Install VSTO Add-in for OL2003 For All Users (including non-Admin)

[AlanGlover]

I want to install my addin to HKLM rather than HKCU so that all users can use
it. I can make the necessary registry changes to the setup project and
install it as administrator and it works OK for all users - but only if they
are administrators.

There is conflicting evidence on the web: this MS article tells you how to
do it - so you would figure it was supported:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc136646.aspx#AutoDeployVSTOse_InstallingtheAddinforAllUsers

but I have seen Ken Slovak responses suggesting this is not supported...eg:

http://help.lockergnome.com/office/VSTO-Outlook-Addin-loaded-admin-user-ftopict942994.html

Can anyone give me a definitive answer on this? Is there any way out?

I hope so because it will cost me a 6 figure sale - not to mention the six
months of work thats gone into it. Help!

 

[Ken Slovak - [MVP - Outlook]]

That answer was provided before that MSDN article or the blog posts Misha
made telling how to deploy a VSTO addin for all users. At that point the
official word was that VSTO addins only could be deployed for current user.

So yes, following all the steps in that deployment article should allow your
addin to work when installed for all users.

For more explicit information on the problem you're having I'd suggest
posting to the VSTO forum on MSDN, the VSTO team answers questions there and
should be able to provide answers for you:
http://forums.microsoft.com/MSDN/ShowForum.aspx?ForumID=16&SiteID=1

 

[AlanGlover]

Thanks Ken - its very hard to know which advice is still current and which
has been superseded by later releases or service packs.

The article says for Outlook 2003 I just need to modify the setup procedure
to put keys into HKLM instead of HKCU but it doesn't work for me.

I wonder if the author means for "COM Add-ins for OL2003" ?

VSTO 2005 SE produces managed code add-ins for OL 2003 and thats what I'm
trying to deploy - but the other deployment instructions which involve
writing code to create the Keys in HKCU during application start-up say they
are for OL 2007 - the instructions also leave a lot for me to work out for
myself which will be difficult and time consuming and then possibly not
relevant. I'm concerned they rely on features only available in OL2007.

I've tried the other forum as you suggested.

thanks

Alan

 

[Ken Slovak - [MVP - Outlook]]

I believe the author meant for Outlook 2003 COM addins.

Outlook 2003 doesn't care about whether managed code addins are registered
in HCKU or HKLM. It's only Outlook 2007 that cares about that. So if all you
need to support is Outlook 2003 and don't need to support Outlook 2007 at
all you could probably just register in HKLM and not try to echo the
settings to HKCU per the articles.

This is all theoretical for me though, I've never tried to deploy a VSTO
addin to HKLM or for all users.

 

[Dave [MSFT]]

Hi Alan,

Installing a VSTO solution to HKLM will "work" in Outlook 2003 but is not
supported. As Ken already noted in Outlook 2007, VSTO solutions will _NOT_
work if they are registered in the HKLM hive (i.e.
HKLM\SW\Microsoft\Office\Outlook\Addins\).

Here is more information that may be helpful (at least for Outlook 2007)

http://blogs.msdn.com/mshneer/archive/2007/09/04/deploying-your-vsto-add-in-to-all-users-part-i.aspx

http://blogs.msdn.com/mshneer/archi...ng-your-vsto-add-in-to-all-users-part-ii.aspx

HTH,

Dave Vespa