VS 2012 Deployment Issues

Question

One of VS2012's flaws is its limited deployment options out-of-the-box. There are many situations, where Click-once just isn't suitable. OK, so we have to use third party options: WIX XML to the rescue. But that is where problems start:
So you have a working, built, release software. You look in the corresponding Build output directory - and wow! You see a whole bunch of files - all starting with your application name - which ones should you include in your deployment package? I found that
leaving out all the files with the 'vhost' moniker seems to work just fine. I have also left out the 'manifest' file, although I am not quite sure what problems this causes. Do you need the file with the 'application' extension?
But it is even worse if your application uses properties. There is a 'properties' sub-directory in your release file. It seems that you can leave out all the files with the 'cs' extension (I work in C#).
Where does Microsoft tell you, what files of the Build output need to be included in the deployment package?

Answer 1

Hi Genealogist,
Thank you for posting in MSDN forum.
According to your description, as you said that you used the
third party options WIX XML to deployment in VS2012, I suggest you can ask the issue to wix, maybe you will get more support about the issue:
http://windows-installer-xml-wix-toolset.687559.n2.nabble.com/.
Since the Visual Studio General
Forum which discuss Visual Studio the VS IDE issue, I am afraid that the issue is out of support of
Visual Studio General Forum.
Thanks for your understanding.
Best Regards,
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