Here is a link that explains one way to do this using a BootStrapper:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dnnetdep/html/dotnetframedepguid.asp


>I need to install my VB.NET app on Win2000 Professional PC's that do not have the dotnet framework installed. Inorder to make this as seemless and easy as possible, I want to run the dotnetFramwork install exe as a preinstall executable in my installshield setup. Is this possible?