Default installation path for add-ins?

[Terje Krång]

Hi,

I am developing an Outlook Add-In with an auto-update feature. Now, I would
like to support users without administrator rights. Installation will prolly
be done automatically with SMS or something, but what about updates? A
non-admin user doesn't have enough rights to update files in C:\Program
Files\MyAddIn (as far as I know), so where should I have the user install my
software? Is there any way I can have my update-application allways run with
administrator rights, without saving administrator password anywhere? (I
guess I could use "runas", but I think I would have to know the
administrator password in order to use that command?)

(PS: Developing for Outlook 2003, using C#.)


Best Regards,
Terje Krång

 

[Ken Slovak - [MVP - Outlook]]

Why wouldn't a user have permissions to install or update applications in
C:\Program Files? If they didn't they couldn't install the application to
begin with. I always use C:\Program Files and I've never had a problem.

 

[Siew Moi Khor [MS]]

You're right that if you require the users to install at C:\Program
Files\...., they need to be admins on the box. You might want to consider
installing under %userprofile%\ directory, eg, C:\Documents and
Settings\<username> which only requires user permission.

btw, you might be interested in some excellent blogs and articles on running
as non-admins:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/d...StudioNETWithNon-AdministrativePrivileges.asp
http://blogs.msdn.com/aaron_margosis/category/5785.aspx
http://blogs.gotdotnet.com/ptorr/commentview.aspx/4fc434fe-9295-496e-a528-9042b8f577bd
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;294676
http://blogs.msdn.com/ptorr/archive/2004/03/21/93352.aspx

Siew Moi

 

[Terje Krång]

The add-in could be deployed using SMS or some other deployment facility.
SMS will install the add-in in e.g. C:\Program Files, but the user could be
a
non-admin user -- and if so would not have access to update/change/delete
the add-in other than through SMS. (Or am I totally wrong here?)


Terje

 

[Ken Slovak - [MVP - Outlook]]

I have no idea, I never use SMS.