Open a Windows SDK Command Prompt, and change to the directory in which you will store your ClickOnce files.

Create a directory named after the current version of your deployment. If this is the first time you are deploying the application, you will likely choose 1.0.0.0.

Note:
The version of your deployment may be distinct from the version of your application files.

Create a subdirectory of that folder named bin and place all of your application files here, including executable files, assemblies, resources, and data files

Generate the application manifest with a call to Mage.exe:

mage -New Application -ToFile 1.0.0.0\WindowsFormsApp1.exe.manifest -Name "Windows Forms App 1" -Version 1.0.0.0 -FromDirectory 1.0.0.0\bin

Sign the application manifest with your digital certificate:

mage -Sign WindowsFormsApp1.exe.manifest -CertFile mycert.pfx

Generate the deployment manifest with a call to Mage.exe. Mage.exe will, by default, mark your ClickOnce deployment as an installed application, so that it can be run both online and offline. To make the application available only when the user is online, use the -i flag with a value of f. If you use the default, and users will install your application from a Web site or file share, make sure the value of the -providerUrl flag points to the location of the application manifest on the Web server or share.

mage -New Deployment -ToFile WindowsFormsApp1.application -Name "Windows Forms App 1" -Version 1.0.0.0 -AppManifest 1.0.0.0\WindowsFormsApp1.manifest -providerUrl http://www.adatum.com/WindowsFormsApp1/WindowsFormsApp1.application

Sign the deployment manifest with your certificate:

mage -Sign WindowsFormsApp1.application -CertFile mycert.pfx

Copy all of the files in the current directory—including the version folder and the \bin folder—to the deployment destination. This may be either a folder on a Web site or FTP site, a file share, or a CD.

Supply your users with the URL, UNC, or physical media required to install your application. If you are supplying a URL or UNC, you must give your users the full path the deployment manifest. For example, if WindowsFormsApp1 is deployed to http://webserver01/ in the WindowsFormsApp1 directory, the full URL path would be http://webserver01/WindowsFormsApp1/WindowsFormsApp1.deploy.

Open a Windows SDK Command Prompt, and navigate to the directory in which you will store your ClickOnce files.

Create a subdirectory named bin and place all of your application files here, including executable files, assemblies, resources, and data files.

Create a subdirectory named after the current version of your deployment. If this is the first time you are deploying the application, you will likely choose 1.0.0.0.

Note:
The version of your deployment may be distinct from the version of your application files.

Move the \bin directory into the directory you created in step 2, and then start the graphical tool:

MageUI.exe

Create a new application manifest by selecting File, New, Application Manifest from the menu.

On the default Name tab, enter the name and version number of this deployment.

Select the Files tab and click the Browse... button next to the Application Directory text box.

Select the directory containing your application files that you created in step 2, and click OK on the folder selection dialog box.

Click the Populate button to add all your application files to the file list. If your application contains more than one executable file, mark the main executable file for this deployment as the startup application by selecting Entry Point from the File Type drop-down list. (If your application only contains one executable file, MageUI.exe will mark it for you.)

Select the Permissions Required tab and select the level of trust you need your application to assert. The default is Full Trust, which will be suitable for most applications.

Select File, Save from the menu, and save the application manifest. You will be prompted to sign the application manifest when you save it.

If you have a certificate stored as a file on your file system, use the Sign as certificate file option, and select the certificate from the file system using the ... button.

-or-

If your certificate is kept in a certificate store accessible from your machine, select the Sign with stored certificate option, and select the certificate from the list provided.

Select File, New, Deployment Manifest from the menu to create your deployment manifest, and then on the Name tab, supply a name and version number (1.0.0.0 in this example).

Select the Publisher tab, and supply values for Publisher and Product. (Product is the name given your application on the Windows Start menu when you install your application locally.)

Switch to the Update tab, and specify how often you would like this application to update. If your application uses the ClickOnce Deployment API to check for updates itself, clear the check box labeled This application should check for updates.

Switch to the Application Reference tab. You can pre-populate all of the values on this tab by clicking the Select Manifest button and selecting the application manifest you created in previous steps.

Choose Save and save the deployment manifest to disk. You will be prompted to sign the application manifest when you save it.

If you have a certificate stored as a file on your file system, use the Sign as certificate file option, and select the certificate from the file system using the ... button.

-or-

If your certificate is kept in a certificate store accessible from your machine, select the Sign with stored certificate option, and select the certificate from the list provided.

Copy all of the files in the current directory—including the version folder and the \bin folder—to the deployment destination. This may be either a folder on a Web site or FTP site, a file share, or a CD.

Supply your users with the URL, UNC, or physical media required to install your application. If you are supplying a URL or UNC, you must give your users the full path the deployment manifest. For example, if WindowsFormsApp1 is deployed to http://webserver01/ in the WindowsFormsApp1 directory, the full URL path would be http://webserver01/WindowsFormsApp1/WindowsFormsApp1.deploy.