SetUp problems - Add-in Express .NET forum

Michael Kaden

Guest

Dear Andrei,

after updating to VS 2017 and installing last ADX upgrade adxnet-v809-b4453 I realised when using Solution/AddIn Express/PUBLISH a SetUp.exe was no longer created. I could however publish by clicking the *.application file.

Today I get the exception as attached after ### of this post (after ###) using Publish. I can run the project by using register/unregister. And I checked that after unregister the addIns are not installed in Excel and there is no instance of the AddIn installed in the Program and Feature list. So how do I get rid of
"same identity is already installed" and how do I get the setup.exe back on publishing?

Thank you & kind regards

Michael

################

ERROR DETAILS
Following errors were detected during this operation.
* [03.05.2018 13:36:04] System.Deployment.Application.DeploymentException (Subscription)

- Unable to install this application because an application with the
the . To install this application, either modify the manifest version for this application or uninstall the preexisting application.

- Source: System.Deployment
- Stack trace:

at System.Deployment.Application.SubscriptionStore.CheckApplicationPayload(CommitApplicationParams commitParams)

at System.Deployment.Application.SubscriptionStore.CommitApplication(SubscriptionState& subState, CommitApplicationParams commitParams)

at System.Deployment.Application.ApplicationActivator.InstallApplication(SubscriptionState& subState, ActivationDescription actDesc)

at System.Deployment.Application.ApplicationActivator.PerformDeploymentActivation(Uri activationUri, Boolean isShortcut, String textualSubId, String deploymentProviderUrlFromExtension, BrowserSettings browserSettings, String& errorPageUrl, Uri& deploymentUri)

at System.Deployment.Application.ApplicationActivator.PerformDeploymentActivationWithRetry(Uri activationUri, Boolean isShortcut, String textualSubId, String deploymentProviderUrlFromExtension, BrowserSettings browserSettings, String& errorPageUrl)

--- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---

at System.Runtime.ExceptionServices.ExceptionDispatchInfo.Throw()

at System.Deployment.Application.ApplicationActivator.PerformDeploymentActivationWithRetry(Uri activationUri, Boolean isShortcut, String textualSubId, String deploymentProviderUrlFromExtension, BrowserSettings browserSettings, String& errorPageUrl)

at System.Deployment.Application.ApplicationActivator.ActivateDeploymentWorker(Object state)

Andrei Smolin

Add-in Express team

Posts: 18829
Joined: 2006-05-11

Hello Michael,

Let's use these terms:

- to publish means to use the Publish wizard to prepare files required for an add-in to be deployed using ClickOnce (in your case); note that the Publish wizard just prepares file - it doesn't copy them to the location specified and you need to copy the files yourself.
- to install means to run the installer; in your case the installer is the .application file; you run it either manually (by double-clicking it in the Windows Explorer) or by clicking a link that you provide to the user;
- to register means to create registry entries required for an installed add-in to load in the host Office application(s); registration is part of the installation process. Also, the installed adxLauncher.exe shows the UI that allows you to register/unregister the add-in; the Add-in Express manual describes how you customize that UI. In addition, on the development machine, you can register the add-in project and since, it shares the ProgId and GUID with the add-in, this may create a mess in the registry.

The rule of thumb is: the add-in can only be installed or registered from the IDE. If you broke this rule mistakenly, uninstall the add-in, unregister the project, start the host application to check that the add-in is actually missing, then install the add-in or register the project. I suggest that you do this and then check if the issue exists. If it is, please provide more details; also include details of how you uninstall the add-in.

Michael Kaden writes:
SetUp.exe was no longer created

Setup.exe is only created if you specify prerequisites.

Andrei Smolin
Add-in Express Team Leader

Andrei Smolin

Add-in Express team

Posts: 18829
Joined: 2006-05-11

Hello Michael,

Thank you for the files. One moment still remains unclear: before you install a new version (the one that produces "an application with the same identity is already installed"), you should uninstall the previously installed version. You don't describe how you did this.

