Installation batch file

[willkr]

OK, I've completed the Home Budget Management application and I can now switch the back-end between my production back-end, test back-end, and distribution back-end. Now I need to develop a process to install it on another computer. Back in the days when I was working on operating systems (a looooooong time ago) there was a thing called a bat file that contained all the commands to copy files and do set-up sorts of things. How is it done today?

I want to copy files with the front-end and back-end in one directory and create other directories for storing back-up files, icon files, and help files. I also want to have an icon installed on the desktop that will start-up the database app. If someone can point me to information on how to do this I would greatly appreciate it. I have a number of people who want to test out the application and I want to be able to give them a flash drive and have them run a single command file to do all this.



Any help will be greatly appreciated!

[Salty Mariner]

I think what you want is a Windows setup file creator. There are a bunch out there and the newer ones are GUI driven so you don't need to write any scripts. There are a good many that are also free so download a few and find one you like. I have not done this in years so I can't really recommend anything, but I should probably look into this myself as well.

[Welshgasman]

You can still use a bat file, though they tend to be called .cmd files these days.
You can also use VBS scropt which is a little like VBA

Then you can buy an installer program with lots of bells and whistles.

I just used a VBS script when I was using Access in work.

Here is one I found, though I am not sure if I ever used it, as I used Bob Larsen's code, but it should give you an idea?

Option Explicit
Dim strLocal, strRemote,strDBPath
Dim oAccess
Dim objFSO, objLocal, objRemote


strlocal = "C:\DB\Employee.accde"
strremote = "S:\DB\Employee.accde"
strDBPath = LEFT(strLocal,InstrRev(strLocal,"\"))


SET objFSO = CREATEOBJECT("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
SET objLocal = objFSO.GetFile(strlocal)
set objRemote = objFSO.GetFile(strremote)
if objRemote.DateLastModified > objLocal.DateLastModified Then
    'objFSO.DeleteFile strLocal
    objFSO.CopyFile strRemote,strDBPath,True
    wscript.echo "Latest version installed"
end if


Set oAccess = CreateObject("Access.Application")
oAccess.Visible = True
oAccess.UserControl = true
oAccess.OpenCurrentDatabase("C:\DB\Employee.accde") 


Set objFSO = Nothing
Set objLOcal = Nothing
Set objRemote = Nothing
Set oAccess = Nothing

[moke123]

It's been a while, but I've used SSE SetUp in the past. Pretty easy if I recall correctly.

https://www.ssesetup.com/access.html

[Welshgasman]

It's been a while, but I've used SSE SetUp in the past. Pretty easy if I recall correctly.

https://www.ssesetup.com/access.html

Nice catch Moke

[Salty Mariner]

It's been a while, but I've used SSE SetUp in the past. Pretty easy if I recall correctly.

https://www.ssesetup.com/access.html

Excellent....Bookmarked for later use.

[willkr]

Thanks Moke123,
This looks like exactly what I was looking for. I'll try it out and let you know what I think.

[willkr]

I downloaded SSE Setup and created a set-up file. It is pretty straight-forward. I used the set-up pgm to install my app on an older laptop. The set-up is running very slooooooow. It may be due to a slow internet connection, a slow laptop, or just a slow process. I'll update later after it finishes.

I think I've done something wrong because the installation process has been going on for about 2 hours (kinda excessive, huh). It appears to have downloaded the Access 2013 runtime and now says "Running installation program. Please wait ..."

I'm going to stop it and review the SSE Set-up set-up.

[willkr]

I stopped the process and restarted it. This time it only took30 seconds or so. When I tried to execute it I received an error message that said that the app was originally created in 32 bit Access. The problem is that I don't have any 32 bit machines. Now what do I do? I am so close yet so far away!

willkr

[willkr]

Well, hush my mouth! I just discovered that my office installation is not a 64 bit install as I thought it was. i will have to install the 64 bit version tomorrow. Bummer!

[Welshgasman]

It is not the bit of windows that matters, but the Office version.
So if you have created it with 32bit Access, that is what is needed to run it, 32 bit runtime.

You would need to conditional compile it to run it in both versions if there is a chance of doing that. Same with downloading correct bitness runtime.
Most programs I have downloaded have been two separate programs, x86 or 64bit ?

[ArviLaanemets]

... I want to copy files with the front-end and back-end in one directory ...

Do you have a single user for this DB in future? Or are you having all front-ends for every user named differently? Or is front-end in this directory meant only for users making a copy of it in his/her own computer/network directory? Because every user must definitely have his/her own front-end!

[willkr]

This app is intended for home use only, so it will be in a single user environment on a single computer. However, it could be used in a multiuser mode. My wife and I both use it and they are both linked to the same be on the network.