. This System.Collections.IDictionary object should be empty at
        //     this point.
        protected virtual void OnBeforeInstall(IDictionary savedState);
        //
        // Summary:
        //     Raises the System.Configuration.Install.Installer.BeforeRollback event.
        //
        // Parameters:
        //   savedState:
        //     An System.Collections.IDictionary that contains the state of the computer before
        //     the installers in the System.Configuration.Install.Installer.Installers property
        //     are rolled back.
        protected virtual void OnBeforeRollback(IDictionary savedState);
        //
        // Summary:
        //     Raises the System.Configuration.Install.Installer.BeforeUninstall event.
        //
        // Parameters:
        //   savedState:
        //     An System.Collections.IDictionary that contains the state of the computer before
        //     the installers in the System.Configuration.Install.Installer.Installers property
        //     uninstall their installations.
        protected virtual void OnBeforeUninstall(IDictionary savedState);
        //
        // Summary:
        //     Raises the System.Configuration.Install.Installer.Committed event.
        //
        // Parameters:
        //   savedState:
        //     An System.Collections.IDictionary that contains the state of the computer after
        //     all the installers in the System.Configuration.Install.Installer.Installers property
        //     run.
        protected virtual void OnCommitted(IDictionary savedState);
        //
        // Summary:
        //     Raises the System.Configuration.Install.Installer.Committing event.
        //
        // Parameters:
        //   savedState:
        //     An System.Collections.IDictionary that contains the state of the computer before
        //     the installers in the System.Configuration.Install.Installer.Installers property
        //     are committed.
        protected virtual void OnCommitting(IDictionary savedState);
    }
}

https://www.c-sharpcorner.com/article/how-to-perform-custom-actions-and-upgrade-using-visual-studio-installer/

Alternatively, you can write code in main form load to run first time and create a folder and a file. 

Something like below:

static void Main()
        {
            Application.EnableVisualStyles();
            Application.SetCompatibleTextRenderingDefault(false);

            string filename = "counter.txt";
            if (!System.IO.File.Exists(filename))
            {
                System.IO.File.WriteAllText(filename, "1");
                Application.Run(new Form1());
            }
            else
            {
                Application.Run(new Form2());
            }


        }

Hey check the below link, this may help you

https://www.c-sharpcorner.com/UploadFile/27c648/create-a-custom-setup-for-change-app-onfig/

Rajanikant.

Thanks for your answer. But I didn't understand what you mean by ==> installer file, then override methods. Could you detail this idea for me? Thank you again.

if want to do something during installation then go to setup solution right click add new item => Installer file then override methods(Committed, Install, Commit, Rollback)