Best way to install a missing file - from a floppy

[huskerdon]

Hi, we've got an VB application that we've just started distributing locally on a CD. The installation and everything works great, but there's only one slight problem. We inadvertantly forgot to include an ActiveX file in the setup program. This is Comctl32.ocx, and I was certain it was included, but it's not.
Hopefully this file will already be on the majority of PC's (installed by some other program), but I found out too late that it is not on all PC's, even a brand new XP machine.
I know, you'll say "Why not just create a new Installation CD?" Well, these discs are being professionally replicated. I've fixed the program, however we will not have new discs for a couple of weeks. In the mean time, we would like to include a floppy that contains the missing file. We could tell users to manually copy it to the Windows\System32 folder, but not everyone will know how to do that. (The file will be available on our web site for download, but I'd rather include it when users purchase the CD also.)
Does anyone have a suggestion for creating a simple program to automatically copy this file from a floppy to the correct location? Will the necessary setup program fit on just one floppy? Has anyone else run into a problem such as this? Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated!!

 

[vb5prgrmr]

Create a new project and add the missing activex control and package it and then distribute it. Your users would just double click on the setup program. They could then remove this program but would need to keep all shared components (on packaging you would mark your activex as a shared component).

Good Luck

 

[phinoppix]

You can try third-party software that supports custom build scripts (eg Wise) so you can just create a script (which you'll build later into setup.exe) to copy the missing component to desired folder and register as necessary (BUT, will cost you extra bucks).

 

[vinceg]

hi Don,
probably the simplest thing you could do is just create a small batch file that copies the ocx to the system32 folder, followed by the command to run the registration utility to register it. You won't have to worry about trying to squeeze a setup program on the limited space of a floppy. You could name it RunMe.bat or something easy for any user to locate. Also if the target operating systems vary...meaning the standard name of the windows directory and associated system directory are different, make several batch files with the proper directory names in the copy command and save the batch files as RunMe9x.bat, RunMeNT.bat, RunMeXP.bat....you get the idea. Go Big Red!

Vince