Andrei Smolin
Add-in Express Team Leader

Michael Kaden

Guest

Dear Andrei,

if I use register/unregister I de-install by using unregister and I check in the EXCEL/OPTION/AddIns that it is no longer installed (both ComAddIn & Excel AddIn)

If I use build & PUBLISH I de-install by ControlPanel/Programs&Features and uninstall and I check in the EXCEL/OPTION/AddIns that it is no longer installed (both ComAddIn & Excel AddIn). Currently the AddIn is not shown in the ControlPanel/Programs&Features

Thank you & kind regads

Michael

Andrei Smolin

Add-in Express team

Posts: 18829
Joined: 2006-05-11

Michael,

Michael Kaden writes:
if I use register/unregister I de-install by using unregister and I check in the EXCEL/OPTION/AddIns that it is no longer installed (both ComAddIn & Excel AddIn)

That is, if you register the add-in using the commands that Add-in Express adds to the UI of the IDE, you unregister the add-in using the same commands and you check that the add-in is registered or unregistered by looking into the COM Add-ins and Excel Add-ins dialogs (or right in the list opened via File | Options Add-in). Correct? Or you talk about the Register/Unregister buttons that adxlauncher shows after you install the add-in using ClickOnce?

Michael Kaden writes:
If I use build & PUBLISH I de-install by ControlPanel/Programs&Features and uninstall and I check in the EXCEL/OPTION/AddIns that it is no longer installed (both ComAddIn & Excel AddIn). Currently the AddIn is not shown in the ControlPanel/Programs&Features

That is if you build the add-in, publish it and install it (either by clicking a link pointing to the .applicaiton file or by double-clickn the file itself), then you uninstall it using the Control Panel and check if the add-in is registered in the COM Add-ins and Excel Add-ins dialogs.

I don't understand what sequence of actions causes the issue? Note that in the first scenario you don't install the add-in, you simply register it. In the COM Add-ins and Excel Add-ins dialog windows you check if the add-in is registered. In Control Panel/Programs&Features you check if the add-in is installed. Installing and registering are two separate processes.

Make sure that you don't have older versions of the add-in installed or registered. Also, regularly check that no extra EXCEL.EXE is hanging in processes.

Andrei Smolin
Add-in Express Team Leader

Michael Kaden

Guest

Dear Andrei;

That is, if you register the add-in using the commands that Add-in Express adds to the UI of the IDE, you unregister the add-in using the same commands and you check that the add-in is registered or unregistered by looking into the COM Add-ins and Excel Add-ins dialogs (or right in the list opened via File | Options Add-in).

This is correct.

That is if you build the add-in, publish it and install it (either by clicking a link pointing to the .application file or by double-clicking the file itself), then you uninstall it using the Control Panel and check if the add-in is registered in the COM Add-ins and Excel Add-ins dialogs

.

This is correct

I did some more research and came across a post where it is said that it can happen that an installed program is not shown in the ControlPanel/Programs&Features so it cannot be uninstalled from there. They give some pointers to uninstalling it with the help of the registry see:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/247515/program-is-not-listed-in-add-remove-programs-after-installation

However I cannot find an uninstall program or hidden files or the addin in the registry Uninstall keys.

Do you have any means of uninstalling a program (addin) not shown in the registry uninstall?

Thank you and kind regards

Michael

Michael Kaden

Guest

Dear Andrei,

don't know if you saw the post above?

ERROR SUMMARY
Below is a summary of the errors, details of these errors are listed later in the log.
* Activation of C:\aleraSoft\111alera\Publish\alera.application resulted in exception. Following failure messages were detected:
+ Unable to install this application because an application with the same identity is already installed. To install this application, either modify the manifest version for this application or uninstall the preexisting application.

I could solve the issue by setting a new Assembly Version number, however I would like to remove remaining parts of the old version.

kind regards

Michael

Andrei Smolin

Add-in Express team

Posts: 18829
Joined: 2006-05-11

Hello Michael,

I'm sorry for the delayed response; a lot of requests these days.

Michael Kaden writes:
To install this application, either modify the manifest version for this application or uninstall the preexisting application.

I've noticed this text at last. Will it work, if you increase the version number of your add-in and publish it?

Andrei Smolin
Add-in Express Team Leader

Michael Kaden

Guest

Dear Andrei,

thank you for your response. Yes a new Version number does help. See my last post.

I could solve the issue by setting a new Assembly Version number, however I would like to remove remaining parts of the old version.

However as also said there, I would like to keep my computer (registry etc.) "clean" as much as possible. So any pointer to where your publish program looks for a present installation would be appreciated.

Thank you and kind regards

Michael

Andrei Smolin

Add-in Express team

Posts: 18829
Joined: 2006-05-11

Michael,

I see. The point is: what you see is how ClickOnce reacts to an issue. This is ClickOnce who generates that message, not Add-in Express.

As far as I know, ClickOnce stores [part of] its data in the ClickOnce cache; see section "ClickOnce application cache" at https://www.add-in-express.com/docs/net-deploying-debugging-tips.php#ClickOnce.

Andrei Smolin
Add-in Express Team Leader