>>>1) Distribute .exe to the desktops or run from the server?
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>>From server is easier to upgrade. You copy the executable only once. There is a performance penalty (EXE has to be loaded over the server), but I didn't find this to be a problem in practice.
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>I prefer to run the exe on the local machines ;
>
>a) If it's run off the server you can't rebuild it until everyone stops running it.

I can. I think I will have to write a FAQ on this topic eventually.

Basically: a) You add a number to your program: MyApp_0001.exe, MyApp_0002.exe, etc. The number indicates the version. b) A small loader program detects the latest version, and runs it.

>b) If your exe gets big (6mb+) and you network gets slow (10 mb, 25+ users), I've had trouble running it off the server because it can't load into windows fast enough.

I didn't have trouble with this in practice. It seems to take a few seconds to load the program.

Usually, users log in, and then stay in the program all day long.

>For upgrades, you can put a batch file in the window startup to download the latest version every morning.

That's an interesting alternative. I would suggest instead, however, to have the loader check for the latest version, and, if available, copy it to the local drive. Then run it. This allows you to have upgrades available immediately - not the next day.

Older versions should also be kept available, so the user can go back one or two versions, in case the developer commits some mistake. This saved me an emergency trip to the company more than once.