Hi All,

I have a .NET component that is callable by a COM application that has
worked well, been distributed, for a couple years. The app used the typelib
import build into VS.NET that automagically created the Interop.* assembly.
Again this has worked as a private application where the .NET files are
installed into the same directory as the COM .exe file.

Now I need to make this component publicaly available so other utilities can
access it. From my reasarch, this means adding the CCW component to the GAC
and to add to the GAC, all associated assemblies ned to be strong named. I
have successfully done this but am having troubles with the install built by
VS.NET.

VS.NET has an option to register files (vsdrpCOM) that the documentation
says will register the component on the user machine where the install is
taking place. This seems to work for a COM component written with VS6 but it
does not seem to register the CCW assembly correctly. Also, if I install the
CCW assembly to the GAC, it also does not appear to correctly register with
COM.

If I run RegAsm on the assembly, it seems to register correctly on the user
machine and if I run GacUtil on the user machine I can get the CCW assembly
reference into the GAC with a CodeBase of the directory where the CCW
component is located and everything works fine.

Problem is, I can't find a way to have the installer with VS.NET do this on
its own. Does anyone know if it is possible/how to get the VS.NET installer
to put a CCW assembly on a user machine, RegAsm it so it is registered with
the COM system, and put a reference to it in the GAC so it is visible
globally on the machine?

Currently, the only way I can get this to work is to have the installer
place a copy of the CCW assembly into the GAC, have the installer place a
copy of the CCW into a directory, and place a small utility in the same
directory that is run by a "Custom Action" after the main install is complete
that runs RegAsm against the CCW assembly. This works but does not provide a
clean way to uninstall the components if that is required and seems like a
kludge - the installer should be able to do all of this.

Any help/thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks - Bill Strong