The problem wasn't that the DLLs couldn't go in the system directory; I wasn't trying to install them there, I just wanted to rename the "installation" directory selected by InstallShield to something more useful. I never did figure out how to do that, but at the moment, that's the least of the problems. Install Shield did put the vfp7t.dll and vfp7renu.dll in two places -- system 32 and with the com server, but the copy that is registered is the one in "your company name\default\vfp" directory. Since I can't unregister them (an error message indicates that the "/u" isn't valid with regsvr32 ??) -- I suppose they are stuck there for a while.

Perhaps it does only take 5 minutes to create an installation package with Install Shield once you figure it out, but I think I could have done this task with the Setup Wizard in a matter of seconds. It's only a DLL for Heaven's sake. I'd have registered it manually except that I didn't know exactly what files comprised the runtime libraries for VFP7. Ironically, it appears Install Shield doesn't know that either since the installation is missing one or more.

I'll admit that InstallShield has features that may be useful on other, bigger projects, especially if I figure out how to use them. I'll definitely take you up on the offer of a demo; expect to find your name on the SIG agenda again soon. In the meantime, I'm off to find the white paper. It's bound to be more useful than the text that comes with the product.