At one point I was trying to find a way to get the VS-Installer to run a 'post executable' and was told by someone at Microsoft that you couldn't do it. Well, today I find out this on a newsgroup:
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The visual studio installer wont let you do this but,
the Windows Installer will. What you have to do
is make a custom action in the CustomAction database
in the .msi file ..look at msdn.microsoft.com/library/psdk/tref_71b9.htm.
Then you need to add a sequence record in one of the appropriate
sequence databases, I had good luck including it in the
InstallExecuteSequence database, referencing the custom action.

If you d/l the Windows Installer sdk, in the samples directory there
are a bunch of VB scripts which shows and easy way to incorporate
into a regular VB editor app. I ended just writing a hack editor based
on the scripts to make the changes.

--->>>> Just for add on information, I also wanted to set the Start In field
on the shortcuts and with the editor app I was able to update the
WkDir field in the Shortcut database to whatever I need.

Haven't tried all this...but it seems pretty cool to me!

>1. The ActiveX controls:
> a) From the VS-Installer's project window, goto 'File system' and dbl click on it to bring up the file system window. Be sure the .ocx file is incuded in your file system under application folder. If it's not there..put it there.
> b) Click on it (the .ocx) file and look at the propery sheet and you'll see a propery for the .ocx file called 'componet-id'. You will want to paste that into your clipboard.
> c) Go back to the property sheet and dbl click on 'associatons' to bring up the Associatons window. You will see an item in the tree called 'COM objects'. Right Click on it and a little menu pops up..click on 'add comm object'
> d) Now..for the property's of the com object you just added...you'll want to paste that componet ID you snaged in step B and paste it in the property sheet where it says CLSID. (include the {})
> e) On the propery sheet, right below that it says 'Component', click on the little '...' box there and go select your .ocx file from the list. (When the list window pops up you will have to select the 'The following component' option to enable the list so you can pick the one you want.
>
>
>2) I haven't played around with the VS Installer more than a couple of hours, so I don't know how to do this...maybe tommorow...
>
>>I'm having a bear of a time getting the VS Installer to work. First I have a couple of ActiveX controls I need to install and I don't understand the whole "merge file" thing. If someone can explain how to install an ActiveX control (onr from the windows common controls collectione) that would be great.
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>>Also I can't get the stupid thing to make a shortcut that works. It puts the right info in the target line but doesn't put anything in the "start in" line of the shortcut.
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>>Thanks in advance.