The P&D wizard also produces bloated packages that install everything but
the kitchen sink.

VS 6 has a free version of InstallShield that you can use, but it's a bit
out of date. Installers that use Windows Installer (as do the setups
produced by VS 2005) can install over an existing addin as long as the
properties for updating are set and a new guid is used for the product code.
The upgrade code remains the same.

I wouldn't call anything in .NET easier than VS 6, but the deployment story
is somewhat more up to date there. But you have to weigh the advantages of
..NET against its disadvantages.

If you want to stay with VB 6 code I'd suggest looking into commercial
installer packaging software. InstallShield and Wise are the biggest players
there and both produce installers that are compliant with Windows Installer.
I'm sure there are other players out there but I'm really only familiar with
InstallShield and Wise.

--
Ken Slovak
[MVP - Outlook]
http://www.slovaktech.com
Author: Absolute Beginner's Guide to Microsoft Office Outlook 2003
Reminder Manager, Extended Reminders, Attachment Options
http://www.slovaktech.com/products.htm


"DavidE" wrote in message
...
Hi,

I use vb6 to create Com Addins for outlook 2000 and 2003.
Usually, I run the setup.exe which I create with the Package and
Deployment
Wizard, in a target machine and so I do to all users(One by one). When I
have
to make a change in the AddIn I have to make a new package and then I have
to
go to all users, one by one, and then using the windows Add/Remove
programs
to remove the addin and then I run the new setup.exe.
I think that it is not a good way to deploy Add-Ins and to update them if
I
make a change. I spend a lot of time to do this.

Is there a way more efficient to deploy AddIns and to update them ?
Is vs 2005 has better tools for this tasks.

Thanks,

David