[Licensing] This authoring tool can create Windows Installer Packages including ClickOnce Packages.

Visual Studio 2003 and above contains a deployment type project by which you can build windows installer packages. For Visual Studio 6.0, you require Microsoft Visual Studio Installer.

To create .msi packages using Visual Studio 2003 and higher, you can Click Here and visit the website as your reference and as a starting point for how to create .msi packages. If you notice, the author utilizes the Orca, essential tool for opening and modifying .msi database of the package. To create .msi packages with Microsoft Visual Studio Installer, you can Click Here and visit the website as your reference.

Visual Studio 2003 and above can also create and build ClickOnce packages. ClickOnce requires that the target client already have the .NET Framework 2.0 or above installed. Visual Studio has made packaging and deploying the .NET Framework simpler than ever. Simply select what pre-requisites your application may have (ex. the .NET Framework 2.0 & MDAC 9.0) and Visual Studio will generate a bootstrapper file that will automatically install all of the specified pre- requisites when run. On the server side, “ClickOnce” needs only an HTTP 1.1 server or alternatively a file server. Visit MSDN Magazine site as a quick tutorial guide for how to build packages using ClickOnce technology with Visual Studio. You will be amazed with the wealth of information you may find at the resource for ClickOnce Technology.