>>Just use the setup wizard and be done with it. VFP6 allows you to build a "Web" executable, which is a single, compressed install file that contains everything you need.
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>I did some testing with the setup wizard in VFP. It is VERY simple to use and setup and does create the compressed file just fine. I can work around the registry write issues fairly easily. A couple questions for the master:
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>Is there a way to stop it from asking for user and company info? It stores this in a registry key that is useless to me.
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Yes - there are command line options that suppress various parts of the dialog and user interactions. You can get the list by trying to run the Setup with the /HELP command line switch.

>Can the license (EULA) screen be modified? It simply states to check the EULA that comes with your software before continuing. Well... they don't have it yet to check, they are installing a single file executable. I can put the EULA in the web site and ask for confirmation there, but the wording will still be a little strange.
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I don't think so, or at least I haven't been able to.

>When testing the uninstall, there is an option to reinstall the software. It tries to get the cab files from the temp folder where it expanded the files. Of course the files aren't there after a successful installation. This would work great on a net install, but in the web file case, it just gives the user an error. Can this be disabled?
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You can disable the uninstall entirely; check my back messages from a long time ago. I posted a hack to do this.

>When uninstalling, it leaves the data files created at run-time intact as expected. Instead of telling the user that he should clean up the directory or something friendly, it simply states that "The Install was not successful." Can this be changed?
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Not as far as I know.

>I see no options as to whether the files in my installation should always overwrite/never overwrite/only new versions... It appears to always overwrite. I have some data files that contain startup data that must be installed on the first release. The user can then add to the files. I wouldn't want these data files overwritten on an upgrade. The files that do not have startup data are created through SDT. I could get around this by writing code to stuff the files on the first run if I have to.
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You can hack the .STF file and change the file copy options.

>These are the challenges I face. I can either live with or beat them all if I can be assured that I won't get 500 phone calls with, "Thanks... I installed your simple database program and now my computer resembles a boat anchor!" :)
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You might consider building a runtime-only install with Setup Wizard, and trigger that from inside another installer (this is what I do because there are many things I can't do with Setup Wizard, and I don't want the headaches of figuring out how to install new versions of the runtime.)

>Should I look into the Visual Studio installer I have seen mentioned? Knowing MS, it won't know VFP as well as the VFP setup wizard, but may be much more powerful.
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If you don't need a post-setup executable, VI may meet your needs better.