Installation Dialog Box Restrictions
When working in the User Interface Editor, while it is possible to place installation dialog boxes into any installation node and in any order, there are some restrictions on how the dialog boxes are used. In some cases, failure to heed these will cause build errors; in other cases they could cause unexpected results during installation.
Note
Visual Studio Setup and Deployment projects do not support custom dialog boxes or other user interface elements that you create yourself.
Start Node
The Start node contains dialog boxes that are displayed before the actual installation begins.
The following dialog boxes should only be placed in the Start node: Splash, Welcome, RadioButtons, Checkboxes, Textboxes, Installation Folder (or Installation Address), and Confirm Installation.
Progress Node
The Progress node contains a single dialog box that is displayed while installation is in progress.
Only the Progress dialog box should be placed in the Progress node; placing any other dialog boxes in this node will cause a build error.
End Node
The End node contains dialog boxes that are displayed after the installation is complete.
The following dialog boxes should only be placed in the End node: Register User and Finished.
The Finished dialog box closes the Setup Wizard; it must be the last dialog box in the End section. If the Finished dialog box is removed, a build error will occur unless all other dialog boxes are also removed (removing all the dialog boxes creates an installer with no user interface).
Additional Recommendations
The Splash dialog box (if used) should always be first, followed by the Welcome dialog box. Any custom dialog boxes such as RadioButtons, Checkboxes, or Textboxes dialog boxes should be placed in the Start node since their purpose is to gather information to be used during installation. The Installation Folder (or Installation Address) dialog box should be the next-to-last dialog box in the Start node because it may disable the Back button. The Confirm Installation dialog box should be last because it provides the user with a chance to back out before launching the actual installation.
The Customer Information dialog box can be placed in either the Start or End node; however, if it is placed in the end node, any user changes in the dialog box will not update the registry. If the ShowSerialNumber property is set to true, the dialog box should be placed in the Start node in order to validate the serial number prior to installation.
Likewise, the License Agreement dialog box is normally placed in the Start node, since acceptance of the agreement is necessary to continue an installation.
The Register User dialog box is used to update registration information; since a user might cancel installation, registration information should only be entered after the installation is complete.
The Read Me dialog box can be placed in either the Start or End node. If it contains information that might affect installation, it should be placed in the Start node; otherwise, it is normally placed in the End node.