>Is there a way to setup a finished application at a client site w/out using the setup wizard. If so, what files need to be on the client's system for the application to run?
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If what you're asking is Can I just copy some files onto a system and expect my VFP application to run properly?, the answer in simple terms is, not reliably. If you're asking if a different installer can be used, the answer is a definite yes, but you either need to use an installer with native support for the VFP runtime engine, one that is capable of reading a .DEP file, or you're looking at doing the work of properly scripting the install process yourself.

There is a file that outlines the runtime file dependencies for VFP6 in the DISTRIB.SRC directory, called VFP6R.DEP; this file describes in a standard format the basic runtime file requirements, and file dependencies for the VFP6 runtime. It also states which components need to be self-registered.

There are registry entries required that are not a part of self-registration. There is a sample .REG file included with VFP that can serve as a template for creating 4 registry keys needed by the VFP6 runtime engine so that things are found properly when invoked through ActiveX automation.

There is a need to register any ActiveX controls and COM components used by the application beyond the basic runtime environment. The requirements for these controls and components vary from file to file; it's the responsibility of the contrl vendor to tell you what files are required and need registration. Don't count on a third-party control being able to install by itself without some support files.

There's a tool in Visual Studio called DEPENDS.EXE; it can scan an executable, .DLL, or components and derive the version and file dependencies needed by that file. It is not always capable of picking out the required COM interfaces that it may reference.

There are a number of third-party installers that understand the basic VFP6 runtime, or are capable of interpreting the .DEP file supplied with the VFP6 runtime environment. Wise and various flavors of InstallShield are capable of this. I use InstallShield Pro and prefer to use a Setup Wizard generated runtime install, fired silently from within an InstallShield script, to put the basic runtime in place; this minimizes the work I have to do if a new set of runtime libraries is released. Setup Wizard understands the requirements of the VFP6 runtime engine very well, and while it doesn't do the rest of the job I want for a professional install, I've found it to be the best and safest way to put VFP's runtime engine in place.

We left the DOS world a long time ago. Installation by batch file is not an adequate approach to putting a WinApp in place reliably. If you feel that the Setup Wizard is not capable of doing the job that needs to be done, invest the time, effort and money in a solid third-party installer. If you don't want to go into the high-end installer products like Wise and InstallShield Pro, I'd recommend seriously considering InstallShield Express, with a list price of under $250, and about 80% of the functionality available through the high-end scripting products.

There are lots of other people recommending other products to do installation of VFP. Since I've already made the investment of time and money in InstallShield Pro, I haven't seriously considered them. My general experience with the products that claim to be able to analyse your app on your development system and build an installation automagically is that they don't work well in cross-platofrm environments, complex network installs, or on platforms that may not be able to take the same versions of common components that are present on your system, and they can really screw things up even better than a batch file if they don't work. If you're planning to install to just Win95 boxes and did your development under Win95, there's a very good chance that they'll do the job. I'd be very frightened of trying to rely on thee products when it came time to deploy on Win2K, where the changes in the basic platform aren't well-known yet and the product assumes that it knows all about how the various platforms resolve things.