Hi,

Old thread that hit home, my 2 cents.

>>>>It's clearly MS legal language, and I would like to make people think *I* made this and not Microsoft. How can I modify this to be my own?

I've run into a number of problems with the setup wizard that have to do with both the screen format and the limited functions. The MS warning also says that "You may Install" myapp "on a single computer" ... This has been really confusing for customers that purchased a 5 station license or whatever.

>>> The problem here is that you did include Microsoft products - like the VFP runtime - in your application. That caveat really can't be removed, since you

By this logic, it is illegal to use the MS Setup if you distribute other limited distribution products (we use dynazip and foxfix flls ) with your app. as there is no way to reference them. Well, you are allowed 145 characters in VFP5 for a copyright warning of your own. (Not much room left on that screen after the MS warnings.) I guess you could add "PS- Don't steal my stuff or anyone else's either." Hmm, it doesn't even show up on the screen, buried in the Help/About basement.

I now use Installshield Express, you can then have a server install that installs the databases and exes without an uninstall and also creates a subfolder to the program folder called ws_setup on the server. Ws_Setup contains the workstation setup program (with uninstall) that installs the workstation files and places icons pointing to exes, not in that setup program, but in the folder above it on the server. (allows \..\my.exe path for icons) You can then write a copyright notice that covers all the files. No way to do this with the setup wizard that I know of.

Recently I ran into an article saying that installing oleaut32 on NT 3.51 can render the system UNBOOTABLE if not done a certain way. (Mentioned in an article about the VPF500.dll)
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q158/0/64.asp

I'd really like to use the Setup wizard to take care of the system files and run it from within Installshield. I read some messages here about running setup in quiet mode and got really jazzed, but when I tried to use the switches with the Netsetup setup.exe they didn't work. (I'm still using VFP 5) I suppose I could build a copyright and license screen that runs after the MS setup that says, "Please Ignore the last copyright screen. This is the real one! " Sorta unprofessional. I won't use the Setup wizard and just hope I don't run across any more articles like the one above that could effect someone loading a demo on an old system. (If the OS is NT 3.51 I don't install the oleaut32 at all for now, better safe than ...)

BTW- I've been using Foxpro since 2.6 and usually love it! After stubbornly resisting the use of the OOP features in VFP I finally dove into them a couple of years ago and now can't see how I ever lived without! It is always a delight to discover a new way doing something or to overcome an obstacle (Often with the help of other Developers)

Bill


>>>
>>>The MS caveats are built into the Setup component, and aren't alterable.
>>>
>>>You can use a different tool to create your setup application, but you still
>>
>>Ah-ha. Well, I guess this is something to add to the wish list for future VFP versions. It would be nice to have some of my text in there...
>
>You can use another installation tool like InstallShield Express and even run a Setup Wizard created install of the runtime from there; you still have to acknowledge MS's copyrights and the restrictions of the EULA on further redistribution of the runtime and components by your end-users.
>
>IOW, the rules you've agreed to don't change because you've switched installers; the user needs to acknowledge the restrictions established not just by you, but by MS as well, on the runtime components. You have a limited licesne to redistribute the VFP runtime - you can distribute it freely because you purchased the VFP development environment, but your end-users don't have that same set of rights - they can't give someone the runtime to use except with the app that you provide to them. They don't have the right to turn around and sell/give away the VFP runtime unless they have the VFP development environment, too, and ship it as a part of an application, at least from what my attorney has told me (since he deals with intellectual property law, I'm fairly certain of his interpretation.)
>
>Caveat - IANAL! Check with your attorney about what the applicable laws are.

Bill Leber